For the 57th year, leaders from Embassy Row, Capitol Hill, media, business and other spheres of D.C. gathered at the historic Meridian House on Oct. 24 for the Meridian Ball, which provides an annual respite from the politics that often divide Washington.
It also showcases Meridian’s mission as a center of diplomacy. As Deborah Lehr, interim CEO of the institution, put it: “diplomacy extends far beyond the formal negotiating table.”
That sentiment was shared by attendees of the 30 embassy-hosted dinners that preceded the dessert and dancing portion of the ball. Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez of the Philippines told The Washington Diplomat that hosting a pre-ball dinner is becoming something of an annual tradition for his embassy.
Normandy Institute founder Dorothea La Houssaye, who attended the Swiss Embassy dinner, noted the “truly diplomatic mix of people” in attendance. Diplomats, executives and members of Congress engaging in thoughtful discussion is particularly the “international camaraderie” that Meridian International Center aims to foster, said Deborah Lehr.
To that end, numerous ambassadors and heads of mission enjoyed the Moulin Rouge-themed evening, including Ambassador Iztok Mirošič of Slovenia, Ambassador Youssef Amrani of Morocco and Ambassador Narek Mkrtchyan of Armenia, who only arrived to D.C. a month prior to the event. In a statement to The Washington Diplomat, Ambassador Mirošič noted the importance of the Meridian Ball as a social endeavor bringing together global leaders, and as an essential platform for Washington D.C.’s ambassadors.
Showcasing the eclectic nature of the ball, the guestlist included others like Bill Nye, otherwise known as the popular TV character Bill Nye the Science Guy, who made his Meridian Ball debut this year.
Live music, tasteful decoration and art nouveau-style performers set the stage for a night of forming connections that transcend the borders of “nations, politics, and generations,” Lehr told ball attendees. She stressed the importance of having a hub for diplomacy, which “happens wherever people gather with openness, respect, and the willingness to listen.”
The 57th Meridian Ball was also significant because it marked a celebration of Ambassador Stuart Holliday’s completion of his 19-year tenure as CEO of Meridian International Center. Holliday pledged his continued commitment to the center’s mission during the 2025 Meridian Summit, which preceded the ball and delved into the future of geopolitics.
Among other milestones, the ball was among the most successful fundraising efforts for Meridian, mobilizing $2.4 million. The proceeds will fund new Meridian projects, two of which were launched at the summit: a Center for Technology, Innovation, and Space; and a Center for State and Local Diplomacy.
This year’s ball was made possible through co-chairs Art and Sela Collins, along with Congressional Chairs Sen. Mark Warner and Lisa Collis, and Sen. David McCormick and Dina Powell McCormick, as well as support from General Motors, which serves as Meridian’s Corporate Chair.
Meridian reaffirmed its mission of “empowering leaders for the next era of diplomacy, which no longer belongs to just government,” Lehr said at the summit. “Business leaders, governors, mayors, scientists, athletes, artists — everyone is the new diplomat.”
