(photo: L-R Thomas Burke, Ireland’s Ambassador to the U.S., Anne Anderson, Maura Clare)

Irish Network USA board members Thomas Burke and Maura Clare recently represented the IN Colorado chapter at a national board meeting in Washington, DC. The IN USA is a newly incorporated umbrella organization for the Irish Networks that exist around the country. The national entity aims to advance relationships between Irish Network state and regional chapters to foster success in business, economic and social ventures.
The weekend conference began on the evening of Friday, November 8 with a reception at the Irish Embassy hosted by Ireland’s recently appointed ambassador to the United States, Anne Anderson. The next two days of meetings included presentations and workshops on chapter and national organizational issues, membership recruitment, event planning and fundraising. Guest speakers presented on topics such as social networking, philanthropy, immigration and journalism. One of the most rewarding aspects of the gathering were the informal conversations, sharing of information and brainstorming between the Irish Network volunteers who came from all over the country at their own expense. In addition to Colorado, there are currently IN chapters in DC, Boston, Chicago, the Bay area, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Phoenix, New Orleans, San Diego, Minnesota and Seattle, with more locations to be added in the coming year. http://irishnetworkco.com/