FERRUM, VA (November 14, 2022) – Ambassador Jim Gilmore was the inaugural speaker for the Gentry Locke lecture series hosted by Ferrum College on Monday, November 14, 2022. The event was attended by community members, alumni, faculty, staff and students.
While Gilmore is probably best known to attendees as a former Governor of Virginia, he spoke primarily about his most recent experience as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Ukraine. Following his term as ambassador, Gilmore led a delegation sponsored by the American Foreign Policy Council to assess the status of Ukraine. The delegation conducted numerous meetings in Kyiv, and continued to Mariupol and battlefield visits in southern Ukraine.
Gilmore provided a brief history of the conflicts in and around Ukraine and shared his perspective on the current state of the conflict including the United States’ role.
CJ Hughes, a Ferrum College junior majoring in Education with a concentration in English, attended the lecture and shared how it broadened his understanding of the conflict.
“I learned more about how the impact of politics, on all sides, can be the reason why people in power don’t do the ‘well why don’t they’ statements that people say. I also learned that the war in Ukraine is having an impact on countries that are normally neutral and why they want to join NATO,” said Hughes. “Having speakers on campus is valuable because we get to hear the real side of things and receive a first-hand education from people like Mr. Gilmore who are actually involved.”
The lecture series is a partnership between Ferrum College and Gentry Locke, a prominent Virginia law firm with offices in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Richmond. The Gentry Locke lecture series will bring two experts and thought leaders to the College per academic year to discuss current social and cultural topics of interest.
