Ambassador Richard Holwill, Shreveport native, to deliver lecture at Centenary
SHREVEPORT, LA — Richard Holwill, a native of Shreveport who served as United States Ambassador to Ecuador and as an advisor on international trade to Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Barack Obama, will speak at Centenary on Tuesday, October 19, at 7:00 p.m. in Kilpatrick Auditorium. A Zoom option is also available at centenary.edu/holwill.
The lecture is free and open to the public. All attendees must provide either a Centenary ID, proof of vaccination, or proof of recent (within the last 90 days) recovery from COVID-19. All attendees must wear masks.
In addition to his diplomatic service, Holwill experienced Vietnam as a U.S. Marine, Watergate as White House correspondent for NPR, Iran-Contra as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America, and nuclear arms negotiations with the Soviet Union as Counselor for Arms Control and Disarmament. He is currently vice president of public policy at Alticor in Washington, D.C. - the parent company of the Amway Corporation - where he manages worldwide government affairs efforts. He also chairs a trade advisory committee for U.S. Trade Representative and the Asia Task Force at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In his lecture, Holwill will draw on these diverse personal and professional experiences to highlight the skills and mindset necessary to “be in the room where it happened,” and will challenge Centenary students to be the next generation of leaders and influencers who are “in the room.”
Holwill will also visit Dr. Amanda Donahoe’s upper-level political science courses during his visit to Centenary.
“It is so important for students to see the world, to explore it, and find their place in it,” said Donahoe. “Especially during this pandemic where our travel has been so limited, it matters that we continue to explore. Ambassador Holwill’s visit provides a fantastic opportunity to bring a bit of the world to us through his experience.”
Holwill’s visit is generously underwritten by the Attaway Professorships in Civic Culture program at Centenary.