(WEST PALM BEACH, FLA) – On January 29, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will be welcomed by Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) to participate in its LeMieux Center’s Annual Speaker Series. The event is free and open to the public with advance registration and will be held at the DeSantis Chapel at 6:30 p.m. for a fireside chat with Senator LeMieux.
The LeMieux Center for Public Policy at PBA provides a space for reasoned, thoughtful and civil discourse on pressing public policy issues confronting Florida, the United States, and the world. Students will learn directly from esteemed policy experts and global thought leaders from a broad spectrum of disciplines.
In this intimate speaking experience, audiences will hear from Robert Gates about the many facets of his long and storied career. From global politics and U.S. foreign policy to leadership challenges and conflict resolution, Gates offers his candid, measured perspective, laced with humor. Undergirding all his advice is the tenet that great leaders listen and respond to their teams and embrace the power of compromise. In this wide-ranging, unscripted conversation, listeners will benefit from the insight of one of the country’s most respected and influential leaders.
“We are excited to have former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on campus to discuss his respected career, current events and pressing matters that play into our everyday lives,” said Dr. Debra A. Schwinn, PBA President. “He has led us through fascinating and challenging times, and our students understand that today’s world presents its own unique set of obstacles. We enjoy offering these types of experiences to offer students a higher level of preparation for a future in areas such as public policy, law, business and servant leadership.”
Gates served as the nation’s 22nd Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. He is the only Secretary of Defense in U.S. history to be asked to remain in office by a newly elected President. Gates served eight U.S. presidents in total across both parties. He has led a distinguished career of service and institutional reform both in and out of government. On his last day as Secretary, President Barack Obama awarded Gates the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor. He has also been awarded honorary degrees from more than a dozen universities and colleges, including Notre Dame, Yale, Morehouse College, and all three of his alma maters.
Additionally, he reversed losing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while preparing the U.S. military for unconventional warfare and for dramatic reductions in federal spending. Among his many initiatives, Gates championed the production and deployment of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, saving the lives and limbs of thousands of U.S. service members. Gates is fondly remembered as “the Soldiers’ Secretary.”
For more information on the LeMieux Speaker Series, or to register for this event, please visit pba.edu/academics/schools/centers-of-excellence/lemieux/.
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About Palm Beach Atlantic University
Palm Beach Atlantic University, founded in 1968, is a private, Christian university, offering 100 different programs and pathways, including undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and professional degrees. The university has a 19-acre campus in West Palm Beach and an Orlando campus, and the 78-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus provides facilities for training and hosting intercollegiate sports. Sailfish athletes compete in 18 NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference varsity sports. PBA affirms the values that have built American society, including religious liberty and the free enterprise system. The university is dedicated to the integration of biblical principles to prepare students for learning, leadership, and service. Learn more at www.pba.edu.
