Ambassador to Zimbabwe Talks on Sub-Saharan Africa

Lexington, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2009) - Only three days after being sworn in, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles A. Ray will visit the University of Kentucky to speak on “Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The talk, sponsored by the UK Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, is scheduled for 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, in the William T. Young Library.

Ray, who will assume his post in Zimbabwe by Nov. 1, has a long history of governmental, defense and diplomatic work. Prior to his appointment to the Zimbabwe post, Ray served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs under Presidents Obama and Bush. From 2002 to 2005, Ray served as U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia. His earlier State Department assignments include service in Guangzhou and Shenyang, China; serving as deputy chief of mission in Freetown, Liberia; and appointment as the first U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Prior to joining the Department of State in 1982, Ray served for 20 years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of major. He received two Bronze Star medals from the Army and the Armed Forces Humanitarian Service Award.

A native of Texas, Ray received his bachelor's degree from Benedictine College in Kansas, and his master's degree from the University of Southern California. He also holds a master's degree from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

The talk by Ambassador Ray is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Patterson School at (859) 257-4666.