Former United States Ambassadors Richard Morningstar and Richard N. Swett will each give a lecture on Thursday, January 23, in the Hampton Room of the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Commons on the Scripps College campus. Morningstar, former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, will present “The Politics of GMOs – What are the U.S. Options?” at 1:15 p.m. Swett, former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, will present “Inside Players vs. Rebels with a Cause: The Contrasting Roles of Scandinavian vs. American Environmental NGOs” at 4:15 p.m. These events, part of the European Union Center of California Spring 2003 Lecture Series, are free and open to the public. For additional program information, please contact the European Union Center of California at Scripps College, (909) 607-8103.
Under President Bill Clinton, Richard Morningstar served as the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, where he functioned as presidential liaison on all policy issues. In a career that spans more than two decades of business, policy, and legal experience, Morningstar has served terms as Special Advisor to the President and the Secretary of State for Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy; as Senior Vice President for Policy and Investment Development at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC); and as advisor to the Department of Commerce on international trade and technology issues. Currently, Morningstar is a senior director at Stonebridge International, LLC, an international strategy firm consulting with major corporations.
Richard N. Swett’s term as United States Ambassador to Denmark was not his first experience serving in federal government. In 1990, Swett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 2nd Congressional District of New Hampshire. While in Congress, he was a member of the U.S. Congressional Delegation for Relations with the European Parliament, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and several Congressional committees including Public Works and Transportation and Science, Space, and Technology. Swett is co-author of the Congressional Accountability Act and the Transportation for Livable Communities Act, among others.
In the private sector, Swett’s range of business experience encompasses architectural design, project management, corporate management, project development, and finance. Swett is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Design Futures Council.
The European Union Center of California, housed on the Scripps College campus, sponsors Ambassador Morningstar’s and Ambassador Swett’s appearance. Part of a network of EU Centers nationwide, the EU Center of California seeks to promote education, scholarly research, and public understanding of European integration and its consequences.