Centre News

Centre alum Scott Bohannon ’91 has organized
a series of speaking events titled "Profiles in
Leadership."

Rear Admiral Nevin Carr will be speaking
during Part I of the series, which will be held
in Washington, D.C.

Part II will be lead by Susan C. Schwab,
United States Trade Representative (USTR)
in the Bush Administration from 2006-2009.

Anthony A. Williams, William H. Bloomberg
Lecturer in Public Management at Harvard
Kennedy School, will be speaking at the final
event of the series.

Scott Bohannon ’91, general manager of the Washington, D.C.-based business consultancy Corporate Executive Board, has organized a series of speaking events titled "Profiles in Leadership," presented by the Centre College Alumni Club of D.C.

The series consists of three speakers throughout March, April and May. Each session will be held at The Waterview Building in Arlington. For all three sessions, interviews and Q&A begin at 6:30 p.m.; cocktails and hors d'oeuvres begin at 7:30 p.m.; adjournment is at 8:30 p.m.

The series is free and open to the public. For reservations by phone, call 877-678-9822 (toll free) or RSVP online here.

Part I, Monday, March 22

"How Can the U.S. Maintain Its Leadership in Innovation?" presented by Rear Admiral Nevin Carr, who has spent his Navy career at sea in cruisers and destroyers, deploying around the globe. Carr has served in the office of the Secretary of Defense and later served in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations as requirements officer for the Aegis Cruiser and Destroyer programs and was executive assistant to the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Following promotion to flag rank in 2006, he was deputy director of Surface Warfare for Combat Systems and Weapons and later deputy assistant Secretary of the Navy (International Programs) and director of Navy International Programs Office.

Carr graduated in 1979 from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in naval architecture. He received his M.S. in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Part II, Tuesday, April 27

"Can the U.S. Remain Competitive in the AsiaPac Century?" presented by Susan C. Schwab, United States Trade Representative (USTR) in the Bush Administration from 2006-2009. As USTR, Schwab was a member of the president's cabinet and served as his principal advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on international trade issues. Prior to her appointment, she served as deputy USTR. Schwab served as dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy from 1995 through 2003. Immediately before joining the Bush administration, she was president and CEO of the University System of Maryland (USM) Foundation and USM vice chancellor for advancement. Schwab spent most of the 1980s as an international trade, agriculture, and foreign policy specialist and then legislative director for Senator John C. Danforth (R-Mo.), playing a major role in numerous U.S. trade policy initiatives. Previously, Schwab served as a trade policy officer in the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

She holds a B.A. in political economy from Williams College, a master's in development policy from Stanford University (Food Research Institute), and a Ph.D. in public administration and international business from The George Washington University. She has been profiled in FORTUNE magazine and The New York Times and has appeared regularly on Bloomberg, CNBC, BBC and C-SPAN.

Part III, Thursday, May 27

"Has the Balance Between the Public and Private Sector Shifted Permanently?" presented by Anthony A. Williams, the William H. Bloomberg Lecturer in Public Management at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also the director of state and local practice at Arent Fox LLP. Williams served as the fourth mayor of the District of Columbia from 1999 to 2007. During his two terms, he is widely credited with restoring its finances and improving the performance of government agencies, all while lowering taxes and investing in infrastructure and human services. Before his election as mayor, he was the independent chief financial officer of the District from 1995 to 1998, working with and on behalf of local officials, the D.C. Financial Control Board, and the U.S. Congress. Before his service in local Washington, Williams worked in a variety of positions in federal, state and local government, including the first CFO for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, appointed by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Williams holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University, an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a J.D. from the Harvard Law School, as well as numerous awards and honorary degrees, including Governing Magazine Public Official of the Year in 1997. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and former President of the National League of Cities.