History of United States/Mexico Sister cities Association

                                                     Researched by Marjorie Voigt, Past President

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President Dwight D. Eisenhower believed that the best way to prevent wars was to have people become acquainted with people in other countries and establish personal friendships.

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So, President Eisenhower initiated the People to People Program in 1956.

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Several cities in California formed Sister City relationships with cities in Mexico. Most of the cities belonged to the Town Affiliation Association. This organization later became Sister Cities International located in Alexandria, Virginia.

 

Because many of the cities identified with Mexico, they started having separate Conventions between the two nations in 1964.

 

As the years passed, Cities that had Mexican Sister Cities Association was formed and incorporated in April 1969 as a non-profit organization.

 

The original office was in Los Angeles in the offices of George Voigt & Associates. George Voigt was named the Executive Director as an unpaid advisor. All expenses were covered by his office. When he moved his office to San Marino, California, the U.S./Mexico Sister Cities Association offices moved to that location and remained in that City until George Voigt retired in 1989.

 

When the organization was incorporated in 1969, there were only nine Board Members. This has been expanded to eighteen Board Members with Board Members at Large appointed by the President each year for a one-year term with approval of the full Board. All Board Members serve the Association without compensation.

 

Bylaws were drafted by George Voigt and adopted by the Board in 1969. There have been several amendments in ensuing years that have been adopted at the Annual Meeting of the membership held in the first quarter of the Calendar year.

 

The U.S./Mexico Sister Cities Association is incorporated as a non-profit organization under Section 503(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. All contributions and donations are tax deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

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