The World Trade Center Institute’s network is constantly growing. Whether it’s through a new company joining and encouraging its employees to come to an event or through participation in one of our fellowships, more people are folded into the network all the time. Many current and emerging global leaders become part of the WTCI story through their participation in the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). In October 2024, WTCI helped facilitate a unique visit marking the 75^thanniversary of one of the most significant alliances in modern history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO.

A group of 34 representatives from NATO member states and aspirant countries with titles ranging from Member of Parliament to Political Influencer to security expert visited Annapolis and Baltimore for the Maryland leg of their trip to the United States. While WTCI hosts more than 400 international visitors a year, this group was special.

“The average size of an IVLP group we host here in Maryland is generally between 10 and 15 people,” said WTCI’s Senior Manager of Global Engagement Loren Kupferschmid. “With 34, this is huge. We were contacted very early on because this group specifically wanted to visit the Maryland National Guard, which has strong connections to Estonia.”

Linked through the U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program, Maryland and Estonia, a NATO member since 2004, have a special relationship that stretches back more than 30 years. Not only do Maryland National Guard members travel to Estonia for training exercises, but the cooperation has also led to many sister-city relationships between locations in the two countries.

WTCI further amplified the visitor’s time in Maryland by securing a visit with WTCI Board Member Bruce McIndoe to discuss modern challenges like cyber security and disinformation. WTCI also facilitated a meeting with key officials from the state government, including Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, MD Secretary of State Susan Lee, and the Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security Sgt. Travis Nelson.

“I was impressed by the warmth and openness with which we were received by Lt. Governor Miller and Secretary of State Lee and by all their collaborators,” said Romanian visitor and Foreign Affairs Analyst and Commentator Dr. Stefan Popescu. “We noted the interest of the state of Maryland for the geopolitical challenges to NATO and the will to support a strong commitment of the US alongside its allies. We were also impressed by the quality of the dialogue with President Bruce Mcindoe, his global vision regarding geopolitical changes and his outspokenness and his sense of humor. At Annapolis, you made us feel part of a family, and we will keep this feeling and pass it on when we each arrive in our countries.”

Each IVLP group that visits Maryland has specific requests and needs. Groups consist of doctors wanting to learn from local hospitals, educators looking to discuss the best way to utilize technology in the classroom, and many more. But the celebration of 75 years of NATO showcases the continuing value and importance of maintaining international ties in a way that echoes beyond a specific field of interest.

“I hope each person sees just how invested the Maryland stakeholders are in upholding NATO’s objective to maintain international security,” said Kupferschmid.

While their time in Maryland was short, each of these visitors exemplifies what is to be considered one of the Faces of WTCI. Our network is about bringing people together, celebrating our differences, and finding common ground for building a healthy economy, environment, and society.

These international visitors traveled thousands of miles to celebrate those shared goals. Though we may only connect for a short time, we are bound together through a shared desire for peace, stability, and prosperity – deepening the ties between people and nations towards a common, human understanding.