Thursday, October 25, 2012

Carolina Friends of the FS Hold Climate Change Talk

On Oct. 25, the Carolina Friends of the Foreign Service held their quarterly luncheon at the Chapel Hill Country Club, Chapel Hill, N.C. This year's theme, global energy, was addressed by Professor Francis Koster, who spoke on global climate change and its impact on geo politics. Fifty-five members and guests were in attendance. The CFFS is a social organization of 155 members of mostly retired U.S. government employees from the foreign affairs community, including State, the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency. the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Peace Corps. Also included are members from the U.S. international business sector living in North Carolina's research triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Former diplomats in residence served in the same capacity and were responsible for the same portfolio for many of the schools in the Southeast. They all had offices at both Duke University and the University of North Carolina at North Carolina diplomats-in-residence attend the October luncheon of the Carolina Friends of the Foreign Service held at the Chapel Hill Country Club in Chapel Hill, N.C. Pictured (left to right) are former DIR Bill Lucas, Amb. Brenda Schoonover. Amb. David Lilt and current DIR, Julie Ruterbories. Chapel Hill. Ms. Julie Ruterbories also has offices at Duke and Carolina and travels to schools in several Southern states. Ms. Ruterbories will be presenting the next talk to the members of the Carolina Friends of the Foreign Service at the University Club at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday, Jan. 18. Her topic will focus on how The Netherlands is preparing to meet the challenges of the expected rise in sea levels. Ruterbories' last assignment was as the U.S. consul general in Amsterdam. To contact Julie, her e-mail address is ruterboriesja@state.gov.