MADISON – Former U.S. ambassadors Mark Green and Tom Loftus and veteran international development expert Anthony Carroll will discuss Wisconsin’s emerging role in addressing global health issues at a Monday, June 27, luncheon in Washington, D.C.

The “Welcome to Washington” luncheon, to be held in the Rayburn House Office Building on Independence Avenue, precedes the official start of the 2011 BIO International Convention in Washington, D.C. The convention will be held June 27-30 at the Washington Convention Center, where a Wisconsin pavilion will welcome visitors to the world’s largest biotechnology show.

For more information on how to attend, contact Jodi Hoeser at the Wisconsin Technology Council. The Tech Council is organizing the luncheon, the Wisconsin pavilion and some related BIO International events.

Green and Loftus will discuss their experiences as ambassadors to Tanzania and Norway, respectively, as well as subsequent roles in major health global organizations. Carroll, a former assistant general counsel for the Peace Corps, will talk about his work in sub-Saharan Africa through groups such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

They will discuss current global health challenges – and how Wisconsin has the expertise to help provide solutions.

Green is senior director of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a private network that advocates for a “smart power” approach to elevating diplomacy, development and defense to build a safer world. Republican Green represented Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District from 1999 to 2007, during which time he helped write foreign policy initiatives aimed at AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis treatment and prevention. Green was U.S. ambassador to Tanzania from 2007 to 2009, and has also served as managing director of the Malaria No More Policy Center in Washington, D.C. 

Loftus was ambassador to Norway from 1993 to 1997 and served as special advisor to the director of the World Health Organization from 1998 to 2005. He was a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Legislature from 1977 to 1991, serving as speaker of the Assembly for eight years.   Loftus continues to work with a number of emerging companies in the United States and northern Europe, including Wisconsin-based CellCura. He is completing a term on the UW System Board of Regents.

Carroll is vice president of Manchester Trade Ltd., and has worked extensively on trade, development and health issues in Africa and elsewhere for nearly 25 years. He was assistant general counsel to the Peace Corps and has been an advisor to the Gates Foundation on malaria, polio and financial services programs. Carroll earned a graduate degree at the UW-Madison.

“Mark Green, Tom Loftus and Tony Carroll have unique perspectives on global health based on their experiences in some of the world’s most challenging environments,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. “Plus, they know what tools Wisconsin can bring to the problem. That’s a powerful combination.”

Event sponsors are the UW-Madison Division of International Studies and the Medical College of Wisconsin Global Health Program.

Up to 20,000 people from 40 states and 50 countries are expected to attend the June 27-30 convention at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The annual gathering is the world’s largest for the biotech sector, covering medical, agricultural and environmental biotechnology sectors with a theme of healing, fueling and feeding the world.

Other BIO-related events involving Wisconsin will include a joint reception with Minnesota and the Province of Manitoba, which has a working relationship with both states, and other networking events in or around the convention floor. In addition, a number of Wisconsin companies will take part in BIO’s one-on-one partnering and presentation forums.

To become a pavilion or related event sponsor, contact Jodi Hoeser, national conference director for the Wisconsin Technology Council, at 608-442-7557 ext. 26.

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