I was born and raised in Šiauliai, in the Pietinis neighborhood, and attended the 11th Secondary School and J. Janonis Gymnasium. At the age of seventeen, I went to Italy to study, and later worked at Lithuania’s diplomatic missions in Rome and New York. Šiauliai, which shaped my worldview and character, remain an important part of my public activities. I am a Global Šiauliai Ambassador in the USA, founder of the Šiauliai Club in the USA, initiator of the project “Open the Window: Šiauliai–New York,” and producer of the play based on Rimantas Kmita’s script “Dance, Edita, Dance!” in New York. For many years, I have researched the life and work of the famous sculptor from Šiauliai and designer of the U.S. one-cent coin, Victor David Brenner, and his family. I believe that everyone in New York has their own “Pietinis” story as an inseparable part of their identity, and as a Šiauliai native in the world, I celebrate the city’s 790th anniversary with you.

Photo by Jūratė Večeraitė.