New Orleans, La.– Former City Councilmember and State Representative Jacquelyn âJackieâ Brechtel Clarkson has been named Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania for the State of Louisiana. Â As the newest member of the 59-member Louisiana Consular Corps, Consul Clarkson will be honored by Lithuania, the city and her peers at a reception on Monday, December 15 at Gallier Hall.
As Honorary Consul, Mrs. Clarksonâs responsibilities will chiefly relate to encouraging trade, commerce and tourism between Louisiana and the Baltic nation of approximately 3 million people. Mrs. Clarksonâs own personal connection with Lithuania stems from her grandmother, who emigrated from Lithuania and lived the remainder of her life in the French Quarter.
âServing the Republic of Lithuania is a distinct honor and privilege,â said Consul Clarkson. âI am grateful to His Excellency Ambassador Zygimantas Pavilionis and the government of Lithuania for entrusting me with this opportunity and I look forward to working closely with my peers in the Louisiana Consular Corps and city and state officials in the conduct of my responsibilities,â Mrs. Clarkson concluded.
âWe are delighted that the Republic of Lithuania has made an appointment here in Louisiana and that they have chosen such a distinguished public servant to represent their interests,â said The Honorable Constance Willems, Dean of the Louisiana Consular Corps and Honorary Consul of The Netherlands. âConsul Clarkson has a long legacy of community and civic service and this appointment allows her to continue and expand that record of service in new ways,â said Dean Willems.
Consul Clarkson, a New Orleans native, served for 24 years in a variety of governmental capacities including as State Representative and a member and President of the New Orleans City Council. For the past 45 years she has been a licensed realtor, having served as President of the Louisiana Real Estate Association. Consul Clarkson attended Tulane University and received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Our Lady of Holy Cross College.
Consul Clarkson cites as among her principal accomplishments, her role in preserving the former naval base in Algiers as New Orleans Federal City, her leadership in creating the City of New Orleansâ first and only Master Plan during her time on the City Council, her advocacy of the arts in Louisiana, and her involvement on the original Board of the National World War II Museum.
She is married to Arthur A. Clarkson, Jr, and is the mother of five children, 10 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.
The Louisiana Consular Corps is among the nationâs largest, and continues to add new consular representation, including appointments from Tanzania, Ukraine, Monaco in the past two years. Appointments from several other countries are now pending.
For more information about the Louisiana Consular Corps and individual Consuls please visit: https://louisianaconsularcorps.com/
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