Black-Tie Optional 02 / 08 T H E A F A L E A D E R S H I P G A L A An evening of leadership , purpose , and community The AFA Leadership Gala will bring together Albanian - American business , civic and community leaders from across the United States with members of Congress and friends of the Albanian - American community in Washington The evening is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Albanian Americans , reflect on the work Albanians for America has undertaken over the past year , and recognize and thank the American representatives who have listened , engaged and stood with our community on issues that matter to us It is also about what comes next E V E N T I N F O R M A T I O N Save the Date D A T E April 14 , 2027 V E N U E Capitol View at 400 400 North Capitol Street NW Washington , D C G U E S T S 250 Seated A T T I R E Black Tie Bringing our community , Congress and friends of Albanian Americans together in Washington A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership Engagement Impact 02 / 09 02 / 09 Black Tie Optional 03 / 08 W H O W E A R E A bipartisan voice in Washington Albanians for America ( AFA ) is a bipartisan Albanian - American advocacy organization Over the past year , AFA has worked directly with members of Congress and their staff to bring greater attention to issues affecting Kosovo and Albanian communities in the Western Balkans The AFA Leadership Gala grows directly out of that work It is not a standalone occasion , but part of an ongoing effort to engage with policymakers in Washington on the issues that matter to our community W H A T W E H A V E B E E N W O R K I N G F O R Congressional engagement & advocacy , 2025 – 2026 The pages that follow set out the initiatives AFA has supported and the engagement it has undertaken with Congress over the past year 2 C O N G R E S S I O N A L H E A R I N G S “ Flashpoint : A Path Toward Stability in the Western Balkans ” D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 “ U S Policy and Regional Security Challenges in the Western Balkans ” S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership Engagement Impact 03 / 09 03 / 09 04 / 08 C O N G R E S S I O N A L E N G A G E M E N T & A D V O C A C Y Advocacy built through engagement Legislation and resolutions AFA has engaged on in Congress H R 6 4 1 1 Presheva Valley Discrimination Assessment Act Advocacy supporting congressional attention to discrimination against ethnic Albanians in Serbia , including passivization and access to public institutions and services H R 1 0 1 8 3 SRBIJA Act Engagement around congressional efforts addressing rule of law , democratic governance , corruption , media freedom and accountability in Serbia H R E S 1 2 4 6 Kosovo ’ s Integration into NATO Congressional engagement supporting Kosovo ʼ s path toward NATO membership and deeper Euro - Atlantic integration H R E S 1 2 5 0 Continued U S Participation in KFOR Congressional engagement supporting continued U S participation in KFOR I N T H E C O R R I D O R S O F L E A D E R S H I P Engagement sustained over time A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership Engagement Impact 04 / 09 04 / 09 05 / 08 C O N G R E S S I O N A L E N G A G E M E N T & A D V O C A C Y Relationships built over time M A Y 2 0 2 6 Bipartisan Congressional Delegation AFA helped coordinate the May 2026 Self – Subramanyam visit to Kosovo and the Presheva Valley C A P I T O L H I L L Congressional Albanian Issues Caucus AFA ʼ s work to strengthen and expand bipartisan congressional engagement on Albanian issues C O A L I T I O N Central & East European Coalition AFA joined CEEC as Albania ʼ s representative , giving Albanian - American advocacy a place within a broader Washington coalition P U B L I C D I A L O G U E 10 + AFA Talks Episodes Public conversations with policymakers , experts and community voices on issues affecting Albanian Americans and the Western Balkans “ Much of this work happens away from public view — through meetings , briefings , congressional outreach , follow - ups and relationships built over time That sustained engagement is at the heart of effective advocacy A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership Engagement Impact 05 / 09 05 / 09 06 / 08 W H Y T H I S G A L A M A T T E R S Advocacy cannot happen only when there is a crisis At a time of changing priorities in Washington and continued political and security challenges in the Western Balkans , sustained engagement matters more than ever Relationships with policymakers take years to build and must be maintained regardless of which party controls Congress or the White House The Gala is therefore more than a celebration It is an opportunity to bring our community together , thank the American representatives who have engaged with our issues , strengthen the relationships we have begun to build , and secure the resources necessary to take this work further A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership Engagement Impact 06 / 09 06 / 09 07 / 08 L O O K I N G A H E A D Building the capacity for what comes next AFA ʼ s work to date has depended largely on the generosity and commitment of individuals who believe in its mission To grow our advocacy , we need to move from relying on support initiative by initiative toward building the financial capacity to plan and operate for the years ahead Our goal is to raise the resources necessary to sustain and accelerate AFA ʼ s advocacy for the next two to three years O V E R T H E N E X T T W O T O T H R E E Y E A R S 01 Deepening congressional engagement 02 Expanding our presence in Washington 03 Strengthening research and communications 04 Organizing congressional visits and policy initiatives 05 Ensuring that our community can respond effectively when its voice is needed A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership Engagement Impact 07 / 09 07 / 09 08 / 09 T H E P E O P L E B E H I N D A F A Leadership rooted in service and community. Albanians for America is guided by leaders committed to strengthening Albanian-American engagement, representation, and advocacy in Washington. Doc Vranici Gezim Rushiti Gino Mulliqi A F A L E A D E R S H I P G A L A 2 0 2 7 AFA Leadership Gala possible. Viosa Lukaj Vesna Gjeloshaj Samantha Sarelli Roland Rexha Mark Kosmo Lirije Palushi Joe Berishaj Janine Mehmeti Gianni Perkovic Besa Sharrah A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership. Engagement. Impact. Event Committee With appreciation to the members of the Event Committee whose leadership, outreach, and commitment are helping make the inaugural 08 / 08 I N C L O S I N G THE AFA LEADERSHIP GALA IS ONE EVENING What it can make possible should last for years T H E I N A U G U R A L AFA Leadership Gala D A T E April 14 , 2027 V E N U E Capitol View at 400 L O C A T I O N Washington , D C A T T I R E Black Tie C O N T A C T Albanians for America W E B S I T E www albaniansforamerica org E M A I L info @ albaniansforamerica org P H O N E + 1 202 - 280 - 2465 A L B A N I A N S F O R A M E R I C A Leadership Engagement Impact 09 / 09 09 / 09 Black Tie Optional