Oregon Consular Corps has elected James H. Rudd to serve as their dean for 2015. Rudd has served in the Corps as honorary consul for the country of Romania since 2004. In his role as dean, Rudd will facilitate activities and events for Oregon Consul officials, comprising 29 active consuls, 14 emeritus members and four honorary members. The State of Oregon has had consular services for over a century, with representatives residing in Portland and having jurisdiction extending throughout the western United States. Honorary consuls are committed to improving relations, communications, understanding and trade between nations, peoples and regions. Twenty-eight foreign nations maintain consulates in Oregon. Two nations, Japan and Mexico, maintain full consulates with professional staff and consul generals. Other nations rely on the services of honorary consuls who volunteer their time and services to represent their nations.
“I am pleased that Oregon Consular Corps will benefit from the strong leadership that Jim brings to our esteemed organization,” said John Blackwell, Honorary Consul, Malaysia.
Rudd is chief executive officer of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, a privately-held registered investment advisory firm established in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to his service to the Oregon Consular Corps, Rudd is a director on the Oregon Economic Forum Advisory Board and past chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Portland Branch. He is currently co-chair of Oregon State University’s $1 billion capital campaign and a member of the Global Advisory Board with Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship. Other boards Rudd currently serves on include Medical Teams International, OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute, Susan G. Komen Oregon & SW Washington Board of Advisors and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette President’s Circle.
“I am privileged to serve as dean of the Oregon Consular Corps for the coming year. Global diversity is a key feature distinguishing our Oregon community and the Consular Corps helps promote economic opportunity at home as well as abroad,” Rudd stated.
Also elected as officers of the Oregon Consular Corps for 2015 are Andrew MacRitchie, serving United Kingdom; Robert T. Manicke, serving Germany; and, Randolph L. Miller serving Lithuania. As the newly-elected dean, Mr. Rudd succeeds Françoise Aylmer, serving France.
The Oregon Consular Corps demonstrates its commitment to Oregon and the region by granting scholarships to junior and senior students of international studies at University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Portland State University and Lewis and Clark College. Scholarship funds are raised through charitable contributions to the tax-exempt Oregon Consular Corps Scholarship Fund and through an annual gala known as Celebrate Trade.
Celebrate Trade, scheduled for May 18, 2015, is the defining event of International Trade Week. As an award event, it recognizes extraordinary success in international business and scholarship. In addition to being elected to the position of Oregon Consular Corps Dean, he currently serves as honorary board chair of Celebrate Trade.