The U.S. participants are carefully selected by a Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors based on outstanding achievement and strong personal recommendations of senior leaders.

Will travel to Switzerland next week with leaders from across the nation

COLUMBUS- State Rep. W. Carlton Weddington (D- Columbus) will travel to Switzerland next week to participate in the American Swiss Foundation’s Young Leaders Conference.

“I am honored to have been nominated and selected to be a 2011 US participant to the Young Leaders Conference, the opportunity to interact with others from around the country and from Switzerland discussing world issues, foreign policy and matters relating to our American-Swiss relationship will be a great experience for me.

“The American Swiss Foundation is a private non-profit organization founded in 1945 to preserve and strengthen the historic friendship between the two countries through person-to-person exchange.  The Foundation’s programs focus on the promising young leaders of both nations who will shape public policy in the years to come,” said Rep. Weddington.

Background:

The American Swiss Foundation's Young Leaders Conference was initiated in 1990 to create person-to-person exchange and foster mutual understanding among the next generation of leaders in Switzerland and the United States.

Held in Switzerland each year, the Conference brings together approximately 50 Americans and Swiss aged 28-40 for a week of intensive discussion and exchange on a broad range of current issues of importance to American-Swiss relations; meetings with high-level diplomatic, government, business, media, and cultural leaders; and excursions to Switzerland's beautiful mountains and historic landmarks.

The U.S. participants are carefully selected by a Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors based on outstanding achievement and strong personal recommendations of senior leaders. In Switzerland, participants are selected by the Foundation's Swiss Advisory Council.

Alumni of the Conference now number over 800 leaders in both countries. Their strong personal relationships based on shared experiences in the Conference contribute to the continued excellent relationship between the United States and Switzerland.

The Young Leaders Conference is made possible through the generosity of corporate and individual sponsors and Swiss International Air Lines, which provides travel sponsorship for the U.S. participants.