Kiley Wellendorf + Stephanie Steiner | Co-Editors-in-Chief
Buena Vista University (BVU) has announced that Leon E. Panetta, who served as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2011-13, will be the 22nd William W. Siebens American Heritage Lecture speaker on Friday, Oct. 7.
Panetta was the 23rd Secretary of Defense, serving under President Barack Obama. He also served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2009-11 and was Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton from 1994-97.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for our students to hear from an individual who led the Department of Defense during a pivotal time,” said BVU President Fred Moore.
Panetta will be involved in a question-and-answer session with a panel of BVU students, followed by a formal evening lecture to invited regional leaders in the fields of business, law, politics, education and religion.
Students will be able to apply to be selected for the panel yet this spring semester through a competitive process. They work with a faculty moderator and faculty coaches to research the speaker, and when they return to school in the fall, develop a list of questions for the event.
“We look forward to hearing his candid insights on global politics and world affairs, U.S. intelligence, defense and cyber security strategies and the global economic challenges of the 21st Century,” Moore said.
As Secretary of Defense, Panetta oversaw the final removal of American troops from Iraq, as well as the beginning of troop withdrawals from Afghanistan. Panetta helped to open new opportunities for serving in the military with the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the announcement of an assessment phase that would allow women to enter all combat jobs in the military. He also worked to protect benefits for wounded warriors and their families.
During his time as Director of the CIA, Panetta oversaw the operation that brought Osama bin Laden to justice. Previous to the CIA, he spent 10 years co-directing the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, where he now resides as the chairman.
Panetta joins a list of impressive American Heritage lecturers that includes former world leaders, heads of state and others who have reached the highest levels of accomplishment and recognition in their fields. He will be the first former U.S. Secretary of Defense to lecture in the American Heritage Series.
Past speakers included the following individuals: Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush; Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, Shimon Peres, Benazir Bhutto, and Tony Blair; Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board; and Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State.
The William W. Siebens American Heritage Lecture Series was established in 1989 to provide the BVU, Iowa, and the rest of the Midwest with access to well-known figures discussing current issues in America.
