Linda Cotter Summer Speaker 2024

Co-hosted by the Mid-Maine Global Forum and the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs at Colby College, the Linda Cotter Speaker Series honors Linda Cotter, founder of the Mid-Maine Global Forum and late wife of former Colby College president William Cotter.

The Threat of Authoritarianism with David J. Kramer Date: Wednesday, July 24 Time: Doors open at 6 p.m. Location: Colby College Alumni Center, Parker Reed Room, Waterville, Maine We are pleased to announce this year’s Linda Cotter Summer Speaker — David J. Kramer is the Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute and a leading expert on Russia and Ukraine. His talk titled The Threat of Authoritarianism will launch the Forum’s annual theme of democracy around the globe. Scroll down to read more about David’s career and experience.

About the Speaker

David J. Kramer serves as the Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute. Prior to joining the Bush Institute, he 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.

Before moving to Miami, Kramer worked in Washington, DC 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; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (responsible for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus). He is author of the book, Back to Containment: Dealing with Putin’s Regime. Click here to read David’s full biography on the Bush Center website.