Conference Roster Complete

Date: Monday January 23, 2012

The Camden Conference has filled out its roster of speakers for the February 17-19, 2012 Conference with the addition of Colonel Larry Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wilkerson is now a visiting professor at the College of William and Mary and a Professional Lecturer in the Honors Program at the George Washington University. He has had a distinguished career in the Army including teaching at the Naval War College and the Marine Corps War College. After several years in the Navy’s Pacific Command, he became a top assistant to General Colin Powell and remained in that role as Powell became Secretary of State.

The Conference begins on Friday evening, February 17 with the Keynote Address by Bill Richardson, former Governor of New Mexico, Congressman, Secretary of Energy, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and presidential candidate in 2008. Richardson will be kicking off the discussion of the Conference theme “The U.S. in a 21^st Century World: Do we have what it takes?”

Saturday morning will begin with Pete du Pont, former Governor of Delaware, member of Congress, presidential candidate in 1988, and currently a journalist and economic consultant, addressing the issues of our faltering economy and our future. Next will be Clyde Prestowitz, founder and president of the Economic Strategy Institute looking at economic issues.

To wrap up the morning will be Amory Lovins, co-founder and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Lovins, an expert on energy and environmental issues, will talk on “Reinventing Fire: A Business-Led Clean Energy Solution for Security and Prosperity.”

Saturday afternoon will focus on national security and diplomacy issues. Larry Wilkerson will lead off with an assessment of our current situation on military and security issues. The team of Wayne Porter and Mark Mykleby will follow with “Beyond Risk and Threat: The Need for a National Strategic Narrative.” Porter and Mykleby served as strategic advisors to Admiral Mike Mullens at the Pentagon and developed a well-known paper on the national strategic narrative.

Nicholas Burns, former Undersecretary of State and currently professor at the Kennedy School at Harvard University will focus on an International Strategy for U.S. Diplomacy. Burns will be moderating much of the Conference and has been very well received in previous years.

Sunday’s talks will address two further key areas – education and media. Robert Schwartz, Professor of Educational Policy and Administration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education will look at “U.S. Education in a Global Context.” Deborah Amos, Middle East Foreign Correspondent for National Public Radio, will address media in the modern world.

Throughout the Conference, attendees will have the opportunity to address questions to the speakers both individually and during panels with several of the speakers together. The Conference promises to be stimulating and informative. Perhaps it will even answer the question “Do we have what it takes?”

The 25th Camden Conference will be held February 17 to 19, 2012, at the Camden Opera House and satellite locations in Ellsworth (The Grand), Rockland (Strand Theatre), and Belfast (Hutchinson Center).  Please call 236-1034 to register.

The Camden Conference is a nonprofit, non-partisan educational organization whose mission is to foster informed discourse on world affairs through year-round community events, public and student engagement, and an annual weekend Conference featuring distinguished speakers focusing on a central theme related to U.S. foreign affairs.  For more information, please visit www.camdenconference.org or call (207) 236-1034.