Thirteen Awards Were Distributed to the NFCA "40 Under 40" Winners at the ACAP Conference
in Chicago.  From left to right: Tatjana Mustac, (NFCA officers: Steve Pavletic, Andrea Novak Neumann, Steve Rukavina), Dr Carmen Mikacenic, Biljana Lovrinovic, Peter Hazdovec, Emily Hasalah, Daniel Glad, Marko Buljan, Nick Begich III, Mario Jurcic, Derek Hohn, Mark Yelich, Jelena Rudela and Maria Sentic
- May 2017.

Steve Rukavina, Senator Mark Begich and Mauro Viskovic in Chicago - May 2017.

Steve, Andrea and David Diehl.  David was the Keynote Speaker (in Chicago) and he is a Two Time
Super Bowl Winner.  Will David be a Candidate for "40 Under 40" in October 2018? - May, 2017.

Croatian embassy in the U.S. held a reception to welcome Peter Galbraith the 1st American Ambassador
to Croatia from 1993 to 1998. NFCA Eric Gregrich, NFCA 1st Pres Ed Damich, George Huff, U.S. Amb Peter Galbraith, NFCA Tom Steich and Croatian Amb Josko Paro. Josko's five year term is finished come July 2017 - April 22, 2017.

General Jacques Klein, 1995-1997 UNTAES mission in Eastern Slavonia and some say the most successful UN re-integration program ever in a former war zone - April 22, 2017.

NFCA Pres Steve Rukavina meets with EU Ambassador David O'Sullivan at his Washington DC Home.
Reception was celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Rome Treaty - March 28, 2017.

Croatian embassy in the U.S. held a reception to welcome Croatian Foreign Minister Davor Ivo Stier,
who is in Washington D.C. to attend the meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS, organized by the
U.S. Department of State, and attended by ministers from 68 countries.  FM Davor Stier is in the middle,
NFCA Members with General Ivica Olujic - March 2017.

NFCA Lawyer John Kraljic, NFCA Political Affairs Zvonko Labas, Croatian FM Davor Ivo Stier,
NFCA President Steve Rukavina, Croatian Ambassador Josip Paro, NFCA Lobbyist Joe Foley and
Asst Croatian FM Gordan Bakota.  Will there be Electoral Laws Changes in BiH this Year?
 There were a lot of Good Conversations, Good Food and Good Wine on March, 21 2017.

A Croatian human rights attorney, Krisitna Gogic, gave a presentation on lustration, the way in which various post-communist countries dealt with crimes that were committed by the secret service of the regime. Croatia has not promulgated any laws to deal with that issue, although 25 years have passed since its independence. Here, Ms. Gogic is with HURA Organizing Committee Chairman Steve Pavletic, NFCA Executive Committee Secretary Vlatka Persin, and NFCA President Steve Rukavina - March 2017.

Vlatka, Steve, NFCA Government Affairs Representative Joe Foley met with the U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Julieta Valls Noyes at the U.S. Department of State to discuss various projects that Ms. Valls Noyes supports in Croatia to promote prosperity, security and shared values - March 2017.

Luncheon on the Capitol Hill with Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragan - February 2017.

NFCA President Steve Rukavina, Croatian Ambassador to the U.S. Josko Paro and NFCA Lobbyist
Joe Foley Meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Gordan Bakota - January 2017

NFCA collected donations to purchase a piano for the Croatian embassy. Vesna Jezic and Zrinka Tomic
collected the money, purchased the piano and had it delivered to the embassy. Eric Gregrich took care of all admin work - January/December 2016.

The NFCA Cultural Foundation is so grateful for the generous donation in December by Dr. Dinko Podrug to the NFCA of this beautiful painting by Andrea Schiavone, (also known as Andrea Medulic from Zadar). The exquisite painting will soon be in a Zagreb museum - December 2016.

Tom Begich, Croatian American from Alaska, has been elected to the State Senate.  The Begich family
has another elected official serving the citizens of Alaska, like his father, Nick did as a Congressman and
as his younger brother Mark did, as the Mayor of Anchorage and U.S. Senator from Alaska, 2009- 2015.
His father was the first Croatian American to serve as U.S. Congressman and his brother, was the first Croatian American to serve as an U.S. Senator.  Tom enjoys a professional career as a musician and writer with seven CD's of professional music - Event in Philadelphia in December 2016.

The Washington DC HURA Christmas Party was at the Embassy. There was excessive food, wine, music (The "Zivjeli" tamburitzan band), good/ friendly conversations, singing and dancing.  NFCA Officers Tom, Tony, Vlatka and Eric along with "40 Under 40" Winners Mark Yelich and Filip Pirsl. Also joining us was a welcomed photobomber Vlado Knezevic - December 2016.

NFCA's John Kraljic was in Vukovar for meetings of the Government's Council for Croats Living Abroad. November was the 25th anniversary of the fall of Vukovar.  Major renovations are planned for the Water Tower, including an elevator and a restaurant on top of the tower.  The park will have a playground, parking spaces and public restrooms - December 2016.

NFCA Officer Mario Spalatin Presented "40 Under 40" Winner Mario Talanga with an Award/ Present at the Tampa Bay area Christmas Dinner- Mario's Family - December 2016.

Reception was organized by the Association for Croatian Studies, with the support of the NFCA CF, ACAP, HURA and the Croatian Academy of America.  Took place in connection with the 2016 Convention of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies which was held in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Aida Vida of Harvard University is seated in the middle and is the President of the ACS.  In the middle standing are Croatian ambassador Josko Paro, Dr Tvrtko Jakovina (TJ), professor of history at the Univ. of Zagreb and John Kraljic. NFCA officers attending: John, Eric and Tom.  At the Croatian Embassy - Nov 19, 2016.

U.S. Congresswomen Janice Hahn's Farewell Reception at the Croatian Embassy in Wash DC. She was
elected to become a Los Angeles County Board Supervisor.  LA County is Bigger in Population than forty
States.  She served admirably as the Congressional Croatian Caucus Co-Chair for the last three years with
Congressman, David Joyce (R-OH). Involved with several House Resolutions to help Croats in Bosnia and
recommended an American Presidential Special Envoy and more U.S. involvement to address the
shortcomings within the Dayton Peace Accord - November 15, 2016.

Congresswomen Janice Hahn (from San Pedro, CA), Croatian Ambassador to the U.S. Josko Paro, Croatian
Consul in LA Dr. Sinisa Grgic, and six NFCA Officers (Eric, Joe, Steve, Tom, Vlatka and Zvonko).
The Congressional Croatian Caucus was created eighteen years ago. She talked about the sister city
friendship between Split and Los Angeles and now a "City Friendship" relationship between San Pedro
and an Island of Vis town - November 2016.

Anne Pavlich's Funeral Mass and Reception was at Our Lady of Victory Church in Washington DC.
Anne lived an Extremely Long and Healthy Life. Volunteering at Croatian American Events was
Paramount in Anne's Life. Anne was an Original Founder of the CFU Lodge #1976 in Washington DC.
She was on the Executive Committee in NFCA when it Formed in 1994 & was Currently a Board Member.
Anne was From Minnesota and will be Buried there - November 2016.

Vanca Schrunk (first from left) and Andrea Novak-Neumann (second from left) were selected as winners of the 2017 Croatian Woman of Influence Award in “Arts and Culture” and “Leadership & Innovation” respectively.  Both are very involved with the Croatian Cultural Society of Minnesota.  The CWoI Award recognizes leadership, innovation and community impact of women of Croatian ancestry.  Eligibility: from Croatia and the vast global Croatian diaspora - November 2016.

Dr. Ivana Vucenik gave an insightful lecture 'Nutrition and Cancer', eating the right foods and body
weight help to prevent cancer. Her research on IP6, found in beans, rice, nuts, and seeds, but also
available in a supplement form, has an effect to diminish tumors in laboratory test. Left to right:
Steve Pavletic, Ivana Vucenik, Adriana Pavletic, Vlatka Persin and Eric Gregrich - October 2016.

Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA) - House Foreign Affairs Committee
with Steve Rukavina in Philadelphia - October 2016.

NFCA President speaking with US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
in Philadelphia - October 2016.

NFCA President Steve and Croatia President Kolinda at the United Nations in NYC - September 2016.

Croatian Deputy Speaker Zeljko Reiner, House Majority White Steve Scalise (R-LA), Zvonko Labas & Joe Foley in the US Capitol - February 2015.