More than 600 People Came Together to Recognize Chicago’s Consular Corps and Special Awardees

Each year, World Business Chicago (WBC) and Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) honors Chicago’s global leaders at the annual Chicago Consular Corps Gala. This year, WBC and CSCI paid tribute to their global partners at the Hilton Chicago, with an international guest list that included members of the 86 foreign and honorary consulates in Chicago. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Amy Rule, and the Dean of the Chicago Consular Corps, Patricia Maza-Pittsford and Phillip Pittsford served as Honorary Chairs of the Gala.

More than 600 people attended the Gala, which raised more than $860,000 to support the Chicago Consular Corps Scholarship at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the work of WBC and CSCI.  

In his speech, Mayor Emanuel reiterated Chicago’s commitment to diversity: “Chicago’s dependency is to look out to the world as the world looks to us,” he said. “And we will never as a city deviate from that outward look. It’s in our economic interest, our cultural interest and in our collected interest in the city.”

“For more than 50 years, the Gala has honored the Chicago Consular Corps and has evolved over time to also celebrate our city’s remarkable civic and business leaders,” said Jeff Malehorn, President and CEO of World Business Chicago. “We are proud to continue the tradition this year as we recognized the consulates and award recipients for their tireless efforts in representing Chicago as a premier global city.”

This year, the Chicago Consular Corps honored Patricia Woertz, recently retired chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Archer Daniels Midland Company, with the prestigious Global Citizen Award. The award honors an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to Chicago’s international reputation, stature and global reach.

Other awardees:

• GE received the Corporate Ambassador Award, honoring its efforts in raising Chicago’s profile as a premier global business destination, its steadfast commitment to the community and its contributions to the economic growth of the city.
• Microsoft received the ChicagoNEXT Award, recognizing its commitment to Chicago’s tech community.
• Brett August, Co-Chair of the Paris Committee of CSCI, received the Chicago Sister Cities International Volunteer of the Year Award, honoring an individual who has played an important role in furthering CSCI’s mission.

Co-hosts of the gala were Greg Brown, Chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions; Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines; Pin Ni, President of Wanxiang America Corporation; the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation; Michael J. Sacks, Chairman and CEO of GCM Grosvenor; and Sam Scott, Chairman of Chicago Sister Cities International.