The World Affairs Council of Oregon welcomes U.S. Ambassador Susan E. Rice to speak at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 SW Park Ave. in Portland.  Pre-registration is required for this event, which is $75 for reserved seating and reception; $20 for general admission and $10 for students. Register online at www.worldoregon.org.

Rice is the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and is a member of President Obama's Cabinet and the National Security Council.

From the World Affairs Council:

"Prior to her appointment as U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Rice served as a Senior Advisor for National Security Affairs on the Obama for America Campaign. She later served on the Advisory Board of the Obama-Biden Transition and as co-chair of its policy working group on national security. From 2002-2009, she was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution where she focused on U.S. foreign policy, transnational security threats, weak states, global poverty and development. From 1997 to 2001, Ambassador Rice was the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. In 2000, Ambassador Rice was co-recipient of the White House's 2000 Samuel Nelson Drew Memorial Award for distinguished contributions to the formation of peaceful, cooperative relationships between states. From 1995-1997, Ambassador Rice served as Special Assistant to President William J. Clinton and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House. Prior to this position, she served as the Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping on the National Security Council staff from 1993 until 1995. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, a Rhodes Scholar, and holds a doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University."