Former U.S. ambassador to speak in Dayton

Ford served as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras from 2005 to 2008.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Charles Ford will speak at the Courtyard Marriott near UD Arena on March 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The luncheon, “Reflections on a Career in the Foreign Commercial Service: Promoting Peace and Prosperity in Latin America and Europe,” is presented by the Dayton Council on World Affairs (DCOWA).

Ford served as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras from 2005 to 2008 and as adviser on business engagement to the commander of U.S. Southern Command from 2008 to 2009.

He is currently the principal deputy assistant secretary/deputy director general of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service in the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration. He also serves as the chief operating officer of the U.S. government’s premier export promotion agency.

He has won numerous awards, including the President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2008 and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2009.

As a senior at Oakwood High School in 1968, Ford received a DCOWA scholarship for a trip to Spain. He later obtained a B.A. in economics from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. in Latin American studies from George Washington University.

Reservations must be made by Monday, March 14. Admission includes a buffet lunch and costs $40 for DCOWA members, $55 non-members and $25 for students. Parking at the hotel is free.

For more information or to make reservations for the luncheon, call (937) 775-5512. For more information on DCOWA and membership, visit http://www.wright.edu/ucie/dcowa.