Shell Stuart/Georgia Council for International Visitors
Shell Stuart, GCIV Executive Director, discusses the International Consular Ball and how it became Atlanta’s premier international event, bringing together business, civic, and diplomatic leaders in a celebration of global opportunity and cooperation. The 32nd International Consular Ball will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at the World of Coca-Cola.
Yelena Epova/Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP
Yelena Epova, this year’s Chair of the Consular Ball, is a partner in charge of HA&W’s Tax Group and the International Services Practice. She specializes in advising domestic and international companies on international tax issues and tax planning strategies regarding inbound and outbound operations. She also assists clients with domestic tax issues by providing tax planning and compliance services.
Ms. Epova is an active member in many professional organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants where she served on the task force that reviewed Proposed Treasury Regulations on Transfer Pricing; the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants where she participated in the Leadership Development Program; and Baker Tilly International where she chaired the North American International Tax Committee for six consecutive years. Additionally, Ms. Epova is a founding board member of GlobalEXECWomen and is an active member of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce. She is treasurer of the Georgia Council for International Visitors and is a member of the Georgia District Export Council. She is a graduate of the 2011 Leadership Atlanta program and received the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s 2011 Global Impact Award for Service Providers on behalf of HA&W.
Annabelle Malins/British Consul-General, Atlanta
As British Consul-General, Atlanta, Annabelle Malins acts on behalf of her country and her Majesty the Queen overseeing a six-state Southeastern region of the United States to promote economic development, scientific innovation, and best practices between the two nations. Her office also represents the interests of British expatriates who reside in the area that includes Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
She is the mother of two sons (a teenager and college student in Glasgow, Scotland), the wife of an agronomist (agriculture expert), and an expert herself on the international agricultural industry. With all of that, it’s doubtful that the sun ever sets on Malins.
Having arrived in Atlanta last September from her previous position as the consul general-science and innovation for the San Francisco British consulate, she is the first woman to assume leadership of the Atlanta post.
Anton Mertens/Burr & Forman
Anton Mertens is a Partner in Burr & Forman’s Labor and Employment Practice Group with a focus on immigration law. Anton’s concentration consists of business immigration matters for investors, managers, executives and technical personnel.
Anton’s expertise includes business and professional visas, labor certifications, immigrant visas, consular representation and citizenship for foreign executives, managers and professionals. His background also includes consulting and advising clients on a number of employment issues including compliance procedures in verifying the work eligibility of new employees as required under the I-9 “workplace compliance” provisions of federal law.
Born in Brussels, Belgium, Anton is a member of the Executive Committee of the Atlanta Chapter of the Belgian American Chamber of Commerce.
He received his B.A. degree in Mathematics from Mercer University in 1984 and his J.D. degree from Mercer University School of Law in 1987. Anton is fluent in Dutch and French and is admitted to practice law in Georgia. Anton is a frequent lecturer and has authored a number of articles dealing with corporate immigration matters.
