Key Obama Administration Official for African Affairs, Grant T. Harris, Will Open Africa Society's Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series on Africa for 2015

Washington, DC — The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Ethiopia, will host Grant T. Harris, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs on the National Security Staff of the White House as the featured speaker for the first 2015 Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series. This program will take place on:

Tuesday, March 3, 2015
6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Embassy of the Republic of Ethiopia
3506 International Drive, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

In his lecture, Mr. Harris will discuss the Obama Administration’s priorities with respect to U.S. policy vis-à-vis the continent of Africa in 2015, the status of key Obama initiatives such as Power Africa, and steps taken by the Administration following the historic U.S. Summit for African Heads of State and Government held last year in Washington for over 50 Heads of State.

His Excellency Girma Birru, Ambassador to the United States from the Republic of Ethiopia, will introduce Mr. Harris.

According to Bernadette Paolo, Africa Society President and CEO, “Grant Harris has played, and is playing, an integral role in charting an innovative and engaged Africa policy within the Obama Administration. In the process, he has listened attentively to representatives from many sectors and has incorporated their views and recommendations in the Administration’s strategies. We are very proud to have him open our Series this year as he truly is an effective advocate for the continent of Africa.”

Prior to assuming his current role on the National Security staff of the White House, Grant Harris also served as Senior Policy Advisor to Ambassador Rice and was a member of the Obama/Biden Transition Team. Mr. Harris was an associate at the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where he focused on international financings and business transactions. He also served in the African Affairs Directorate at the National Security Council at the White House and at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations during the Clinton Administration.

Now in its thirteenth year, the Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series features distinguished speakers whose work has influenced and advanced awareness of U.S.-Africa relations. Named in honor of the former Chairman of The Africa Society Board, the Series was launched in 2002. The Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series in 2015 is being sponsored by Chevron.