INTRODUCTION OF SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS
ARCHON COMMANDER ANTHONY J. LIMBERAKIS
3rd Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom
The Persecution of Christians In The Holy Lands & Middle East Consequences and Solutions
The Metropolitan Club
1700 H Street
Washington, DC
(December 5, 2017 – 6:00 – 8:00 pm)
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Your Eminences and Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Beloved Brother Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Dear Friends,
It is a distinct honor to present to you this evening the Secretary of Commerce of the United States of America, Wilbur Ross.
Secretary Ross was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence as the 39th Secretary of Commerce on February 28, 2017. He is the principal voice of business in the Trump Administration, ensuring that U.S. entrepreneurs and businesses have the tools they need to create jobs and economic opportunity.
Secretary Ross is the former Chairman of WL Ross & Co. LLC and has over 55 years of investment banking and private equity experience. He has been chairman or lead director of more than 100 companies operating in more than 20 different countries.
Named by Bloomberg Markets as one of the 50 most influential people in global finance, Secretary Ross is the only person elected to both the Private Equity Hall of Fame and the Turnaround Management Hall of Fame. As a philanthropist, Secretary Ross has served as Chairman of the Japan Society, Trustee of the Brookings Institution and Chairman of its Economic Studies Council, as well as many other international organizations.
Now if you will allow me to take a moment of personal privilege and recognize our beloved nephew James Rockas, who is the Press Secretary & Deputy Director of Public Affairs of Secretary Ross. Despite his youth, James has long been a fierce advocate for religious freedom, having created an award-winning video on the religious persecution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a high school senior at Phillips Academy Andover and participated with his Archon attorney dad George in investigating the actual violations of religious freedom at a ten-day fact-finding mission in Istanbul! James we are very proud of you!
Secretary Ross, we welcome to the Third International Archon Religious Freedom Conference dedicated to: The Persecution of Christians In The Holy Lands & Middle East: Consequences and Solutions.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Secretary Ross.