NFCACF Holds 32nd Annual Assembly of delegates in Pittsburgh 

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Pittsburgh, PA – June 28, 2025 — The National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCACF) convened its Thirty-Second Annual Assembly of Delegates on Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Assembly brought together over twenty national delegates, community leaders, and several special guests for a productive morning of updates, planning, and discussions about recent milestone events and accomplishments within the Croatian American community. 

Among the participants were representatives from other key Croatian American organizations, including Ed Pazo, Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras, Franjo Bertovic, and Michael Ricci from the Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU), and Nikola Metes from the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP). The meeting was further distinguished by the presence of the Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Pjer Šimunović. 

CFU President Ed Pazo officially welcomed the delegates to Pittsburgh, underscoring the city’s rich Croatian American heritage and its ongoing significance to the national diaspora. President Pazo reminded all the delegates how important the work of the NFCACF is within the public affairs and diplomatic space in Washington, D.C. 

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NFCACF President Steve Rukavina opened the Assembly with his annual “State of the Union” address, thanking board members, committee chairs, and delegates for all their tireless work. He highlighted key achievements over the past year and reaffirmed the NFCACF’s commitment to legislative advocacy, cultural engagement, and strategic partnerships in the nation’s capital.

President Rukavina provided a detailed overview of the organization’s activities, including the relaunch of the Congressional Croatian Caucus with a very successful May 7th reception in the Rayburn Building.

The event honored Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković as the special guest and seven Congressional members and several Croatian ministers attended. He emphasized that May had been a particularly active month for the NFCACF, with the Hill reception on May 7th, the Atlantic Council Leadership Awards event on the following day, and the Transatlantic Leadership Network symposium and dinner on May 21st.

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Biljana Lovrinovic-Abel presented on the progress of the Vis Memorial initiative, then shared her experiences at the Special Olympics Winter World Games in Italy, where she joined Croatian athletes as a volunteer. Judi and Ron Zivić, also in attendance at the Winter Games, gave a report on fundraising, sponsorships, and community impact. The NFCACF remains a proud and major sponsor of the Croatian Special Olympics organization.

Judi Zivic also provided an update on the Croatian American History Series and a webinar initiative exploring diverse themes of Croatian culture, immigration, and folklore. The History Series committee is planning two webinars for this year. 

The most recent session featured stories on traditional Croatian folktales and legends. The webinar series builds on the success of last summer’s daylong history event at Matica Hrvatska during the CFU’s Tambure Kroz Generacija gathering in Zagreb. 

Honorary Chair Vedran Nazor shared ongoing developments with the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame (CAS-HOF), extending thanks to sponsors and donors while expressing hope for a successful 2026 CAS-HOF 3rd induction ceremony event. The Pittsburgh 2024 CAS-HOF Induction ceremony banquet had 330 guests and six inductees in person.

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Representing ACAP, Nikola Metes offered a summary of the organization’s expanding initiatives, including updates on digital tools and software innovations aimed at community networking and professional development. He suggested to everyone to check out their website to review their 2024 thirty plus page annual report and shared that the next annual ACAP meeting will be in Chicago, October 24-26.

Rudy Perpich Fellow Milena Rylatt reported on the Southern Gas Interconnection Pipeline, a strategic infrastructure project connecting the LNG terminal in Omišalj on the Island of Krk, Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). She discussed the pipeline’s importance for regional energy diversification and cooperation between both Bosniak and Croat leaders within the Federation of BiH for its completion. 

Mark Plavetic provided an overview of the recent Public Relations Committee updates, including a proposed in-person 2025 event for the 1100th Anniversary of King Tomislav’s coronation.

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He also delivered the “Washington Report” which is the first time a Croatian American has assumed this role for the NFCACF. Mark outlined recent Capitol Hill initiatives and developments related to NATO, the Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty status, the Congressional Croatian Caucus, other priority diaspora issues, and ongoing cultural diplomacy efforts. 

Treasurer Marty Kajic then presented the annual treasurer’s and financial committee report, offering transparency and a highly detailed outlook on the organization’s overall fiscal stability. 

John Kraljic led a discussion on NFCACF governance procedures, bylaws and election logistics. He also assisted in facilitating the election of nineteen board members for the 2025–2026 term. 

The annual meeting held elections, and the Executive Committee selected was Steve Rukavina-President, Biljana Lovrinovic-Abel-Executive VP, Mark Plavetic-Secretary, Marty Kajic-Treasurer, John Kraljic-First VP, Ron Zivic-2nd VP, and Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras- 3rd VP. The four Officers At-Large elected were Carolyn Bruno, Kata Beslic, Andrea Novak-Neumann and Anna Maria Sicenica.

The remaining Board Members elected were: Franjo Bertović, Jim Kresnik, Don Langenfeld, Nikola Metes, Vedran Nazor, Damira Carić-Sicenica, Tom Steich and Judi Zivic. The NFCACF organization continues to benefit from experienced leadership and eager volunteers, ensuring continuity and passionate commitment in its national mission. 

The meeting concluded with a keynote address from Ambassador Pjer Šimunović, who provided a timely briefing on US-Croatia relations, including updates on bilateral economic cooperation and progress toward finalizing the Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty between the two nations. He also reaffirmed the Croatian government’s ongoing support for Croatian American engagement and thanked the NFCACF for its leadership in promoting transatlantic ties. 

After the Saturday morning discussions, collaboration, and celebration of shared achievements, the Assembly adjourned at noon. The NFCACF looks forward to another productive and dynamic year of diplomatic advocacy, public affairs programming, and cultural engagement ahead of its Thirty-Third Assembly in 2026.

The Assembly coincided with the CFU’s 57th Junior Tamburitzans Festival, which took place the same weekend at the same venue. Friday evening kicked off celebrations with Croatian Heritage Night at PNC Park, where the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the New York Mets.

Over 900 Croatian Americans attended the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game, proudly donning checkered jerseys to represent their heritage and celebrate community unity while wearing the baseball apparel of the competing teams. Thirteen Junior Tambura Ensembles, including one group from Osijek, Croatia, performed throughout the weekend with guest conductor Ashely Spencer.

On Saturday evening, a Catholic Mass, celebrated by Father William Hritsko of Ohio and Father Nicholas Vaskov of Pittsburgh, was accompanied by tambura music. Social events with tambura music, turbo-folk, Croatian rock music, and dance took place on both Friday and Saturday evenings. 

By Milena Rylatt, 2025 NFCACF Rudy Perpich Fellow