Recent Events 2007
Nelson visit of U.S.'s ‘First Lady in NZ’
February 1, 2007
Gail McCormick (wife of Ambassador Bill McCormick) made her first official visit to Nelson on Friday 2 February and Saturday 3 February.
She visited the Nelson Provincial Museum to hear directly from Wayne Marriott about his experience on the US State Department's International Visitor Program. Mr Marriott was accepted to participate on a three week professional development program entitled "Cultural Heritage Preservation in the United States" last October.
Mrs. McCormick also attended the performance by (American/Canadian) clarinetist James Campbell in the 9th Adam Chamber Music Festival on Saturday night 3 February. The U.S. Embassy provided financial support to this and two previous festivals that Mrs. McCormick attended with guests.
As well as being wife of the United States Ambassador, Gail McCormick finds time to be a travel writer and is an endurance swimmer who has swum the English Channel. In the 1970s she lived and worked in Winton in Southland on a sheep farm, long before she met Bill McCormick who would go on to be Ambassador to New Zealand. During that time she visited Nelson and went tramping in the Able Tasman. Ambassador and Mrs. McCormick are well known for their chain of seafood restaurants 'McCormick and Shmicks' which are found throughout the United States.
Pictured is Mr Wayne Marriott, Director of Nelson Provincial Museum, wearing a 'Pendillton' Native American Blanket given by Gail McCormick (pictured right).
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