March 1, 2014
Shore Regional Graduate and now Foreign Diplomat, U.S. Department of State, Joe Tordella, speaks to the combined Rotary Clubs of Greater Long Branch, Asbury Park and Red Bank.
Shore Regional grad Joe Tordella, U.S. Department of State, meets with area Rotary Clubs.
In 1993, a young Joe Tordella was a wide-eyed freshman at Shore Regional High School. Fifteen years later, Mr. Tordella is a highly skilled, multi-lingual, world-traveling Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State.
How does one make such a journey from West Long Branch to the State Department and all points abroad in such a short time period? When you have an opportunity to meet this young man, you quickly realize that the sky is the limit for this bright, talented and engaging individual.
Saturday morning in the Concord Room at the Eatontown Sheraton, Mr. Tordella delivered a highly informative and entertaining presentation to the Rotary Clubs of Greater Long Branch, Red Bank and Asbury Park on what it is like to be a diplomat for the United States and how he got there.
Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State in 2007, Joe worked as a strategy consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and IBM.
He earned a graduate degree from the London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree from American University. Joe has learned Arabic and Russian as part of his State Department training and he informally picked up some Spanish, Farsi, Hebrew and Tagalog through his travels and assignments.
In his current role, specializing in public diplomacy, Mr. Tordella and other diplomats just like him, represent the US around the globe, working to foster deeper relationships with people and civil society groups around the world.
Working in U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, Joe helps design communication strategies and programs that connect people around the world with each other and with the United States in ways that help advance U.S. foreign policy objectives.
Joe is currently in Washington learning Russian in preparation for his next assignment as a media relations officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. In October 2013, Joe returned from a yearlong assignment in Pakistan. He also served at the U.S. Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Isreal, Libya and the Philippines.
Pres. Mika Hon, Joe Tordella, and Alexis Tucci
************************************************************************************
Art Show Cometh
The Club’s 3rd Annual Art Show will be held on Thursday, April 10th at the fabulous Deal Country Club.
The evening will feature curated original artwork for sale from some of the Shore area’s finest artists, wine and beer tastings, and a light dinner. Entertainment for the evening will be provided by the legendary band “Pam McCoy and Familiar Faces.”
A portion of the evenings’ proceeds will be donated to the Karen Hansen Memorial Scholarship Fund. Individuals who have an interest in pursuing a career in Special Education will have the opportunity to apply for an award from this Scholarship Fund. The Fund has been established in the memory of Karen Hansen, who passed away in September of 2012, and the wife of long time Rotarian and Club Service Chair, Roger Hansen. Over the course of her 40-year teaching career, Karen dedicated her life to Special Education and making a profound difference in the lives of many young students.
For tickets, more information on sponsorship opportunities or if you are an artist looking to display and sell your artwork, please email Club President Mika Hon at: mika@njinkshop.com, or call him 848-391-5181.
************************************************************************************
Adele Sammarco, Director of Marketing and Communications for NJ Repertory Company accepts the thanks of Club President, Mika Hon.
The best little Theatre in Long Branch? NJ Repertory Company
Last week the Club heard from the Marketing Director of the New Jersey Repertory Company Adele Sammarco. If you’re not familiar with this fabulous little playhouse right at 175 Broadway here in the city, you should be.
The New Jersey Repertory Company is a professional, non-profit theater founded in 1997 by SuzAnne Barabas (Artistic Director) and Gabor Barabas (Executive Producer). Located in Long Branch, New Jersey, the theater's primary mission is to develop and produce new plays and to make a lasting contribution to the American stage.
Really as one of the hidden jewels of Long Branch, New Jersey Rep has produced 93 plays in seventeen seasons including 61 world premieres. The theater is committed to nurturing the work of not only established writers but new and unknown playwrights and has maintained an open- submission policy receiving over 750 scripts each year from throughout the U.S. and around the world.
For more information on the theatre, it’s productions or for tickets, please visit them online at http://www.njrep.org