BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.1.7//EN TZID:America/Anchorage X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Anchorage BEGIN:VEVENT UID:297@alaskaworldaffairs.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20190919T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20190919T190000 DTSTAMP:20231231T022251Z URL:https://alaskaworldaffairs.org/archived-events/secret-life-of-an-ameri can-diplomat/ SUMMARY:The Secret Life of an American Diplomat: Facing a Firing Squad in A frica\, Living in Communist Romania\, Leading the US Peace Corps\, Fightin g Fires\, More DESCRIPTION:The Secret Life of an American Diplomat: Facing a Firing Squad in Africa\, Living in Communist Romania\, Leading the US Peace Corps\, Fig hting Fires\, &\; More\n\nJay Katzen has lived a truly incredible life of service\, both foreign and domestic. Serving as a Foreign Service Offic er posted in Australia\, Burundi\, Congo\, communist Romania\, Mali\, at t he United Nations\, and at the White House\, Katzen has much to tell about his lessons\, hardships\, and triumphs. Katzen has lived what would seem to be many lives: Heading an NGO to assist Rwandan refugees in eastern Con go - treating disease and motivating his team members - who had to bury ov er 18\,000 Rwandans\; Serving as Chief of Operations of the Peace Corps in D.C\, and concurrently as Regional Director\, overseeing 19 programs in E urope\, the Mediterranean area\, and Asia\; Holding various political posi tions\, including appointment and confirmation by President Reagan as Vice Chairman of the Board of the African Development Foundation\, Precinct Ch airman and Vice-Chairman of Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna borough’s Repub lican Committee\, and working to draft the foreign affairs platform at the Republican Convention in 1978. Today\, Jay Katzen serves as a National Pa rk Ranger at Denali National Park.\n\nJoin AKWorld for this inspiring talk moderated by President &\; CEO of ALaska World Affairs Council\, Lise Falskow. \nCareer Summary\nU.S. Government\nJay Katzen has served as a Na tional Park Service Ranger at the Talkeetna Alaska station of Denali Natio nal Park and Preserve since 2011. From August 2005 to May 2006\, Katzen se rved as Acting Chief of Staff/Chief of Operations of the Peace Corps in Wa shington D.C.  From February 2004 to January 2009\, Jay concurrently serv ed as the Peace Corps’ Regional Director\, overseeing 19 programs in Eur ope\, the Mediterranean area\, and Asia.\n\nPreviously\, in 2003\, Katzen was chosen in a national search to become CEO and President of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation\, charged by Congress and the White Hous e to erect a memorial in Washington to the over 100 million victims of com munism. The monument was unveiled and dedicated by the Foundation’s Hono rary Chairman\, President George W. Bush\, in June 2007.\n\nIn 1990\, Katz en was appointed by President Reagan and confirmed by the Senate as Vice C hairman of the Board of the African Development Foundation\, and served in that post for two years.\n\nFrom 1959 to 1979\, Katzen served as a career Foreign Service Officer\, posted in Australia\, Burundi\, Congo (Kinshasa )\, communist Romania\, Mali\, at the United Nations in New York\, at the White House and in Congo (Brazzaville).  His responsibilities included po litical and economic reporting\, labor affairs\, multilateral negotiation\ , consular affairs\, promoting American business and overall management.  He served as Charge d’Affaires at two challenging posts.\n\nKatzen spea ks five foreign languages—French\, Romanian\, Swahili\, Lingala and Kiru ndi.\nPolitical/Legislative Experience\nIn 2015\, Jay served as precinct c hairman then vice-chairman of Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna borough’s Rep ublican Committee. In 2016\, he was chosen as a delegate for the State Con vention in Fairbanks and\, subsequently\, was a delegate at the National C onvention in Cleveland.\n\nKatzen was nominee for Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor in 2001. Jay also was GOP nominee for Congress in Virginia’s Ni nth District in 2002.\n\nKatzen knocked on 14\,128 doors in 1993 and was e lected as the first Republican to represent the 31st legislative district of Fauquier\, Rappahannock\, and Warren counties in Virginia's House of De legates.  He was chosen Freshman class President\, party whip\, and co-pa troned over 3\,000 bills\, including landmark legislation improving the qu ality of Virginia’s education and reforming welfare and law enforcement\ , while not raising taxes and protecting the Constitution.  He served in leadership positions on the Finance\, Education\, and Agriculture Committe es.  He was re-elected three times.\n\nShortly after his first election\, Katzen headed an NGO team to assist Rwandan refugees in eastern Congo.  In highly challenging conditions\, Katzen treated disease victims and moti vated his team members.  Tragically\, the team buried 18\,000 Rwandans wh o were found dead prior to its arrival.\n\nJay participated in the draftin g of the foreign affairs platform at the 1984 Republican Convention. He wa s chairman of the Fauquier County\, Virginia GOP Committee\, was a full-ti me volunteer\, then paid advisor on Issues at HQ in the 1992 Bush/Quayle c ampaign\, attended the Houston Convention\, and was an Alternate Delegate at the GOP Convention in Philadelphia.\nBusiness\nFrom 1979 to 1991\, Katz en served in New York as senior advisor reporting directly to the chairman of corporations including Bechtel\, Consolidated Gold Fields\, Fluor\, Ke nnecott\, Newmont Mining\, and Phelps Dodge.\nRecognition\nKatzen was name d the Family Foundation's Legislator of the Year. He has been recognized b y the National Rifle Association\, the National Federation of Independent Business\, the Vietnam Veterans of America\, Virginia's Council on Indians \, 4-H\, the Virginia Society for Human Life\, and Virginia’s Armenian c ommunity.  He served as chairman of the Rappahannock River Basin Commissi on\, and as a board member of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. He is rec ipient of several Boy Scouts of America awards. Katzen also has received a wards from the National Park Service. He is a past president of his local Lions Club International and has been a member of Rotary International.\n\ nHe was awarded the Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for his publication on “ The Communist Movement in Greece\, 1941-1951.”\nPersonal\nJay and his wi fe of 55 years\, Paddy\, are residents of the State of Alaska. He is proud to serve as Chairman of the Board of Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge\, a nd is a board member of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.  He and Paddy are active members of the Iditarod Trails Committee.  Paddy ea rlier served as Assistant Secretary of Natural Resources in Virginia.  Th e Katzens have three grown sons\, all Eagle Scouts\, and six grandchildren .\n\n Moderated by Lise Falskow\, President &\; CEO of Alaska World Aff airs Council\n\nLise Falskow was born and raised in Alaska and holds a de gree in Economics and Accounting from Claremont McKenna College. She worke d as a CPA in Seattle\, Washington and Zurich\, Switzerland. She then help ed establish a Financial Analyst Group for the Energy Division of a major oil company in Oslo\, Norway. As a dual Norwegian and US Citizen\, her int erest in world cultures has taken her to many exciting places\, including her return to Anchorage\, Alaska where she is the Royal Norwegian Honorary Consul for Alaska. Lise is a member of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Athena Society and was named one of Anchorage’s Top 40 Under 40. With cl ose ties to the local community\, she was recently appointed as the Honora ry Commander of the F-22 fighter unit\, known as the Dicemen.  Lise has a passion for sports\, music (including playing the piano)\, and has partic ipated in 6 Ironman Triathlons.\n\n\n\nProgram Details\n\n Check-in will begin at 5:30pm with seating available on a first-come first-serve basis. The program will begin at noon.\n Those with online reservations do not n eed to present ticket confirmation at the door\, we will have all confirme d attendees on a list at check-in.\n Food and drink is available for indi vidual purchase directly from 49th State Brewing Company. If you wish to o rder food\, please come a few minutes early to ensure your meal arrives du ring the program.\n Online registration closes at 6:00 pm on September 18 . Tickets will be available for purchase at the door the next day\, unless the program is sold out. Contact rsvp@alaskaworldaffairs.org with any que stions.\n\n \; ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://alaskaworldaffairs.org/wp-content/upload s/2019/08/Copy-of-Jay-Katzen-2018-scaled.jpg CATEGORIES:Events LOCATION:49th State Brewing Company\, 717 W 3rd Ave\, Anchorage\, AK\, 9950 1\, United States GEO:61.21968289999999;-149.8958227 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=717 W 3rd Ave\, Anchorage\, AK\, 99501\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=49th State Brewing Company:geo:61.21968289999999,-149.8958227 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Anchorage X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Anchorage BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20190310T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0900 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:AKDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR