Meridian hosts a dinner with Members of Parliament

On July 22, 2019, Meridian International Center was honored to host a dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Youngkin, CEO of the Carlyle Group, in honor of the visitors from the British American Parliamentary Group. The British American Parliamentary Group (BAPG) International Visitor Leadership Program is a high profile exchange that takes place annually in partnership with Meridian and the U.S. Department of State. British parliamentarians (MP) are welcomed to the U.S. to take part in an intensive ten day exchange that includes Congressional appointments in Washington, several days of shadowing a policymaker in their home district, and a closing session in Boston that ties all of their experiences together while learning about the functions of the local and state government.

Eight Members of Parliament (including one member of the House of Lords) are participating in this year’s program, Ms. Sarah Champion, MP; Ms. Marsha de Cordova, MP; Mr. David Linden, MP; Mr. Stephen Morgan, MP; Mr. Mark Pawsey, MP; Mr. Lee ROWLEY, MP; Lord Shinkwin, House of Lords; and Mr. Martin Vickers, MP. The evening began with a cocktail reception and included remarks from Ms. Lee Satterfield, COO of Meridian International Center and Mr. Glenn Youngkin, who shared his experiences living abroad in the United Kingdom and the similarities and differences between the two cultures. He emphasized the need for understanding and highlighted the friendship shared between our countries.

During the seated dinner portion of the evening, representatives from both sides of the aisle Ms. Sarah Champion (Labour) and Mr. Mark Pawsey (Conservative) shared their appreciation for the opportunity to engage with representatives from the United States and work to find solutions to common issues. Also present at the dinner were private-sector leaders from United Airlines and the American Investment Council and former Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe.