On 18 January, 1-800Home honored our US Consular Corps with our guest of honor Ron Packowitz, Head of US Citizen Services at the Embassy in London.  Our annual  recognition  is for the entire service but there are also awards for extraordinary consuls. The Thomas Jefferson Award named for our first Secretary of State is presented by the US based American Citizens Abroad (ACA).  It is given to US consuls who have made a difference to the American community in the countries where they serve as a tribute to Jefferson’s own time as Ambassador to France.

The award is not annual and was most recently bestowed in 2016 to  Ambassador Philip T Reeker, who was Consul General in Milan at the time. Here is the citation

Ambassador Reeker has been recognized by the community of Americans living in Milan and Lombardy Italy for his service in meeting the demands of the steady growth for consular services, his commitment to diplomatic engagement and commercial outreach.  Ambassador Reeker has shown a genuine interest in a wide range of fields – arts, commerce, finance, history and his willingness to be a gateway between Italy and the United States has helped advance the important relations between these two countries.

Consuls General have a wider responsibility than citizen services but the protection of US citizens is first and we can see why. According to IRS figures about 50,000 Americans live in Italy but over 4 million visit each year and Italy saw increased world-wide visitor numbers in 2017.  Oh and let’s not forget that  Italy is one of the top ten destinations for young Americans studying abroad.  That would certainly explain the ‘steady growth’ in demand by US citizens for consular services.  We applaud both the ACA and citizens in Italy who brought Mr Rekker’s care of the US community to their attention.

If you wish to recognize an individual or an entire consular section, please tweet it @One800Home