ASEAN Matters for Houston
VIEW EVENT DETAILSPerspectives from Four U.S. Ambassadors
The ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have experienced a tremendous amount of economic growth in recent years. Cheaper manufacturing costs, strengthened infrastructures, and innovations in science and technology have attracted billions in foreign direct investment, and with rising levels of disposable income, it is no surprise that ASEAN economies are expected to grow 4.3% in 2015. This prosperity bodes particularly well for Texas, where exports to ASEAN nations contribute more than $13 billion to the state’s economy.
The United States Ambassadors to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore join Asia Society Texas Center for a special in-depth panel discussion on the local impact of ASEAN/U.S. trade and why ASEAN is critical to Houston's continued growth.
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Schedule
VIP Reception: 6:00 pm
Panel Discussion: 7:00 pm
Panelists
Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr.
Robert O. Blake, Jr. has been the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia since 2013. Previously, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs from 2009-2013 and Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives from 2006-2009.
Ambassador William E. Todd
William (Bill) E. Todd was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2012 by the U.S. Senate and sworn in on April 17, 2012. Prior to this confirmation, he served as the Coordinating Director of Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul where he was responsible for all nonmilitary civilian assistance in Afghanistan.
Ambassador Kirk Wagar
Kirk Wagar was sworn in as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore on September 4, 2013. Prior to his assignment, he was Managing Partner of Wagar Law, a Miami-based law firm he founded. Mr. Wagar served as the Florida Finance Chair for Obama for America in 2008 and 2012.
Ambassador Joseph Y. Yun
Joseph Y. Yun has been the United States Ambassador to Malaysia since 2013. Most recently, he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Mr. Yun's overseas postings have also included the Republic of Korea, Thailand, France, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.
Alexander Feldman
Alexander Feldman is President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council. He has been involved in the ASEAN region for 25 years in a career spanning both the public and private sectors. He resided in Asia for more than a decade, and has conducted business in all 10 ASEAN countries.
Moderator
Ambassador Chase Untermeyer
Chase Untermeyer has been an international business consultant since returning in 2007 from Qatar, where he served three years as United States ambassador. He is a graduate of Harvard College with honors in government. He served in the Vietnam War, and as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower & Reserve Affairs under Reagan. He is a member of the Texas Ethics Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the board of the Episcopal Health Foundation.
Program support given by BP America, Inc. with additional funding from MIDA (Malaysian Investment Development Authority) and San Jacinto College. Lead support for Business & Policy programming provided by United Airlines – The Official Airline of Asia Society Texas Center – and through generous support by Friends of Business & Policy.
Program Sponsors