Your Primary Professional Network in Washington, DC

 

WHY WE ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR CAREER

 

A November 2011 article in The Economist ("Contact Sports") stated that "in the rarefied world of the corporate board, a good network matters."  The article went on to mention that executives with 400 contacts are, on average, paid 6 percent more than those with 200.  For non-executives, the gap is 14 percent. 

The Washington Intergovernmental Professional Group, LLC (WIPG) is the premier organization that introduces mid- to high-level professionals in the DC Metropolitan area to newly appointed Ambassadors from around the world, as well as newly elected Members of Congress.  We hold monthly networking events as a means of providing professionals extended exposure and access to key policy makers in the city.

 

WHY THERE IS A NEED FOR OUR SERVICES

As the demand for strategic partnerships and stronger networks with private and public sector groups continues to grow, it is clear that a need exists for DC-based professionals to expand their contacts among other key policy makers, business executives, political and community leaders. 

In the current economic times, DC-based professionals will need to depend on such contacts to obtain valuable information in the most cost-effective manner to ensure the best decisions are made when carrying out their business plans and policy goals. 

With the election of new members in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, the demand to interact with the Freshman Class of this Congress becomes even more apparent. WIPG can help you develop and organize Congressional Meet and Greets, staff briefings, and fly-in activities specifically designed for your needs that would allow for the continued growth of your contacts in Congress at very little cost.

 

 

WHY WE CAN BE A USEFUL RESOURCE FOR YOUR NEXT JOB

Networking is the best way to find your next job, especially since the vast majority of job openings are never advertised.  They are usually filled via word of mouth.  Unfortunately, many job seekers are hesitant to take advantage of networking opportunities because they feel it is a waste of time, nor do they recognize the value of making key necessary contacts.  But networking is not a useless excercise—it’s about building relationships. As you look for a new job, these relationships can provide much-needed feedback, advice, and support.

 

Networking may sound difficult, or even intimidating—especially when it comes to
finding a job or asking for help—but it doesn’t have to be. Networking can be
rewarding, and even fun.  It can be a useful tool even if you are new to the DC area and do not know that many people. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

Italian Design Week Gala Dinner
Three-Michelin Star Chef Heinz Beck 
Palazzo Fiuggi, Heinz Beck Restaurant
Hosted by Patriot Strategies
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
October 3, 2023
RSVP

 

Rooftop Birthday Reception

Featuring:  Her Excellency Hanene Tajouri Bessassi
The Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to the
United States of America
Hosted by WIPG and Patriot Strategies
October 2023

Washington, DC

 

Networking Reception

Featuring:  Her Excellency Charmaine Wong

The United States Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank

Hosted by WIPG, World Trade Center DC, and Jocelyn Hong & Associates

October 2023

Washington, DC

 

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
Black Tie Gala and Fundraiser
His Excellency Samuel A. Hinds
The Ambassador of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to the United States of America
and 
Award Winning Guyanese Born Actress CCH Pounder
Hosted by the University of Guyana Foundation
6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
October 21, 2023
RSVP

 

WIPG Professional Networking Reception with His Excellency Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, the Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the United States of America

Nelson Garcia, Founder and President of The Washington Intergovernmental Professional Group, hosted a professional networking reception featuring His Excellency Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, the Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the United States of America.

 

His Excellency Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed was appointed as Ambassador of the Maldives to the United States of America by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on 15 September 2022 and presented his credentials to President Joseph Biden on 12 December 2022. He had formerly served as Foreign Secretary since November 2018 and as Ambassador-at-Large since May 2022.

 

An accomplished diplomat, the Ambassador has served the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, both at headquarters and in a number of foreign postings. Starting his career as a Program Officer in 1983, he has held the post of Assistant Undersecretary, Assistant Director, Political Affairs and Deputy Director and Director, Foreign Relations, at the Ministry. In 1997, the Ambassador was deputed to serve in the Secretariat of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as Director from Maldives. Following his 3-year tenure at the SAARC Secretariat, His Excellency was appointed Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2000 and was later promoted to the rank of Assistant Executive Director in 2005 and then to Executive Director in 2007.

During his long and distinguished career in the Maldives foreign service, His Excellency also served as Counsellor and then Deputy High Commissioner of Maldives to Sri Lanka and later as Deputy High Commissioner of Maldives to Malaysia. He was appointed as the Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations Offices in Geneva in 2008 by then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, concurrently serving as the Permanent Representative of Maldives to the World Trade Organisation. Following the change of Government in 2008, the newly elected President Mohamed Nasheed appointed Ambassador Ghafoor as the Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations in 2009, concurrently accredited as the Ambassador to the United States of America and NonResident High Commissioner to Canada. After the unprecedented and controversial resignation of President Nasheed in 2012, Ambassador Ghafoor stepped down from his post.

 

From 2013 till 2014, Ambassador Ghafoor served as a Consultant at the Foreign Relations Department of the People’s Majlis (Parliament), aiding the legislature in fostering international cooperation and engagement. During the period 2014-2017, Ambassador Ghafoor served as Director, Special Projects at ADK Enterprises Pvt Ltd, and as the Head of External Relations at the newly established Tree Top Hospital in Hulhumale’, gaining experience in the private sector. An individual with a keenness for academia, he also lectured at the Maldives National University from 2016 to 2018 in the subjects of Political Science and International Relations.

 

Ambassador Ghafoor graduated from the University of Tasmania, Australia, in 1984 with a B.A(Hons.) in Political Science and was awarded an M.A in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA in 1988.

 

Born on 20 November 1959, Ambassador Ghafoor is married to Mariyam Khalida. They have a son and a daughter.

NEW MEMBER PROFILE:                                                      David M. Webster, CEO                                            Webster Marketing International, LLC

David M. Webster is currently CEO of Webster Marketing International LLC.  Webster Marketing International LLC represents several major international companies in the areas of agriculture, energy, hotel and resort development, telecommunications, medical devices, and housing.  

 

He has over 34 years of senior level management experience in sales, marketing, advertising, public relations, and international trade.  It includes skills in budgeting, forecasting, sales, and marketing manual development; international, national trade and key account sales presentations, product development and promotional strategies.  In the area of advertising, he was personally responsible for the creation, copy, design, and layout of many leading and award-winning ads for large national and international clients.  

 

Webster has held key sales and marketing positions with companies including Castle & Cooke Inc., Dole Fresh Marketing, the Orval Kent Food Company and Coronet Foods.  He also held the position of President & CEO of Agway CPG Technologies. This was the technology division of Agway, Inc., one of the oldest and largest agricultural cooperatives in the United States.  Webster was founder and managing partner of an agricultural marketing and services firm AgraCo Technologies International LLC from 1999 to 2009.  He sold his interest in AgraCo to his partner in 2009.  

 

David Webster has been active with a number of trade associations and has served on the board of directors of various International Trade and Non-Profit Organizations.  In addition to the Produce Industry Associations, he has served on the board of directors of the Citizen Diplomacy International and Sister Cities Program of Philadelphia; Washington DC based, Washington Intergovernmental Professional Group; the advisory council of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, the board of directors of the US-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador member of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and a former board of directors’ member of the Mid-Atlantic District Export Council.  This position is appointed and approved by the US Secretary of Commerce.  Webster is also a past President of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agricultural.  This is the oldest Agricultural Society in the United States.  It was founded in 1785 and has, as part of its current membership, former and current Secretary’s of Agriculture, University Deans, and leading agricultural industry representatives. 

 

David Webster has been selected by the Government of China on three separate Foreign Experts Conferences.  The government of China selects Foreign Experts from around the world to come to China, to meet with Chinese companies to discuss, issues, problems, and solutions. 

 

Webster has also been a guest speaker or seminar leader at numerous national and international conventions and seminars.  

 

David Webster is also the President & Founder of a Non Profit called “Classroom Donations International”.  They collect used classroom equipment and teaching aids and ship them to schools in need overseas.

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