WILLIAMSBURG — Retired U.S. Army Col. Larry Wilkerson will return to Williamsburg as a guest lecturer for the Great Decisions foreign policy lecture series March 24.
Organizers note this will be Wilkerson’s 14th consecutive year speaking at Great Decisions. His presentation in March will be on Ukraine and the Future of European Security.
The Great Decisions series consists of eight lectures by subject matter experts on a variety of foreign policy topics. This year, the weekly program will be held at 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday morning from Feb. 3 through March 24 at a new venue, the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalist Church, and on Zoom.
Great Decisions is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area in association with the Foreign Policy Association.
According to organizers, when asked why he consistently returns to Williamsburg, Wilkerson was emphatic.
“First, Williamsburg is a superb place to visit and spend some time. Second, I can renew old contacts at the College — including military veterans who remain in the area after graduation. And third, the League of Women Voters’ audience asks excellent questions — meaning among other things they listen well and are knowledgeable on key issues,” Wilkerson said.
Don Schilling, former long-time director for Great Decisions, offered his thoughts on why Wilkerson is such a popular figure with the program audience.
“For many years, Larry Wilkerson has been a dedicated supporter of the Williamsburg League of Women Voters’ Great Decisions program. He has addressed a variety of topics reflecting his wide-ranging experience and expertise. His engaging presentations are always highly informative and frequently provocative, stimulating interesting questions from program participants, who invariably look forward to his appearances in Williamsburg,” Schilling explained.
Known best for his role as former Chief of Staff to the late Secretary of State, Colin Powell, Wilkerson is a distinguished soldier-statesman in his own right, according to the League of Women Voters. He served 31 years in the U.S. Army, including a combat tour in Vietnam as a OH-6A helicopter pilot. Wilkerson served on the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College and as Special Assistant to Powell when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He closed out his Army career as Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College.
Upon retiring from active duty, Wilkerson began work as an advisor to Powell. He later served as Associate Director of the U.S. State Department’s Policy Planning staff under Ambassador Richard N. Haass and was a staff member of a State Department team responsible for East Asia and the Pacific, political-military and legislative affairs before being selected by Powell as his Chief of Staff at the State Department, the organization added.
Wilkerson is an Adjunct Professor of Government and National Policy at William & Mary and has taught national security affairs in the honors program at George Washington University. He is currently a senior fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network.
Registration for Great Decisions is now open on the League of Women Voters website at lwvwilliamsburg.org. The cost for an individual is $75 and includes one $35 briefing book published by the Foreign Policy Association. Family/household registrations are $100. There will be scheduled times for registrants to pick up their books in January to allow time to read on the topics prior to the sessions, the League of Women Voters said.
