Almost three years ago, we warmly welcomed Dr. Raymond Xerri, our new Consul General, to the Maltese/Canadian community. To say that we were excited would be an understatement. We had heard a lot of positive news about Dr. Xerri before his arrival, and were keen to embrace his arrival with smiles and gratitude.
Appointed Consul General in July 2019, Dr. Xerri immediately demonstrated great enthusiasm, professionalism, and dedication to assist the Maltese/Canadian community [1]. He generously offered his services to all who seeked it, particularly youth and seniors.
As a senior myself, and former instructor of the Maltese language for 25+ years in Toronto who has built great relations with previous Consul Generals, I anticipated Dr. Xerri’s arrival with much enthusiasm.
Having worked with him these past few years, I was impressed and inspired with his ability to connect and uplift the Maltese/Canadian circle [2]. It was always his pleasure to assist people, even at the community social functions and special events.
His educational background in international relations, social and cultural enquiry, and law, made him an exceptional asset. He outstandingly represented Malta. He administered oaths, legalised foreign documents, provided certificates, renewed passports, and provided visas to those hoping to visit Malta, and more.
However, he stands out not only as a professional, but also as a human being. He is gifted in his ability to connect with people, and to make them feel heard and included. We were blessed to have his guidance, support, and assistance during these past few years, which feel like they flew by!
His indelible impact will be remembered forever in our community. He is already . I wish him health, happiness, and a continued successful profession as he returns home to his family in Gozo.
Dr. Xerri “ahna dejjem nibqghu grati lejk”. Greatly missedazzi hafna!!
Carmen M. Galea, Toronto.
Short Biography
Dr Xerri is the son of a Gozitan migrant family in the United States where he was born. In 1991, Raymond returned to Malta where he obtained dual American – Maltese citizenship.
He has addressed, chaired and mentored many local, national, continental, regional and international conferences, seminars and gatherings related to politics, diplomacy, international relations, the environment and particularly in the area of diaspora studies.
Dr Xerri is an author, editor and producer of numerous publications, multimedia and multilingual productions.
He is also a founder, co-founder and active member of a number of Gozitan, Maltese and internationally-based Maltese diaspora organisations.
Dr Xerri was the main organiser of twenty-eight editions of the Gozo International Celebration in Gozo (Malta) with attendance and audience from 51 different countries.
He has received numerous international awards and is the initiator and editor of the production series, Gozo and the Gozitans.
His full biography can be found here [3].