The Dallas Mayor’s International Advisory Council (MIAC) recently welcomed former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson as the newest member to its ranks.
Hutchison, who represented Texas in the Senate from 1993 to 2013 and recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO during the Trump administration, will join a group of ambassadors tasked with promoting Dallas as an ideal international city, according to Medium.
“Very excited to welcome Ambassador Hutchison to our esteemed team of international affairs experts,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson wrote in a May 25 Twitter post. “As Dallas builds for the future, we must engage with an increasingly interconnected world. @kaybaileyhutch’s unmatched experience and insight will be invaluable to our efforts.”
In January 2020, Johnson established the MIAC, made up of Dallas residents who are also former U.S. international ambassadors, to bring real-world expertise to inform the city’s goals of strengthening Dallas’ global business and diplomatic ties, as well as promoting the city as a global tourist destination. MIAC’s membership includes Jeanne L. Phillips who serves as the group’s chair, Richard Fisher, Kathryn Hall, Robert Jordan and James C. Oberwetter.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ambassador Hutchison to our council of experts on international affairs,” Phillips said, Medium reported. “Dallas is already an international city with top-tier assets and talent, but through the collective efforts of Mayor Johnson and the MIAC, we can ensure Dallas reaches its full potential on the global stage.”
Hutchison took to Twitter to express her enthusiasm for her new appointment.
“Thank you, mayor,” Hutchinson wrote in a May 25 Twitter post. “So happy to support International economic and @KBHCCDallas visitors to our @CityOfDallas!
@dallasnews.”
In 2020, MIAC was just getting started to advance the city’s international agenda, but the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic halted these global aspirations.
As part of his efforts to promote Dallas as an international city, Johnson has recently been engaging with global dignitaries including British Ambassador to the United States Karen Pierce and His Majesty King Oyo of the Tooro Kingdom in Uganda.
The Dallas Hutchinson convention center is named after the former U.S. senator.
