September 24, 2013

Welcome Helen LaFave

With Helen LaFave at the Taj Bengal dinner party

September 24, 2013: The last week end I had some respite and wasn’t occupied so much as on the earlier ones.

With Joanne Joria, the new American Centre Director in Kolkata

On Saturday evening I hosted a dinner reception at the Taj Chambers to meet and welcome the new US Consul General in Kolkata, Ms Helen LaFave.

With Hemant and Madhulika Kanoria

I also met Ms Joanne Joria the new American Centre director in Kolkata who succeeds Jeffrey K Reneau.

With Nitin Shivji Kothari

Ms LaFave served as the Deputy Director for Arabian Peninsula Affairs in the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau at the US State Department immediately before coming to Kolkata.

With Victor Banerjee

She joined office late last month succeeding Dean R Thompson who completed his tenure in the city.

With Sangita Kejriwal, Madhu Neotia and Neelu Parekh

LaFave had also served at the US Consulate General in Chennai as Public Affairs Officer.

With Sanjeev Goenka

The dinner party was very well attended by the top industrialists of Kolkata. Many of them happen to be the Honorary Consuls representing different countries in the city.

With Utsav Parekh

On Sunday evening I went to the German Consulate to attend the Bundestag Election Wahlparty (election party) and met Mr Rainer Schmiedchen, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kolkata. ess bee