Sister City leader pays visit to Tacoma

Photo by clare jensen

INTERNATIONAL TIES. Patrick Madden, executive director of Sister Cities International, visited Tacoma during April in time with a signing of a trade agreement between Tacoma and Fuzhou, China. Madden (second to left) visited the Blue Mouse Theatre during his visit, on the last night of Tacoma Sister Cities’ International Film and Food Festival. He stands with Tacoma Sister Cities Committee Chair Tony Anderson, (left), Sister Cities International Board member and Tacoma resident Bill Evans, and Erling Kuester, owner of the Blue Mouse.

Tacoma sure loves her sisters. And she is not shy about showing off her growing 11-member sibling-ship.

Through venues like the International Film and Food Festival at the Blue Mouse Theatre, and the Taiko Drum Group at Stadium High School, Tacoma brags about her international relatives loud and proud.

Patrick Madden, executive director for Sister Cities International, got a taste of Tacoma’s commitment to cultural awareness and economic development April 15-18. He stopped by for his first visit to the Pacific Northwest city en route to Hong Kong, just in time for the signing of a trade agreement between the city of Tacoma, Port of Tacoma and Fuzhou, China.

“We wanted him familiar with what we’re doing in the Northwest,” said Tony Anderson, chair of Tacoma’s Sister City Committee.

During his three-day trip, Madden was able to delve into several aspects of Tacoma. He met with Mayor Bill Baarsma and members of Tacoma City Council, Heather Tucci-Jarraf of Moroccan Treasures, who spearheaded Tacoma’s most recent Sister City relationship, staff of congressmen Norm Dicks and Adam Smith, and also met with port officials to discuss the economic development pilot project with Fuzhou, Tacoma’s Sister City in China.

Madden said Sister Cities International is “really about what’s happening at the local levels,” not in Washington, D.C. “Every community differs. Here I’ve found it’s a very good partnership with the city and the community.”

Madden said in general, Sister City relationships are about incorporating foreign culture and student exchanges into a community. While sustainable economic development has always been an aspect of the bond, Madden said it is starting to come to the forefront for many cities.

Tacoma’s trade office project with Fuzhou, for instance, is something new that Madden believes could be a model for other cities.

“For us (Sister Cities International), we need to identify the cities that are pushing the envelope more,” he said. “I think it’s going to be fascinating to see what happens in 12 to 18 months with this trade agreement.”

Madden said he was in Tacoma to support that initiative at the port and take back information to the international network.

“We may highlight this in a newsletter, and put [interested cities] directly in contact with Tacoma. We want to foster that conversation across the network.”

Sister Cities International has a database of more than 600 United States communities and nearly 2,000 foreign partnerships.

“Tacoma is doing well – it’s a connecting organization,” he said.

Anderson, who is also an honorary board member for Sister Cities International, said that Tacoma has been involved in the Sister City program since day one, when former President Dwight Eisenhower established it in 1956.

“It’s part of Tacoma’s mission is to be progressive and international. It’s been a good opportunity to have Patrick here. He’s gotten a good flavor of the Northwest,” Anderson said. “I think there’s exciting things Tacoma will be able to partner [with] in the future, and that Sister Cities International will benefit from.”

Madden said he was pleased to see Tacoma’s multi-faceted involvement engaging in the Sister City program. He said he was impressed with the community members’ dedication and passion, as well as the history Tacoma has, specifically with the Sister Cities program. Madden said he was disappointed with one aspect of Tacoma during his trip – the overcast sky prevented him from seeing the renowned view of Mount Rainier.

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