CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - January 24, 2010

Croatian ambassador Kolinda Grabar – Kitarovic (in red jacket) opened the croatian center in Clearwater, near Tampa, in Florida. At the opening ceremony were more than 150 members of  Croatian Club of Tampa Bay and their guests, as well as representative of the National Association of Croatian Americans, Mr.Zvonko Labas.
In her remarks, ambassador Grabar – Kitarovic talked about the active role that americans of croatian origin have been playing in promoting the interest of the Republic of Croatia in the USA and in preservation of their croatian identity, and invited them to work more closely and intensively with the croatian embassy.
“Together we have changed the image of the Republic of Croatian in the eyes of american citizens, and that is our joint success”, the ambassador emphasized.
The Croatian Club of Tampa Bay gathers around 300 americans of croatian origin. Current president of the club is Ms. Katica Pavicic. The construction of the center began by mid 2008, and as a result its members have a place to gather and proudly call their own.

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  Veleposlanica Republike Hrvatske u SAD-u, gđa. Kolinda
  Grabar-Kitarović (u crvenom sakou) otvorila je Htvatski
  centar u Clearwateru, Florida. 
  Centar nosi ime “Hrvatski klub zaljeva Tampa”.
  Ceremoniji otvarnja prisustvovalo je više od 150 članova
  kluba sa  gostima  i  predstavnik  “Nacionalnog  udruženja 
  hrvatskih Americanaca”,  gosp. Zvonko Labas. 
  Veleposlanica Grabar-Kitarović je govorila o aktivnoj ulozi
  Amerikanaca hrvatskog podrijetla u promoviranju interesa
  Republike Hrvatske i očuvanju hrvatskog identiteta u 
  SAD-u.  Pozvala je članove kluba na bližu i intenzivniju
  suradnju sa hrvatskim veleposlanstvom.
  Također je naglasila:  “Zajedno, mi smo promjenili sliku
  Republike Hrvatske  u očima Američkih građana i to je naš
  zajednički uspjeh”.
  Hrvatski klub zaljeva Tampa okuplja oko 300 građana 
  hrvatskog podrijetla a sadašnji predsjednik kluba je 
  gđa. Katica Pavičić. Gradnja centra počela je polovinom
  2008,  i  kao rezultat njegovi članovi imaju mjesto sastajanja
  koje sa  ponosom mogu zvati svojim.

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY: Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, ambassador; father Ivica Majstorović; Lovro Vrbos, former club president and Ljubica Šimunović, club president.

AT THE HEAD TABLE: Dario Mihelin, Counselor for Political Affairs, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America; Zvonko M. Labas, Immediate Past Treasurer for the National Federation of Croatian Americans; Lovro Vrbos, former President of Croatia Club of Tampa Bay; Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America; Ljubica Šimunović, Club President; and John Dukovac, President, La Maison Builders.