{"id":189,"date":"2023-12-02T22:50:19","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T22:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stsca.org\/?page_id=189"},"modified":"2026-03-11T05:50:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T05:50:41","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stsca.org\/?page_id=189","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”8px||1px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#0399b5″ text_font_size=”45px” custom_margin=”||-1px|||” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

About Us<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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The Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association (STSCA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 citizen-diplomacy organization officially recognized by the City of Seattle<\/a> and Sister Cities International<\/a>. STSCA was founded in 1973 and was the first Soviet-American sister city to be established.<\/p>\n

For over 50 years, STSCA has promoted both official and people-to-people exchanges between the cities of Seattle, Washington and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In spite of the Cold War, Seattle and Tashkent developed close ties, gradually eroding the enemy image of the Soviet Union and forging lasting friendships that continue to grow and flourish today. Now, with uncertain relations between the US and much of the Islamic world, our long-lived ties are increasingly important as the basis for people-to-people diplomacy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/stsca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/handshake.png” title_text=”handshake” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”4px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”What We Do” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”37px” custom_margin=”||1px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”121.1px” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

We promote citizen diplomacy and humanitarian assistance through educational, medical, artistic, and business exchanges. Our exchanges have included colorful official visits by mayors, deputy mayors, and city-council members, as well as people-to-people exchanges of teachers, schoolchildren, and university students, actors, healthcare providers, lawyers, journalists, and social-service professionals. We are creating new relationships and spreading an appreciation of Uzbek culture in the US and American culture in Uzbekistan!<\/p>\n

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<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who We Are<\/h1>\n

The STSCA Board of Directors is an all-volunteer group that comprises both Americans with expertise in Uzbekistan and Uzbek nationals living in the Seattle area. The Board meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month, and meetings are open to all. To request to attend a meeting, please email presidents@stsca.org<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Board of Directors<\/a><\/h3>\n

Officers<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Shakhida Ismailova\/Shoshana Billik, Co-Presidents<\/i><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Fred Lundahl\/Sarvar Abdukarimov, Co-Vice-Presidents<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Charlotte Chase, Secretary<\/i><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Rachel Steendahl, Treasurer<\/i><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Non-Officer Members<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

    <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Madina Abdurashidova<\/li>\n
    • Zemfira Akhmedova<\/li>\n
    • Shukhrat Arifdjanov<\/li>\n
    • Lina Fine<\/li>\n
    • Kristina Gorelik<\/li>\n
    • Helen Holter<\/li>\n
    • Anatoliy Ivakin<\/li>\n
    • Marks Khalmuratov<\/li>\n
    • Edward Kim<\/li>\n
    • Ilya Kosenkov<\/li>\n
    • Alan Martiny<\/li>\n
    • Emiko Nakamura<\/li>\n
    • Madina Nigmonjonova<\/li>\n
    • Anton Seyduzov<\/li>\n
    • Shakhzoda Shamsieva<\/li>\n
    • Meg von Haartman<\/li>\n
    • Rowan Wagner<\/li>\n
    • Lola Zakharova<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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      About Us  The Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association (STSCA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 citizen-diplomacy organization officially recognized by the City of Seattle and Sister Cities International. STSCA was founded in 1973 and was the first Soviet-American sister city to be established. For over 50 years, STSCA has promoted both official and people-to-people exchanges between the cities […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-189","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nAbout - STSCA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stsca.org\/?page_id=189\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"About - STSCA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"About Us  The Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association (STSCA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 citizen-diplomacy organization officially recognized by the City of Seattle and Sister Cities International. 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