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Whitworth University is pleased to announce Madeleine Albright, who served as the nation’s 64th secretary of state, will be the featured speaker at Whitworth’s fall President’s Leadership Forum, to be held Sept. 29, 2021 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at the Spokane Convention Center. Registration is now open. 

The event was originally scheduled to be held last fall and then rescheduled to May, but due to health and safety restrictions related to COVID-19 imposed by local and state authorities, the event has been postponed until September.

Albright is a professor, author, diplomat and businesswoman.

She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama in 2012. 

In 1997, Albright was named the first female secretary of state and became, at that time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government.

As secretary of state, Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated for democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade, business, labor and environmental standards abroad. 

“Madeleine Albright’s contributions to American diplomacy are immense,” says Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor. “This will be an invaluable opportunity for the community to learn from her experience as a trailblazing woman in U.S. politics and to hear her discuss her views on current world affairs.”

From 1993 to 1997, Albright served as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations and was a member of the President’s Cabinet. From 1989 to 1992, she served as president of the Center for National Policy. Previously, she was a member of President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Council and White House staff and served as chief legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Edmund S. Muskie. 

Albright is a professor in the practice of diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm. She is the chair of Albright Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets. She also chairs the National Democratic Institute and serves as the president of the Truman Scholarship Foundation. 

Albright is a member of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Policy Board, a group tasked with providing the secretary of defense with independent, informed advice and opinion concerning matters of defense policy. 

In 2009, Albright was asked by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to chair a group of experts focused on developing NATO’s new Strategic Concept. 

In her most recent book, Hell and Other Destinations (2020) the seven-time New York Times bestselling author reflects on the challenge of continuing one’s career far beyond the normal age of retirement. Her book written two years prior, Fascism: A Warning (2018), debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the author of five other New York Times bestselling books: her autobiography, Madam Secretary: A Memoir (2003); The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs (2006); Memo to the President: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership (2008); Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box (2009); and Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 (2012). 

Albright received a B.A. with honors from Wellesley College, and master’s and doctorate degrees from Columbia University’s department of public law and government, as well as a certificate from its Russian Institute. She is based in Washington, D.C.

The Whitworth President’s Leadership Forum draws key national leaders to the Inland Northwest to provide wisdom and insight on a variety of contemporary issues. For more information please click here.

About Whitworth University: 

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Michelle Drennen, director of university events, Whitworth University, (509) 777-3449 or iaevents@whitworth.edu.

Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.

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