Village of Westmont
Date Issued: July 21, 2016
At the July 21 Administration Committee Meeting, the Village Board gave direction to move ahead with the development of a Westmont-Taiwanese Sister City program with the intention of selecting a Sister City within the next year.
“We’ve been very excited about the development of this program,” said Mayor Ron Gunter. “A program like this speaks volumes about a community’s commitment to diversity with culture, education, and economic development. We’re eager to move ahead and get things started.”
Mayor Gunter was recently selected as the only Mayor from the Midwest to be invited to Taiwan as a guest of TECO-Chicago (Taipai Economic & Cultural Office). While on the trip, Mayor Gunter will meet with representatives of various Taiwanese communities to discuss the goal of creating a sister city program in the near future.
“We are planning to meet with Mayor Gunter during his trip to Taiwan,” said Angela Yang, who is an active member of the Taiwanese community here in the Chicagoland area. “We plan to meet with elected officials, Taiwanese business leaders, and representatives of international service organizations such as our International Lions Club.” Yang is serving as the chair of the Westmont-Taiwanese Sister City Program.
Yang and a number of volunteers also made a Taiwanese cuisine debut at this year’s Taste of Westmont. There were two Taiwanese food-related booths at the event. Yang remarked that she received a number of compliments, not only in regard to the food offerings, but also in regard to the Sister City Program.
“In regard to economic development, Westmont is seeking additional opportunities for international businesses to locate in Westmont’s various business corridors,” says Larry Forssberg, Director of the Westmont Economic Development Partnership. “Every chance we have to introduce Westmont to the international business community and develop strengthen relationships with international business leaders is a plus.”
“Additionally, we have continued to bring excellent Taiwanese cultural and educational opportunities to Westmont,” says Communications Director Larry McIntyre, who is coordinating the program with Yang. “This August, we will have a third international cultural performance in Westmont within the last year. Each of these exchanges not only offer cultural and educational benefits to the community, but creates opportunities for the local business community and overnight stays.”
Look for more Sister City updates in the near future. For more information, contact the Village at Communications@westmont.il.gov or 630-417-0280.
