Croatian president to attend big Croatian-American conference & gala in Cleveland  

President Grabar-Kitarović will attend the conference and gala in Cleveland

Largest Croatian American conference of professionals and businesses in North America to be held September 19 through 22 in Cleveland, Ohio.  

CLEVELAND, August 22, 2019 – The Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP) is honored to announce that H.E. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia, will attend the fourth annual ACAP conference on Friday, Sept. 20 in Cleveland, Ohio and will give the keynote address at the gala dinner that evening.

The ACAP conference will bring together professionals from all facets of the U.S. and international professional community—such as diplomats, scientists, artists, engineers, medical professionals, attorneys, journalists, business executives, social media specialists, accountants, as well as a delegation from the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

“I am very honored and humbled that President Grabar-Kitarović, the leader of our homeland that we so love, will be an integral part of our conference weekend. She played a major role during our infancy in encouraging the idea of an organization of Croatian professionals in North America. It’s a special distinction to have Her Excellency give the keynote address at our gala,” says Marko Zoretic, President, ACAP.

The conference commences with a welcome event the evening of Thursday, Sept. 19 at the American-Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, Ohio, the heart of the Cleveland Croatian community since 1984. The first day of the two-day conference and evening gala and award dinner will take place on Friday, Sept. 20 at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower (1360 West Mall Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44114). The remainder of the conference activities—meetings of the ACAP professional groups, breakout sessions, business spotlights, sightseeing and social activities—will take place in downtown Cleveland on Saturday, Sept. 21. 

Notable conference speakers include: Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, Cleveland Clinic CEO and President; Elvis Grbac, former NFL quarterback; Josip Novakovic, award-winning author; Mladen Golubic, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Lifestyle Medicine; and Robert Jerin, genealogist. 

Her Excellency attended the inaugural ACAP conference in Washington D.C. in 2015. This is her first official trip, as President of Croatia, to Cleveland. 

“We are all proud of our Croatian heritage and President Grabar-Kitarović’s presence speaks volumes about her commitment to ACAP and Croatians in the diaspora,” says Zoretic.

For more information about the program or to purchase your tickets please visit: conference.croampro.com.

Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP)

The Association of Croatian American Professionals is a non-profit organization bringing together professionals, business leaders, academics, students and community organizers. Their mission is to foster leadership, collaboration and to promote the advancement of issues relevant to the Croatian-American community. In four years, ACAP has expanded to 12 chapters, including Cleveland, in the United States and Croatia with 750 members, and growing, worldwide. Visit croampro.com for more information.