2025 Balzekas Museum Award Dinner Honoring Ingrida Bublys

The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture warmly invites you to recognize and celebrate the achievements of diplomat, business person, and humanitarian -- Ingrida G. Bublys -- our 2025 Award of Excellence honoree!

Each year, the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture recognizes exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to society through their talents, efforts, and achievements. This award is the highest and longest-standing civic honor of its kind outside of Lithuania. Previous honorees include civic leaders, artists, physicians, scholars, diplomats, and two Lithuanian presidents.

This year, we are pleased to honor Ingrida Bublys for her outstanding contributions to Lithuanian and American business, culture, and humanitarian efforts. Over the past 25 years, she has served as the Honorary General Consul of the Republic of Lithuania for Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, where she has worked tirelessly to promote strong and positive relations between Lithuania and the United States.

Ingrida Bublys has built valuable relationships with city and state officials, educational institutions, and U.S. corporations. As an active networker, she has played a key role in connecting Ohio universities with their counterparts in Lithuania, facilitating numerous exchange programs. At the state level, she has fostered partnerships between the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture, and has been instrumental in organizing trade missions and cultural events. Through these efforts, she has opened doors for Lithuanian government officials to meet with key U.S. decision-makers and influential figures.

In addition to her work in diplomacy, Ingrida Bublys has established valuable trade development opportunities for both Baltic and U.S. companies. Her vast network spans commercial and government sectors, and she was one of the key organizers of the World Lithuanian Economic Conference in Chicago. She has also played a pivotal role in assisting Akron, Ohio, with its Technology Bridge initiative.

As an active member of several U.S. business organizations, Ingrida Bublys serves on multiple boards and has received numerous honors for her contributions. These include the Lithuanian government’s “Order of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great,” the “Eagle Award” from the American Nationalities Movement, the “International Service Award” from the International Rotary Club of Cleveland, and induction into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame in 2019. She was also recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business as a "Notable Immigrant Business Leader." In addition, she has been named one of the “Distinguished Women of the Century” on the occasion of Lithuania’s Centennial and has received the Global Lithuanian Leaders Award for her work in creating international business connections.

Ingrida Bublys is the president of IB International Inc., which has offices in Cleveland, Vilnius, and Buchholz, Germany. With more than 30 years of experience in business development and company representation, she has been a driving force in fostering business between the Baltic States and the U.S. Her company specializes in manufacturing outsourcing, company relocation, acquisitions, and project consulting. IB International represents a diverse range of U.S. companies and facilitates opportunities for Lithuanian companies to enter the U.S. market.

Ms. Bublys and her late husband, Romas, are the parents of five children and grandparents to eleven grandchildren.

The Award Dinner, which also serves as the Museum’s annual fundraiser, is a time-honored tradition and one of the most anticipated social events of the year. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, located at 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629.

We invite you to join us in celebrating this remarkable individual and her many contributions!

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Host or Publisher Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture