Thomas F. McLarty, III and Manuel Medina-Mora Honored at Americas Society 33rd Annual Spring Party

New York, June 10, 2013 – Americas Society held its 33rd Annual Spring Party on June 6 at Cipriani Wall Street. The evening brought together over 550 guests from the worlds of business, philanthropy, government, diplomacy, and the arts to celebrate two outstanding individuals for their significant global contributions.

Thomas F. McLarty, III, Chairman of both McLarty Associates and McLarty Companies, and Manuel Medina-Mora, Co-President of Citigroup Inc., Chief Executive Officer of Global Consumer Banking and Chairman for Mexico, were honored as Americas Society 2013 Gold Medal awardees. The Gold Medal is Americas Society’s highest honor, recognizing the recipients for their leadership and contributions to the worldwide business community, commitment to social and environmental responsibility, and active involvement with art and education initiatives across the Americas.

“The Spring Party is one of our most important annual fundraising events. This year, through your generous contributions, you have helped raise over $1.5 million—an impressive achievement. These funds are important to support our mission and activities,” said Americas Society President and CEO Susan Segal.

Thomas “Mack” McLarty, a former chief of staff, counselor to the president, and later special envoy for the Americas under President Bill Clinton, played a critical role in the passage of NAFTA and made great contributions to strengthen U.S. relations with Latin America. Previously, he had served in various advisory roles to Presidents George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. He is chairman of the McLarty Companies, where he helped build the business his grandfather founded into one of the United States' largest transportation companies. He is also chairman of McLarty Associates, an international advisory firm, which serves its global clients in key world markets.
 
Former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo presented Mr. McLarty with the Gold Medal, highlighting his contributions to the public and private sectors.

Mr. McLarty described the dramatic changes that Latin America has experienced since he first arrived in Washington in 1992, most of them overwhelmingly positive. “We have seen market-driven economies prosper, grow, and lift people’s lives. We have seen courageous, exemplary leadership on behalf of peace in several countries across the region, purposeful commitment to fighting poverty, and a joining of hands in preserving the environment and protecting the planet for future generations,” he said. “We have seen more and more countries claiming their rightful place on the global stage.”

Americas Society Chairman Ambassador John D. Negroponte presented the Gold Medal to Manuel Medina-Mora. Mr. Medina-Mora is Co-President of Citi, overseeing global consumer banking. His global responsibilities encompass all consumer and commercial banking businesses, and the operations and technology division supporting the business. Mr. Medina-Mora also oversees Citi’s franchise in Mexico. In 2001, Mr. Medina-Mora was an integral part of Citi's acquisition of Banamex and in early 2004, his role expanded as he became CEO for the entire Latin America region where he led the region to significantly expand its business within Citi. Mr. Medina-Mora has actively supported community and cultural activities in Mexico, including establishing Banamex's widely recognized financial education program, which has directly helped millions of Mexicans.

Upon receiving the Americas Society 2013 Gold Medal, Manuel Medina-Mora said: “The U.S. relationship with Latin America is extremely rich and complex. It covers virtually all aspects of the political, social, and economic life of any large and diverse community. A relationship that is much more complementary than competitive, that is highly beneficial to all parties and still has a great potential, especially if we build it on the principles of plurality, diversity, and tolerance that guide the labor of the Americas Society.”

Previous recipients of the Gold Medal, first presented in 1977, include Gustavo A. Cisneros, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Oscar de la Renta, Paul Desmarais, Carlos Fuentes, Andrónico Luksic, William Rhodes, David Rockefeller, Roberto Egydio Setubal, Mario Vargas Llosa, Paul Volcker, Lorenzo Zambrano, and Ernesto Zedillo among others. The Americas Society 2012 Gold Medal awardees were Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter and Muhtar Kent.

Press Inquiries: Please contact Adriana La Rotta at 212-277-8384 or alarotta@as-coa.org.

Americas Society is the premier organization dedicated to education, debate and dialogue in the Americas. Established by David Rockefeller in 1965, our mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship.