Following his election as president of the International Colored Gemstone Association at the recent ICA congress in Jaipur, India, Joseph Menzie completed and approved the list of ICA ambassadors to the ICA member countries for the period 2003-2005.

ICA Ambassadors for the period 2003 –2005 are as follows:

Australia: Damien Cody
Austria: Gerald Hartinger
Belgium: Ilan Nissan
Bolivia: Ramiro M Rivero
Brazil: Clement Sabbagh
Canada: Sampat Poddar
China: Zheng Liu
Colombia: Benny Bezalel
France: Emmanuel Piat
Germany: Michael Hahn
Greece: George Zimatikas
Hong Kong: Raymond Go
India: Rajiv Jain
Israel: Oren Eliezri
Italy: Francesco Roberto
Japan: Serena Tanaka
Kenya: Johnson N.Muthama
Mexico: Sylvain Berger Seifman
Myanmar: Khin Mar Wei Daw Mo Mo
Nepal: Bijay B. Bajracharya
Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden): Jean-Claude Rufli
Singapore: Abdul Bari Abdul Majeed
South Africa: Michael John Nunn
South Korea: Sang Phil Oh
Spain: Antonio Negueruela
Sri Lanka: A.H.M. Imtizam
Switzerland: Elke Fechner
Tanzania: Abe K. Suleman
Thailand: Santpal Sinchawla
UAE: Amu B. Laxman
United Kingdom: William Roberts
Eastern U.S.A: Joseph Orlando
Western U.S.A: Edward Boehm
Vietnam: Do Minh Phu
Zimbabwe Lesley Faye Marsh

In compiling the new list, Menzie decided that, given the size and geographic spread of the membership in the United States, two ambassadors would be appointed, one for the western and another for the eastern part of the country. Menzie appointed ICA director Jean Claude Michelou of Colombia as the director in charge of the ambassadors’ activities. Australian ambassador Damien Cody was appointed the ambassadors’ liaison to the ICA board and executive committee.

As the officia1 spokesperson for ICA in his country, the Ambassador thus represents the international community of lCA members to local trade organizations (gemstones, jewelry), local departments of industry and commerce, and mining authorities. The ICA ambassador is also encouraged to take a seat on local trade committees and boards related to the gemstone and jewelry industry, and to represent his fellow ICA members and serve as their spokespersons at meetings and other functions.

JCK