• Skagit Valley College Foundation and Community Action Host Renowned Speaker Dr. Robert M. Gates

Mount Vernon, WA – Former U.S. Secretary of Defense, director of the CIA, Texas A&M University president, and second lieutenant in the U.S. Airforce, Dr. Robert M. Gates, will speak at McIntyre Hall on Wed., May 8 at 7 p.m. This event is co-hosted by Community Action of Skagit County and the Skagit Valley College Foundation.  

“An Evening with Dr. Robert M. Gates” will offer a fireside chat, moderated by SVC President Dr. Christopher Villa, where Dr. Gates will discuss veterans, higher education, and leadership.  

Proceeds from this event will benefit veterans served by both organizations in Skagit, Island, and San Juan Counties. 

General admission for the event is $25, whereas veterans and active-duty military, and immediate family, are free with ID. SVC students are also free.  

About Dr. Robert M. Gates  

Gates served as U.S. Secretary of Defense for six years from2006 to 2011. He is the only U.S. Secretary of Defense retained in office by a newly elected president. President Barack Obama was the eighth president Dr. Gates served.   

Before his time as Secretary of Defense, Gates held the presidency at Texas A&M University, ranked as the nation's seventh-largest university. Preceding this role, from 1999 to 2001, he served as interim dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M.  

Beginning his career at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1966, Gates dedicated nearly 27 years to intelligence. Throughout this tenure, he spent almost nine years at the National Security Council within the White House, serving under four presidents across party lines.   

Gates's accomplishments include serving as Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 to 1993, uniquely ascending from an entry-level position to the role of director. He also held positions such as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, Assistant to the President, and Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House.  

Honored for his contributions, Gates received the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, two National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medals, and three Distinguished Intelligence Medals from the CIA. He authored the memoir "From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War" in 1996.  

Involvement 

Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the American Council on Education; Board of Directors of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges; National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America; former president of the National Eagle Scout Association 

Education and Military 

Originally from Kansas, Gates earned his bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary, his master's degree in history from Indiana University, and his doctorate in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University. He commenced his military career in 1967 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, serving as an intelligence officer at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.   

For more information about this event, visit skagit.edu/spotlight-series.