Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission

Commissioners Angelo Brown Elizabeth Jamison Michael Ota Leslie Patton Sheb True Chrislyn Turner Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission Meeting Agenda July 14, 2026 6:00 PM City Hall Conference Room (2529 J.O. Stephenson Avennue, Kennesaw, GA 30144) 1. Call to Order / Roll Call 2. Approval of the Meeting Minutes A. Minutes: April 14, 2026 Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission Meeting Approval of the April 14, 2026, Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission Meeting minutes. 3. Financial Report 4. Old Business 5. New Business A. Officer Elections 2026 Officer Elections: Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. 6. Public Comments 7. Staff Comment A. KSSC Programming Staff update on programming and potential projects with Montepulciano. 8. Adjourn Page 1 of 4  MINUTES OF KENNESAW SISTER CITIES COMMISSION MEETING CITY OF KENNESAW City Hall Conference Room (2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue, Kennesaw, GA 30144) April 14, 2026 6:00 PM 1. Call to Order / Roll Call Leslie Patton called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Members Present: Leslie Patton, Elizabeth Jamison, and Michael Ota Members Absent: Sheb True and Angelo Brown Staff Liaison Present: Anna Trapp Michael Ota was welcomed to the Commission as its newest member. All present staff and members introduced themselves and provided background on how they came to join the Commission. 2. Approval of the Meeting Minutes A. Minutes: October 7, 2025 Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission Meeting Approval of the October 7, 2025, Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission Meeting minutes. Motion by Elizabeth Jamison to approve the October 7, 2025, Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission meeting minutes as submitted. Seconded by Leslie Patton. Vote taken: unanimously approved, 3-0. Motion passed. 3. Financial Report 4. Old Business 5. New Business A. Officer Elections 2026 Officer Elections: Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. Commission Chair Leslie Patton recommended that the election of officers be postponed until the next meeting. There were no objections. 6. Public Comments 7. Staff Comment A. KSSC Programming Staff update on programming and potential projects with Montepulciano. Anna Trapp provided a report for the ongoing collaboration with Montepulciano. City of Kennesaw staff and Ken Hill of Kennesaw State University (KSU) met with Lynda Allison of Cellar Selections, the local distributor representing the Montepulciano winery Page 2 of 4 Cantina Crociani. The discussion centered on the commemorative wine created to honor the Friendship Agreement between the City of Kennesaw and Montepulciano. The wine features a label designed by KSU students, reflecting the cultural and educational partnership between the two communities. As a next step, distributor representative Steve Arnold and Kennesaw’s Economic Development Business Recruitment and Retention Manager, Tanyel Aviles, will meet with several local restaurants and businesses on April 22 to determine interest in carrying the commemorative wine. Once the wine becomes available in retail locations, it may be promoted at various City events, including First Fridays, the Farmers Market, the Kennesaw Concert Series, Pigs and Peaches, Taste of Kennesaw, and other festivals as appropriate. The Commission also discussed several initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural and educational ties with Montepulciano. One major proposal involved the development of a cultural exchange program between North Cobb Magnet students and high school students in Montepulciano. Commissioner Elizabeth Jamison will serve as the coordinator for this program, along with assistance and support from the Commission. She proposed structuring the exchange as a multi-year community service project in which students would participate from 9th grade through 12th grade. Pending confirmation of interest from Montepulciano, the program could launch in Fall 2026. To move this forward, Anna Trapp will contact officials in Montepulciano to gauge their interest. Once confirmation is received, Commissioner Jamison will introduce the program during the Magnet Program kickoff with parents in May 2026, with additional details to be provided over the summer. Another idea presented during the meeting was a collaborative cookbook featuring recipes from both Kennesaw and Montepulciano. Commissioner Michael Ota suggested that the publication could also include stories and artwork from both communities, further highlighting the cultural connection. The design and printing of the cookbook could potentially be completed by KSU students, offering an additional educational component. In addition to these programmatic discussions, the Commission identified several administrative needs. Anna Trapp will establish a SharePoint site to support collaboration among commissioners, allowing them to share documents, exchange ideas, and track progress on ongoing initiatives. 8. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m. [MIN_SIGNATURES] Page 3 of 4  5.A. Item Report TO: The Kennesaw Sister Cities Commission FROM: DATE: July 14, 2026 TITLE: Officer Elections 2026 Officer Elections: Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. Summary: Recommendation: Fiscal Impact: Attachments: None Page 4 of 4