Ambassador Pyatt opened the conference “Athens Meets Detroit: The Importance of Civic Engagement and Social Accountability,” at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. The event was organised as part of the The German Marshall Fund of the United States Program “Transatlantic Initiative – Alumni Leadership Action Project” with the support Eliamep Gr and the U.S. EMBASSY ATHENS.

It highlighted the power of civic engagement and social accountability, especially during a financial crisis. Alexis Wiley, Chief of Staff of the Mayor’s Office at the City of Detroit Government; Gina Metrakas, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and Urban Revitalization for Quicken Loans; Nicole de Beaufront, Founder of Detroit Women Leadership Network; and John Argento, Managing Director of Shinola (luxury brand startup,) shared best practices and recovery strategies from the city of Detroit. They were joined by Greek speakers from the City of Athens, the Niarchos Foundation and other relevant institutions. During the conference, the Greek organizer announced the founding of the Athens Women’s Leadership Network, which will be affiliated with the Detroit Women’s Leadership Network.