WATERVILLE — David Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute, plans to give a talk on the “Threat of Authoritarianism” at the Linda Cotter Speakers Series 2024 on Wednesday, July 24 at the Colby College Alumni Center, Parker Reed Room.

Doors open at 6 p.m.

Prior to joining the Bush Institute, Kramer taught at Florida International University’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, where he also was senior fellow in the Václav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy and director for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Kramer worked in Washington, D.C. for 24 years, including as senior director for human rights and democracy with The McCain Institute for International Leadership; president of Freedom House; and senior transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Kramer also served eight years in the U.S. Department of State during the George W. Bush administration, including as assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor; deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs (responsible for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus affairs as well as regional non-proliferation issues); professional staff member in the Secretary’s Office of Policy Planning; and senior advisor to the undersecretary for global affairs. He also was executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy in Washington.

He is author of the book “Back to Containment: Dealing with Putin’s Regime.”

The event is co-hosted by the Mid-Maine Global Forum and the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs.

For more information, to reserve a seat and to RSVP, email [email protected]. Seats are limited to 100 and can be reserved for $50 each or $400 for an eight-person table.

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