Just after the strong midnight earthquake shook New Zealand, the United States embassy Wellington went to work to help assess the damage and assist those in need. We successfully connected with all embassy staff and families, and while some minor breakages and small cracks are apparent, everyone is safe and accounted for. We quickly saw ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 14 November, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Former Ambassadors, News, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Ambassador Gilbert, North Canterbury Earthquake
Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Premier House Wellington, New Zealand November 13, 2016
from State.gov PRIME MINISTER KEY: Okay, good morning. So we had a great opportunity to welcome Secretary Kerry to New Zealand and to catch up with him after his brief but I’m sure important trip down to Antarctica. Let me just start by ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 13 November, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Former Ambassadors, Key Officials, News
| Tags: John Kerry Secretary of State, Prime Minister John Key
“How will the new U.S. President affect New Zealand? What is the impact of gerrymandering on the U.S. elections? How does the Electoral College work? Who do you think will win the Presidential Election?” These questions and more have been posed by New Zealand youth in high schools and universities. Students’ questions reflect their interests ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 8 November, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Elections, Former Ambassadors, Youth Outreach
| Tags: U.S. Ambassador Gilbert, U.S. Elections, U.S. Elections 2016, USNZYouthCouncil, Youth Engagement
By Education USA NZ staff. Students, parents, coaches, and school personnel from across New Zealand met with visiting admissions representatives from American universities as part of the fourth annual U.S. Universities Expo, September 4-6, 2016. The touring university reps visited secondary schools, hosted information sessions, and participated in free public fairs in Auckland and Wellington. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 October, 2016 | Categories:
Education, Former Ambassadors, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Ambassador Mark Gilbert, Binghamton University, Colgate University, Education New Zealand, EducationUSA, EducationUSA NZ, educationusanz@state.gov, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Fulbright New Zealand, Indiana University, International Exchange Programs, National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, NZQA, Portland State University, Purdue University, Sister Cities, Study Auckland, U.S. Universities Expo 2016, Uniexpo16, University at Buffalo, University of Arizona, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Kentucky
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Consulate Auckland. In Auckland on Sunday, September 11th, more than 160 firefighters, joined by U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert, climbed the stairs of the Sky Tower in memory of firefighters lost in the September 11 World Trade Center attacks, as well as those New Zealand firefighters who have lost their lives ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 September, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Deputy Chief of Mission, Events, Former Ambassadors, News
| Tags: #NeverForget, #NYC, 9/11, Auckland, Cantabrians, Christchurch, Hamilton, Kiwi firefighters, Mayor Lianne Dalziel, September 11th, Tamahere, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert, World Trade Center
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. The month of August was action-packed with youth outreach in Auckland, which gave U.S. Consulate General staff members and kiwi youth the opportunity to engage on issues of significance to both the United States and New Zealand. Topics of discussion this month included the U.S. presidential elections ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 September, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Elections, Environment, Former Ambassadors, Sports Diplomacy, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Alex Dunlap, American Insights, Auckland Grammar School, Baseball New Zealand, Conor Dickinson, Hobsonville Point Secondary School, Kennon Kincaid, Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, U.S. Ambassador Gilbert, U.S. Consulate General, U.S. Elections process, Youth Outreach
By Alex Dunlap, Winter Fellow, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. The Baseball New Zealand 13 and under team recently completed tournament play in the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland. This year, the tournament field consisted of 10 champions from across the United States and 8 international teams representing Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 August, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Former Ambassadors, Sports Diplomacy, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Aberdeen, Alex Dunlap, Ambassador Gilbert, Auckland, Baseball New Zealand, Cal Ripken World Series, Chicago White Sox, Maryland, Sports Diplomacy, Study in the U.S., The Fieldhouse, U.S. Consulate General, Winter Fellow, Youth Outreach
By Mike Cousins | 15 July, 2016 | Categories:
Former Ambassadors, Key Officials, Science & Tech
| Tags: Dava Newman, Dr Dava Newman, NASA, Science, STEAM, STEM
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Vice President FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 12, 2016 Vice President Biden travels to Los Angeles California, Honolulu, Hawaii, Melbourne & Sydney Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. On July 13, 2016, following the Vice President’s remarks on trade enforcement in San Diego, California, he will travel to Los Angeles, California to ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 July, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Events, Former Ambassadors, Key Officials, News
| Tags: Biden, Vice President Biden, Vice President Biden is Coming to New Zealand, VP Biden
Remarks of Ambassador Mark Gilbert on the Occasion of the 240th Anniversary of American Independence Day, July 7, 2016 E ngā mana E ngā reo E ngā manuhiri taiea Kia ora koutou katoa Tēnā koutou mai tōku whenua America Tēnā koutou mai tōku Rangatira Matua Barack Obama Ko ngā Rocky Mountains ōku Maunga Ko te ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 11 July, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, East Asia & Pacific, First People's Connect, Former Ambassadors, National Parks, Our Ocean
| Tags: 240th Anniversary of American Independence Day, Independence Day, National Parks Service, NPS100, Remarks, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
By Mike, Emily and Shivani, Public Affairs. Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of
Girls in Tech , recently visited New Zealand to keynote at
Project Connect in Auckland and Wellington – a speaker series founded by the U.S. Embassy and the Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT). Alongside the Project Connect talks, Adriana had a series of meetings, round-table discussions and dinners throughout the country – including a ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 July, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Connecting with Kiwis, Education, Events, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Auckland Consular Corps, BizDojo Wellington, Creative HQ Wellington, Girls in Tech, GRID Auckland, Jade Software, Project Connect, St Margret's College Christchurch, STEM, the Christchurch City Council, The Mind Lab, The Ministry of Awesome Christchurch, USNZYouthCouncil
President Obama on the Tragic Shooting in Orlando Today, as Americans, we grieve the brutal murder — a horrific massacre — of dozens of innocent people. We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. We stand with the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city. ...
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By Mike Cousins | 13 June, 2016 | Categories:
Former Ambassadors, News, Press Releases, Public Affairs
| Tags: Florida, Orlando, Shooting
NZDF Media Release Nine New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel have embarked on the US naval hospital ship USNS Mercy as they take part in the largest multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) mission to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Wing Commander (WGCDR) Michelle White, who is the Senior National Officer of the NZDF contingent and ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 2 June, 2016 | Categories:
East Asia & Pacific, Featured Event, Former Ambassadors, News, Press Releases
May 29: U.S. Ambassador Gilbert, Nancy Gilbert and the U.S. Consul General attended the 68th annual U.S. Memorial Day commemoration service at the
Auckland War Memorial Museum on Sunday, May 29. The Ambassador laid a wreath and accepted on behalf of the Embassy a United States flag folded by U.S. veterans. Attendance at the event numbered around 100 – veterans ...
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By Mike Cousins | 30 May, 2016 | Categories:
Events, Former Ambassadors, News
| Tags: kapa haka, Mayor Brown, Memorial Day, New Zealand Defence Force, Paekakariki, Queen Elizabeth Park, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert, USMC
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland. On April 25, 2016 the Auckland Youth Council met with Ambassador Mark Gilbert. In recognition of the recently-signed COP 21 Agreement on Climate Change, signed by 155 countries in New York on April 20, Earth Day, the group discussed climate change, especially in relation to the ...
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By Mike Cousins | 24 May, 2016 | Categories:
Business, Consulate General, Events, Former Ambassadors, Human Rights, Our Ocean, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Ambassador, Ambassador Mark Gilbert, Business, Consulate General, Earth Day, Events, Haunui Waka, Human Rights, Our Ocean, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Sir Peter Blake Trust, Te Toki Voyaging Trust, Youth Outreach
By Phil McKenna, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland. For a number of months, U.S. Consulate General in Auckland has been busy the high-profile Tripartite Economic Summit between the cities of Auckland, Los Angeles, and Guangzhou, which took place from 16–17 May at the huge ANZ Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland. The summit program included ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 May, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Former Ambassadors, Science & Tech
| Tags: #tripartiteAKL, ATEED, Auckland, entrepreneurs, innovators, Los Angeles, Tripartite Economic Alliance
The afternoon of May 9th Ambassador Gilbert spoke at a Mount Albert Grammar School senior assembly in Auckland. Speaking of his three favorite U.S. presidents, Ambassador Gilbert also discussed the election process with school prefects. This opportunity also allowed Ambassador Gilbert the chance to meet Mount Albert Grammar’s new Headmaster, Patrick Drumm, and recognize Head ...
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By Mike Cousins | 9 May, 2016 | Categories:
Education, Former Ambassadors
| Tags: Kubi Witten-Hannah, Mount Albert Grammer School, Patrick Drumm, Rutgers University, U.S. Ambassador Gilbert
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. On April 13 and 14, 2016 the U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert and his wife, Mrs. Nancy Gilbert, made their first official visit to Dunedin, New Zealand. The Gilberts met with a cross section of Dunedin’s government, business, university, and civil society sectors. It was a ...
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By Mike Cousins | 21 April, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Doing Business in the U.S., First People's Connect, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Animation Research, Craig Halbmaier, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Fulbright, Harlene Hayne, Nancy Gilbert, NASA, Otago Business School, Otago Museum, Pacific Islands Centre, TPP, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert, University of Otago, Vice-Chancellor, Visiting Executives Program, Youth Council
By Mike Cousins, Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Wellington. Google employee #43 (and now Silicon Valley entrepreneur/investor) Jeremy Wenokur was in New Zealand earlier this week to listen to and give startup advice to some of New Zealand’s young entrepreneurs. Jeremy’s NZ program included a roundtable (the kitchen table to be exact!) discussion with
GRID Auckland startup residents, a
Project Connect fireside chat ...
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By Mike Cousins | 8 April, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: American entrepreneur, AUT, Bizdojo, entrepreneur, GRID Akl, Jeremy Wenokur, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
Ambassador Gilbert and Consul General Higgins met with migrants and resettled refugees in Auckland yesterday to learn about their adjustment to life as “Kiwis.” Participants were complimentary of support from the Ministry of Social Development and Umma Trust, which run programs to help refugees to settle in Aotearoa. Participants said overall they were very grateful ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 24 March, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Child and Family Matters, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Former Ambassadors, Human Rights, News
| Tags: Ambassador Gilbert, Consul General Higgins, Ministry of Social Development, refugees, Umma Trust
By Mara Hosoda, U.S. Consulate, Auckland Mana moana (“the power of the ocean”) was especially strong this month, connecting Kanaka Maoli (native people from Hawaii) to their Maori and Pacific cousins in Aotearoa. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate are proud to support and be a part of the many Hawaiian exchanges that occurred in March. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 24 March, 2016 | Categories:
Alumni, Art & Culture, Auckland, Business, Child and Family Matters, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Events, First People's Connect, Former Ambassadors, Travel & Tourism, U.S. & New Zealand, U.S. Consulate Auckland, U.S. Embassy Wellington
| Tags: Ali’i Kalani’opu’u, Arts Envoy, ATEED, Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii, Kanaka Maoli, Kenneth Makuakane, mahiole, Mana moana, Pasifika Festival, Paula Fuga, Star Gossage, Ultimate Waterman Challenge, Waianae, Zane Kekoa Schweitzer
This year’s
Project Connect series hosted by the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the U.S. Embassy kicks off with a very special one-time only interview with Silicon Valley entrepreneur/investor Jeremy Wenokur, moderated by U.S. Ambassador, Mark Gilbert. Jeremy will discuss how NZ companies can creatively position for offshore investment as well as cultivate potential USA buyers, ...
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By Mike Cousins | 16 March, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Events, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: AUT, Corporate Development for Google, entrepreneurs, Google, Jeremy Wenokur, Project, Project Connect, Tech, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
Office of Public Affairs U.S. Embassy, Wellington Tongariro, New Zealand’s oldest National Park, has been chosen as the site for a celebration to mark a century of U.S. National Parks. “National Parks engage communities through recreation, conservation, historic and cultural preservation. They highlight values we share with the people of New Zealand,” says U.S. Ambassador ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 2 March, 2016 | Categories:
Environment, Former Ambassadors, National Parks, Press Releases, Public Affairs
| Tags: Ambassador Mark Gilbert, Department of Conservation, DOC, National Park Service, New Zealand, NPS, NPS100, Tongariro
U.S. and New Zealand entrepreneurs, creative technologists, educators and investors visited New Zealand for the 2016 New Frontiers conference held in Whiteman’s Valley between February 12-26, 2016. The programming of New Frontiers was designed with three overarching themes: Planet, Story, and Economy. Each day featured a mix of U.S. and local keynote talks, in-depth panel discussions, open ...
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By Mike Cousins | 28 February, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Education, Environment, Former Ambassadors, Science & Tech
| Tags: creative technologists, educators, entrepreneurs, Environment, New Frontiers, Whiteman’s Valley
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland. The University of Waikato Law School—Te Piringa in partnership with the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School invited Ambassador Gilbert to meet law students and give the annual Krinock Lecture on February 2, 2016.
Ambassador Gilbert’s lecture was entitled “Turning countries and businesses into people: the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 10 February, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Education, Former Ambassadors, Scholarships and Exchanges, U.S. & New Zealand, U.S. Consulate Auckland
| Tags: Ambassador Gilbert, Cooley Law School, Krinock Lecture, Te Piringa, University of Waikato, University of Waikato Law School, Western Michigan University, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland On February 2, 2016, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert and Auckland Consul General Melanie Higgins had a day trip to Hamilton to meet with the local government, businesses, iwi and the university. It was a fun-filled day to learn more about existing U.S. and New Zealand connections ...
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By Mike Cousins | 3 February, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Doing Business in the U.S., Former Ambassadors, Public Affairs
| Tags: Consul General Melanie Higgins, Cooley Law School Krinock Lecture, Hamilton, Hamilton City Council, Hamilton Gardens, Mayor’s Office, Pacific Aerospace, Tidd Ross Todd, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert, University of Waikato, Waikato Chamber of Commerce, Waikato Milking Systems, Waikato Tainui
by Ambassador Mark Gilbert As the New Year dawns, I’ve been reflecting on the past twelve months and looking ahead to continuing to deepen our vital friendship with New Zealand and Samoa. 2015 was an amazing year, and I am so grateful I was able to meet with and be inspired by so many New ...
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By Ola Thorsen | 19 January, 2016 | Categories:
Environment, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech
| Tags: Antarctica, NSF, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
Innovation-Focused Summit to Provide Global Investors and Economic Developers with Latest Information on Investment in the United States. WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Ambassador Mark Gilbert today announced that
registration is now open for the third SelectUSA Investment Summit to be held June 19-21, 2016, in Washington, D.C. The Summit’s theme is “The Innovation ...
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By Mike Cousins | 12 January, 2016 | Categories:
Business, Former Ambassadors, Trade
| Tags: Ambassador Mark Gilbert, Penny Pritzker, SelectUSA, SelectUSA Investment Summit, The Innovation Advantage, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Vinai Thummalapally, www.selectusa.gov
By Raphael Solomon, Public Affairs Intern at U.S. Embassy Wellington. As a local kiwi working with the Embassy, it is fun to experience some of those quintessential American customs. They are the classic tropes that you always see on TV, but it’s still a bit intriguing to see that they really exist beyond that. Last week was ...
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By Mike Cousins | 1 December, 2015 | Categories:
Deputy Chief of Mission, Events, Former Ambassadors, News, Public Affairs
| Tags: DCM, Downtown Community Mission, Raphael Solomon, Rob Tate, Thanksgiving, Wellington Chef’s Association, Weltec students
By Raphael Solomon, Public Affairs Intern, U.S. Embassy, Wellington. Beautiful things can bring people together like little else. Sometimes art, music and cultural exchange can be just as important to diplomacy as trade deals and defense treaties. This has been recognized since President John F. Kennedy first formalized the Art in Embassies program in 1963 ...
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By Mike Cousins | 23 November, 2015 | Categories:
Art & Culture, Former Ambassadors, U.S. & New Zealand
| Tags: Anne Noble, art, Art in Embassies, Art in Embassies program, Nikki McIvor, Paul McLachlan, President John F. Kennedy, Susan Swartz, Wasatch Mountains
On Monday October 19 Ambassador Mark Gilbert paid a visit to the National New Zealand Fire Service Headquarters in Wellington. He was hosted by Kevin O’Connor, National Rural Fire Authority Officer, and Paul McGill, Deputy National Commander of The New Zealand Fire Service, and expressed the deep appreciation of the United States government for the ...
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By Usman Zaheer | 22 October, 2015 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Emergency Services, Former Ambassadors, U.S. & New Zealand, U.S. Agencies
On October 20, Ambassador Mark Gilbert addressed business leaders at the Australia-New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference in Auckland. He spoke about one of our key foreign policy priorities – mitigating climate change and working together to #ActOnClimate. Recently Secretary of State John Kerry addressed world leaders at the Our Ocean Conference in Chile, ...
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By Usman Zaheer | 22 October, 2015 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Environment, Former Ambassadors, Our Ocean
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Consulate Auckland. Fifty ‘Future Leaders’ from 19 Pacific Islands (#FPL15), including 30 New Zealand based participants, gathered in Auckland in early September for a four-day conference on social entrepreneurship and leadership. An important goal was to connect participants with Pacific diaspora communities in Auckland, the city with the largest Pacific ...
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By Mike Cousins | 18 September, 2015 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, East Asia & Pacific, Events, First People's Connect, Former Ambassadors
| Tags: #FPL15, Emeline Afeaki, Festival for the Future, Future Leaders of the Pacific, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, leadershi, Mark Gilbert, Orakei Marae, Otahuhu, Sasha Fisher, social entrepreneurship, South Auckland Poet’s Collective, Spark Micro-grants, The Akina Foundation, The Grid Auckland
By Nancy Gilbert, wife of U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert. Last month I embarked on a long-term program called Wahine Toa (Women Leaders) to meet with, learn about, and highlight to our blog readers some extraordinary women Maori leadership and their significant contributions throughout the country. In the first blog of the series, I met trailblazer ...
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By Mike Cousins | 5 August, 2015 | Categories:
Former Ambassadors, News, Public Affairs, U.S. & New Zealand, Wahine Toa
| Tags: Change Maker of the Year, Indigenous Rights Sub-committee, INTA, International Trademark Association, Lynell Huria, Nancy Gilbert, Ngati Ruanui, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Patea Maori Club, Poi E, Porirua, Rangimarie Hunia, Wahine Toa, Women Leaders
By U.S. Ambassador, Mark Gilbert. A little while back I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the official opening of the
Matariki Festival at the Dawn Karakia, alongside Auckland Mayor Len Brown and prominent Maori leaders. I had heard about the Matariki Festival prior to my arrival in New Zealand, and Nancy and I were excitedly ...
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By Mike Cousins | 15 July, 2015 | Categories:
Events, First People's Connect, Former Ambassadors, News, Public Affairs
| Tags: Auckland Mayor Len Brown, Auckland’s Pasifika hub, Charlotte Graham, Dawn Karakia, Mangere, Mangere Arts Centre, Matariki Festival, Nancy Gilbert, One Tree Hill, Rewi Spraggon, Routeburn Track, Stardome Observatory
By U.S. Ambassador, Mark Gilbert. Yesterday was a memorable and proud day for me and my family as I officially began my Ambassadorship to New Zealand. We arrived at Government House in the late morning and were graced with a traditional Maori pōwhiri welcome and the Royal New Zealand Air Force Guard of Honour salute. ...
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By Mike Cousins | 10 February, 2015 | Categories:
Former Ambassadors
| Tags: Ambassadorship to New Zealand, ambmarkgilbert, Government House, Governor-General and Lady Mateparae, Lieutenant General Right Honorable Sir Jerry Mateparae, Maori pōwhiri, U.S. Ambassador Mark Gilbert
