International Focus Magazine Vol. 1, #4 | Page 12

seen on the scene OFM and Foreign Consulates Clean Galveston’s Beaches Over 30 consular officers from the Consular Corps of Houston participated in a fun and successful beach cleanup at Galveston Island State Park on September 9, 2016. The coastal cleanup was organized by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) Houston Regional Office in collaboration with the Ocean Conservancy and its local partners. Consular officers from the Consulates General of China, Norway, Russia, Korea, Indonesia, Spain, Croatia, and Hungary collected a total of 45 pounds of trash. Similar events organized by OFM’s other regional offices took place the same day in New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle and Hawaii. OFM promotes the State Department’s policy of greening diplomacy among foreign missions in the United States. This event helped protect our ocean and empower the consular corps to lead the way toward a healthy and sustainable environment. OFM’s Houston Regional Director Nicholas Papp said “OFM was pleased to partner with foreign consular staff to support a U.S. national priority and address a global challenge by doing our part to protect our oceans.” 12 iF Magazine | OCTOBER 2016