On Thursday, April 18th, the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches will present Admiral Jim Stavridis for a luncheon event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, located at 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33401.
A West Palm Beach native, Admiral Stavridis attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and spent 37 years in the Navy, rising to the rank of 4-star Admiral. Among his many commands were four years as the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, where he oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the Balkans and counter piracy off the coast of Africa. He also commanded U.S. Southern Command in Miami, charged with military operations through Latin America for nearly three years. He was the longest serving Combatant Commander in recent U.S. history.
In the course of his career in the Navy, Admiral Stavridis served as senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense. He also led the Navy’s premier operational think tank for innovation, Deep Blue, immediately after the 9/11 attacks.
Admiral Stavridis won the Battenberg Cup for commanding the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet and the Navy League John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational leadership, along with more than 50 U.S. and international medals and decorations, including 28 from foreign nations. He also commanded a Destroyer Squadron and a Carrier Strike Group, both in combat.
Following his military career, Admiral Stavridis served for five years as the 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. In 2016, he was vetted for Vice President by Secretary Hillary Clinton, and subsequently invited to Trump Tower to discuss a cabinet position with President Donald Trump.
Admiral Stavridis is an Operating Executive at The Carlyle Group, advising the firm on geopolitical and national security issues. He serves as the Chair of the Board of the U.S. Naval Institute, the professional association of the Nation’s sea services: Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine. He is also a monthly columnist for TIME Magazine and Chief International Security Analyst for NBC News.
Please note: This event will begin at 11:45 a.m., as the Forum Club will be recognizing Commissioner Dorothy Wilken with its 2018-2019 Exemplary Elected Official during the program.
