Tom Perriello

An Unforgettable Evening with Tom Perriello

What an incredible night! Our May 28 Special Event featuring Tom Perriello was nothing short of a resounding success. From the moment he took the stage, Tom captivated the room with his energy, passion, and down-to-earth presence. An eloquent storyteller and a brilliant political mind, he brought big ideas down to human level – thought-provoking, personal, and deeply relevant.

Tom’s mix of real-world experience, insight, and heart created an atmosphere where everyone felt inspired to learn more and think deeper. We easily could have stayed another 2–3 hours listening to his – some incredible – stories and asking questions!

Adding even more value to the evening was Tom’s friend and former Congressman, Mr. Steve Driehaus, who served as a gracious host and skillful moderator. Steve’s thoughtful questions and insightful commentary highlighted key moments from Tom’s service as the U.S. Envoy to Sudan and the Great Lakes Region of Africa. His personal experiences in Africa and Middle East and his contributions enriched the conversation and helped frame the global context in a way that deeply resonated with our audience.

The Q&A session was particularly powerful – an honest, thoughtful exchange that made the evening feel more like a meaningful conversation than a lecture. It’s clear: nights like these are what build real understanding and community.

And this is just the beginning! We have a whole pipeline of exciting, high-impact events coming your way. If you loved this event (or wish you hadn’t missed it!), we strongly encourage you to stay connected by subscribing to our newsletter and becoming an active member.

Disarray & Disaster in the Taliban’s Afghanistan

Please join us for a special, exclusive event featuring Lt. Tom Schram, a former U.S. Navy intelligence officer, who specializes in the study and reporting on national security and political-economic events in China, the Western Pacific, the Middle East, and Afghanistan.

Thursday, November 18 at 6:30PM EST (Zoom)

The disaster and chaos in Afghanistan just keep getting worse. With the government unable to pay its bills, the infrastructure crumbling, the ruthless treatment of remaining Afghans who could not escape during the U.S./NATO airlift, the ruling Taliban are finding it complex and difficult to govern and manage as they change from fighting a war to state building, all in a failing economy with no workable financial system in place.

The Taliban’s approach to government has been and continues to be a strict Sharia law under a vicious theocracy. Their merciless approach to those not conforming exactly to these beliefs knows no mercy for those left behind following the U.S. departure. Women’s rights are almost non-existent.

Our evening presentation will touch on the history of the region, previous conquests, topographic challenges, war after 9/11, the evacuation debacle and the poor planning decisions by National Command Authority. Last but not least, our speaker will discuss the strategic implications for the U.S. and the world going forward.


Tom SchramOur Presenting Guest Speaker

Tom Schram holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the United States Naval Academy, Class of 1969. Tom also has an MBA degree in marketing and finance from the Shidler School of Business, University of Hawaii. He was commissioned in the Navy’s Restricted Line and served 7.5 years as a special intelligence officer in the Naval Security Group. He was stationed in both Japan and Okinawa while serving on multiple deployments. In 1973, he was assigned to NSGA Anchorage, AK as Executive Officer. He resigned his commission in late 1976.

His specialty was electronic intelligence collection while serving in the Naval Security Group. He played a role in the Saigon evacuation in 1975. After leaving the Navy, he had an eclectic career starting with Procter & Gamble where he worked in manufacturing, research & development, advertising brand management, and sales. He was a co-owner of an advertising agency that he helped grow from $2M/year in revenue to $12M over five years. He ran a ballistics research firm for eight years, helped start a microbrewery and led an Internet security firm who had developed an unbreakable firewall.

Tom’s innovative approach in each of his endeavors led to patents and unique business opportunities. However, he never lost his interest in discovering and publishing about world events. For the past twenty years, he has been deeply involved in studying and reporting on geopolitical events around the world with special focus on the Middle East, Afghanistan, and China. His resurgence in learning about all things geopolitical began on 9/11/2001 when he lost his very close friend and USNA classmate in the South Tower of the World Trade Center during the attack on America. Most recently, Tom played a direct role in assisting 757 Afghan refugees flee in the recent aftermath of the Taliban takeover and is now currently assisting another group of refugees who desperately need to evacuate Afghanistan.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO OF THE PRESENTATION

Civil Rights in the US: The World is Watching

A Wide Ranging Conversation with
Thomas E. Wheeler, II
Former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
United States Department of Justice

Thursday, October 26, 2017
5:30-7 p.m. – Reception & Dinner
7:00-8:30 p.m. – Presentation and Discussion

Schiff Conference Center
Cintas Center at Xavier University

Conflicts over civil rights in the United States are front page issues almost every day and discussed by politicians and pundits alike. Receiving less attention, but of significant interest nonetheless is the impact these conflicts have in the United States’ interests overseas. Former Assistant Attorney General Wheeler will address these issues and offer his analysis of the future of civil rights enforcement in the Trump Administration.

Former Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Tom Wheeler is a member of Frost Brown Todd and oversaw the Civil Rights Division during the transition from the Obama administration to the Trump Administration. During that time, he made hate crimes a priority and oversaw some of the Nation’s most difficult legal matters. These included criminal matters like the investigation and prosecution of Michael Kadar in the JCC bomb threats case, the prosecution of Adam Purinton for the Kansas City shooting of two Indian men whom he believed to be Muslim, and the death penalty phase of the Dylan Roof Charleston church shooting case that left nine African-American parishioners dead.

He also oversaw the investigation and resolution of police cases in the deaths of Alton Sterling, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and Eric Garner. Tom also directed all of the Department of Justice’s civil rights litigation in the areas of employment, housing, education, disability rights, and voting. Prior to joining the Justice Department, he was counsel to then Indiana Governor and now Vice-President Mike Pence.

Event sponsored by: