Schedule for “Conversations with Bob Walsh and Friends”
Registration is required. Please call (206) 934-5448.
All events: Dinner 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. / Program 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Fall
Seattle Sonics: What REALLY happened, and making sure it doesn’t happen again
Thursday, October 25th – 5:45 to 8 p.m. – $35 (Reserve by Oct. 18)
Hear from those who were intimately involved in the events that led to the Sonics leaving Seattle for Oklahoma City. Learn about the complexity of building a new basketball facility, a requirement for Seattle to get an NBA basketball team.
BOB WALSH with guest speakers:
WALLY WALKER former president, owner and player – the Seattle Sonics
STEVE RUDMAN Co-founder of SportspressNW.com and former sports writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Rudman also wrote the Bob Walsh biography, “Who the Hell is Bob? The Man Behind the Magic.”
Thursday, November 15th – 5:45 to 8 p.m. – $35 (Reserve by Nov. 8)
The battles for democracy in North Africa, the Middle East and the Caucasus, and impacts on the West
Throughout these parts of the world, citizens are demanding freedom, democracy and an end to corruption. Yet the road to achieving these objectives is paved with numerous obstacles and challenges. This conversation will examine the goals of people who have been fighting for democracy for decades.
BOB WALSH with guest speakers:
AMBASSADOR TEDO JAPARIDZE, former Georgian Ambassador to the U.S., National Security Advisory to former Republic of Georgia President Eduard Shevardnadze, and current international advisor to Bidzina Ivanashvili, opposition leader in Georgia
MOHAMMED GOHAR, Chairman and Founder, Video Cairo Satellite – largest tele-broadcasting company in Egypt
JAWED ZOUARI, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Seattle Central
Winter
Thursday, February 21st – 5:45 to 8 p.m. – $35 (Reserve by Feb.14)
Beyond “just sports”—the amazing impact on global relations
Sports can and do play a critical role in building positive relations between countries, as demonstrated in individual and team competitions. Sporting events, combined with arts and cultural exchanges, have built unbreakable bonds and helped enhance public knowledge and appreciation of global diversity.
BOB WALSH with guest speakers:
LENNY WILKENS, NBA Hall of Famer, former Seattle Sonics player and coach, and former coach of the USA Olympic Basketball Team
STEVE PENNY, President, USA Gymnastics
Thursday, March 21st – 5:45pm to 8:00 pm – $35 (Reserve by March 14)
Seattle started March Madness, but the Final Four and other major events may not return. Has Seattle lost its relevance as a sports town?
From 1984 to 1995 Seattle hosted three NCAA Men’s Final Four tournaments, an NBA All-Star Game, the Goodwill Games, and many other national and international events. They brought excitement, wide attention, and monetary benefits to Seattle. Those days will be re-examined with a look at how we lost our allure as a compelling venue – and who was responsible. Can Seattle become relevant again?
BOB WALSH with guest speakers:
STEVE RAIBLE, KIRO-TV anchor, Seattle Seahawks broadcaster; former Seahawks player
Spring
Thursday, April 18th 5:45– 8:00 pm – $35 (Reserve by April 11)
The One-World-Now approach: Avoiding international disasters through citizen diplomacy
Bob’s decades of global citizenship and experiences have convinced him that new approaches must be taken to reduce international tensions and enhance global harmony. Bob and the panel will offer strategies that may work to achieve these goals, and discuss how each citizen can help in this effort.
BOB WALSH with guest speakers:
KRISTIN HAYDEN, Founder & Executive Director of One World Now (OWN)
PHILMON HAILE, former intern at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the office of Congressman Jim McDermott, and an OWN alumnus.
DAVID MARRIOTT, nationally accredited by the Public Relations Society of America; received international praise for his public relations efforts on behalf of Amanda Knox.