International interest in QuickStart Shoreline

Most of the recent delegates and some Shoreline Business owners
and community leaders including Maryn Wynne.
Photo by Arthur Graine

IVLP program makes third visit to QuickStart Shoreline thanks to the U.S. State Department and The World Affairs Council in Seattle.

Leaders from around the world are attending QuickStart Shoreline workshops to learn more about the unique partnership between Shoreline Community College, The City of Shoreline and the Shoreline business community.

“No matter where they’re from, people are fascinated to see how QuickStart demonstrates collaboration between local government and the college to provide trusted support and infrastructure to existing and emerging businesses,” QuickStart Director Mark McVeety said. 

“We are fortunate to have such a great relationship with the fantastic staff at the World Affairs Council in Seattle that coordinates these visits with the State Department.”  

Mark McVeety and Dan Eernissee speaking about how Shoreline Community College
and the City of Shoreline have partnered over the past 6 years to provide business education
and infrastructure to the Shoreline Business community.
Photo by Arthur Graine

The 75-year-old International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.

Tiffany McVeety sharing resources available worldwide to assist leaders in their efforts to connect globally.
Photo by Arthur Graine

On Tuesday, October 13, IVLP delegates attended QuickStart Shoreline and interacted with local business owners and Shoreline Community College continuing education students. The leaders came from the following countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine.

Tiffany McVeety working with two delegates during the QuickStart Shoreline workshop
exercise on establishing business credibility by participating with industry associations.
Photo by Arthur Graine

This dynamic group of delegates heard from city Economic Development Manager Dan Eernissee, McVeety, and his wife, Tiffany McVeety, owner of Girandola, a company focused on supporting entrepreneurship worldwide.

“It was our pleasure and honor to present to this group of incredibly intelligent and successful CEO's, organizational and academic leaders, and even a member of Parliament,” Mark McVeety said.

Picture taken February 11, 2014 during our first visit with the IVLP program with leaders from Slovakia. City Manager Debbie Tarry and Dan Eernissee shared how City Goals can work with the business community along with local business owners Tracey Warren CEO of Ready Set Grow and Angeline Johnston from Richmond Beach Yoga, while Mark McVeety spoke to the QuickStart Shoreline model.

Tiffany McVeety in January 2014 with a group from Kazakhstan just before they came to QuickStart Shoreline to learn about QuickStart Shoreline. Of particular interest was the Shoreline Community College Automotive program. Co-presenters were Don Schultz (retired) and Jim Hills of Shoreline Community College.

Mark and Tiffany McVeety were invited on a return visit to Kazakhstan by the DAMU fund (similar to the United States Small Business Administration) where they were privileged to speak to an auditorium of business and political leaders about the quick-start program, Shoreline Community College and the City of Shoreline. Additionally Tiffany McVeety sat on a panel with Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the Astana World Anti-Crisis and economic Forum with 10,000 delegates from 100 countries.

Mark McVeety speaking in a private auditorium to business leaders in Astana, Kazakhstan with the City of Shoreline’s business section “About Us” page up with pictures of SCC faculty member and Shoreline Film Office lead Tony Doupé and Economic Development manager Dan Eernissee from the City of Shoreline. The audience was very interested in the fact that the college and the city would be in such a healthy and active partnership to serve the business community.

Tiffany McVeety presenting with Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the Astana World Anti-Crisis and economic Forum with 10,000 delegates from 100 countries.

“I’m thrilled that, thanks to the College, the City and the Shoreline business community that QuickStart Shoreline has proved itself unique and valuable enough to attract this kind of attention and interest.  Hopefully it will continue to open up local and international opportunities for our community, our businesses and our students.” 

--Mark McVeety