Sister City Initiative Next Steps -  Think Global Act Local

I am looking forward to garnering the support of my fellow Town Council members regarding this global engagement effort between Mayors, which will open our academic, business, and faith-based communities to another culture and a potential trade partner.  A single visit to Guyana resulted in a quote for lapel pins from a local Loudoun County business, keen interest in distance learning and collaboration about computer programming/coding among schools, and a donation of twenty Bibles from the Purcellville Baptist Church to a ministry in Guyana.

With the confluence of Internet connectivity and big data analytics, our world is more connected now than ever.  The Sister City undertaking will be community service based.  As a three term Mayor and a business professional, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of comprehensive planning, community engagement, economic development, and utility infrastructure management.  Without creating any financial or operational burden upon our town management, I can freely share this knowledge and experience with another Mayor in the global arena.  We already have a precedent for doing this - another Town Council member possessing expertise in governance has shared his knowledge in Canada.  It would be encouraging to have the Town Council's full support for this Sister City global ambassadorship.

I move that Town Council authorize the Mayor to accept the request from the Mayor of Linden, Guyana, to initiate a Sister City relationship between the Town of Purcellville and the Town of Linden to foster collaboration amongst our two communities in the area of academic exchange, business and economic development, trade, comprehensive planning, governance, and faith-based ministries engagement, provided that further action by Town Council shall be required prior to making any commitment of Town labor, resources, or funds.