Deputy Speaker Raul del Mar, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, Representative Nerissa Soon Ruiz, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano and Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama led the impressive roster of government dignitaries.
The diplomatic corps was well represented as well. They included Austrian Consul General Arcadio Alegrado, Danish Honorary Consul Sabino Dapat, Honorary Spanish Consul Jaime Picornell and his wife Cecila, and Belgian Honorary Consul Enrique Benedicto and his charming wife Helena.
Also in attendance were members of the active organization who acted as co-hosts of the event, namely committee chairperson Mila Espina, club secretary Maris Araneta, and trustees Cebu Marriott Hotel general manager Karl Hudson, lawyer Danilo Deen and Lexmark’s Stan Combs.
Ambassador Johnson officially retired from the foreign service in January this year, but was requested by President George Bush to lead the all-important mission in the Philippines until a permanent envoy could be named and confirmed by the US Senate.
Ambassador Johnson has had a long and distinguished career as a foreign service officer with the State Department. His first overseas assignment was in Mumbai, India in 1965. He served later as the director of the American Institute in Taiwan between 1996 and 1999, as deputy coordinator for assistance to the countries of the former Soviet Union, deputy director of the Bosnian Task Force and was special assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs. He is most remembered as the first US Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania.