Introducing the Honorary Consul of Italy, Michael W. Homer

SALT LAKE CITY - Introducing Michael W. Homer, Honorary Consul of Italy. Mr. Homer is a trial lawyer who practices in state and federal courts, and is the Honorary Italian Consul of Utah. He is Chair of the Marriott Library Advisory Board, University of Utah, a member of Board of Advisors, Office of Undergraduate Advancement, University of Utah. He has served as chairman of the board for State History of Utah and is a Fellow of the Utah State Historical Society.
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He has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books concerning history and law. He is the documentary editor of On the Way to Somewhere Else: European Sojourners in the Mormon West, 1834-1930 (Arthur H. Clark Company, 2006), which won the Mormon History Association’s Best Documentary History Award in 2007. He is also the author of Joseph's Temples: The Dynamic Relationship between Freemasonry and Mormonism (University of Utah Press, 2014), and co-author of Mormons in the Piazza: The Story of the Latter-day Saints in Italy (BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book, 2017).
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During the nineteenth century Mr. Homer’s great grandfather emigrated from northwestern Italy (called the Waldensian Valleys) as part of the first wave of Italian immigrants to Utah. Subsequent groups of Italians settled in Utah from 1880-1920 and worked in mines, on the railroad and as merchants and farmers. Additional Italians have settled in Utah after World War II and today there is a vibrant Italian American community. Each year the community celebrates its heritage during the Festa Italia. There are also groups, including the Italian American Civic League and the Italian Club of Salt Lake City, where Italian Americans and lovers of Italy congregate.  
 
Salt Lake City and Torino, Italy have a Sister City relationship. The two cities developed ties because the Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake in 2002 and in Torino in 2006. Mr. Homer was legal counsel for the Italian Consulate during this period. He was appointed Honorary Vice Consul for the State of Utah by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2008 and subsequently appointed Honorary Italian Consul in 2012.
 
Mr. Homer’s duties include assisting the Consul General in San Francisco in the application process for study, mission and military related visas, powers of attorney, as well as other community related responsibilities. Some of his most memorable experiences as an Honorary Consul have been visiting the Italian Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Consulate in San Francisco for meetings and celebration of Italian National Day (Festa della Repubblica).
 
For additional information visit italconsulslc.us. 

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