About this Event
Washington, DC
Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Commons‚ 6th Floor
1957 E Street NW
Washington‚ DC 20052
6:00pm Discussion
7:00pm Reception
Join us to hear from Florie Liser‚ President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA)‚ as part of the Elliott School’s annual David H. Miller Memorial Lecture. After brief opening remarks‚ she will join in a discussion with Jennifer Cooke‚ director of the Elliott School’s Institute for African Studies. Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres will provide welcome remarks and introductions.
Florizelle (Florie) Liser is the third President and CEO of CCA. She is the first woman to lead the Council since its founding in 1993. Ms. Liser joined CCA from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)‚where she was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa since 2003. At USTR‚ she led trade and investment policy towards 49 sub-Saharan African nations and oversaw implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Previously‚ Ms. Liser served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry‚ Market Access‚ and Telecommunications from 2000-2003. She also served as Senior Trade Policy Advisor in the Office of International Transportation and Trade at the Department of Transportation from 1987-2000. Currently‚ Ms. Liser serves as a re-appointed member of the 2023-2024 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) where she previously served from 2019-2021. Ms. Liser also served as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and as a board member for Women in International Trade (WIIT).
Jennifer G. Cooke is director of the Institute for African Studies at GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs and director of the Elliott School’s Master of International Policy & Practice Program‚ the school’s MA degree program for mid-career professionals. She joined the Elliott School from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)‚ where she worked since 2000‚ leading the CSIS Africa Program. She previously worked at the National Academy of Sciences and on the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa. She is a frequent writer and lecturer on U.S.-Africa policy and has provided briefing‚ commentary‚ and testimony to the media‚ U.S. Congress‚ AFRICOM leadership and the U.S. military.
David H. Miller was a GW alumnus who dedicated most of his professional life to engagement in Africa and was an early and energetic optimist on Africa’s business prospects. After stints at USAID and OPIC early in his career‚ he helped found the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) in 1993 and served as its first CEO. Today‚ the CCA remains the leading U.S. business association focused solely on connecting business interests in Africa. Following his death in 2004‚ David’s family‚ friends‚ and fellow alumni established the David H. Miller Endowment for African Studies at the Elliott School in furtherance of his vision of U.S.-Africa engagement. The annual lecture brings high-profile speakers‚ including U.S. government officials‚ scholars‚ analysts and opinion leaders to engage GW and the Washington community on contemporary African issues.
