The President of Portugal, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, will visit Washington on November 12, where he will be a guest at the Portuguese American Leadership Council (PALCUS), to participate in the 15th PALCUS Annual Gala and the 20th anniversary celebration of the organization.
Prior to the Gala, President Cavaco Silva will attend a meeting of Portuguese-American elected officials hosted by the Portuguese Embassy in Washington, DC.
At the event, PALCUS will honor one organization and four individuals in recognition for their accomplishments and services on behalf of the Portuguese community.
Berta Cabral, the Mayor of Ponta Delgada and candidate to the presidency of the Government of the Azores for the 2012 election will be recognized for International Leadership; Antonio Goulart co-founder of the Portuguese Heritage Publications of California, will be recognized for Leadership in Community Services; Maria F. Pacheco of Brown University, will be recognized for Leadership in Education; José Rodrigues, President of Fort Myer Construction Corporation, will be recognized for Leadership in Entrepreneurship; The Portuguese American Post Graduate Society (PAPS), will be recognized with the Organizational Leadership Award.
At past gala events, PALCUS has recognized US Senator Ben Campbell Nighthorse; former US Representative Tony Coelho; Rhode Island State Representative Teresa Paiva-Weed; Ambassador Pedro Catarino; Portuguese American screen actor Joaquim de Almeida; Canadian singer Nelly Furtado; former President of the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) Rui Machete; and the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Carlos César.
U.S. Ambassador to Portugal Allan J. Katz and Ambassador of Portugal to the United States Nuno Brito will attend the event.
While in Washington, President Cavaco Silva will hold meetings with Portuguese representatives at the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Interamerican Development Bank and heads of US based think-tanks. He will also visit the National Gallery before presiding at the II Convention of Portuguese-American Elected Officials to be held at the Portuguese Embassy.
In Washington, President Cavaco Silva will award distinguished Portuguese American community leaders with Portugal’s honorific orders. Personalities to be awarded include entrepreneur Carlos Andrade (Comendador da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique) owner of Dunkin Donuts franchises; Historian and physician Dr. Luciano
da Silva (Ordem do Infante D. Henrique) president of the “Friends of Dighton Rock Museum; Scholar and
educator Gregory Rabassa (Ordem do Mérito); Rhode Island State Senator Teresa Paiva-Weed (Ordem do Mérito); and António Silvestre Matinho (Ordem do Mérito) publisher of Luso-Americano of Newark, NJ.
PALCUS is a Portuguese-American non-profit ad advocacy organization, founded in 1991, to address concerns of the Portuguese-American community, namely promoting research and educational programs and other initiatives on issues of interest for the Portuguese American community.
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updated 11/11/2011
