Elevate Your Expertise

Written By:   Fallon Hovis - Center for Life Enrichment | Issue: April 2023

The Center for Life Enrichment enthusiastically welcomes one and all to CLE’s 2023 season kick-off. Get ready for a rewarding mix of academic-style lecturers and nonacademic programs, covering a diverse array of topics that covers nearly 100 programs. It’s like being up-close-and-personal with top-notch experts and scholars addressing scores of hot topics from around the world. Elevate your expertise in political and current affairs presentations from esteemed diplomats and experts. Explore political law and litigation presentations from internationally distinguished attorneys and a former White House counsel. Plunge into book discussions from Pulitzer Prize-winning authors. Ignite your urge to be inspired in art, craft, gardening, and more. Tour Home and Garden Tours of the Plateau’s most enviable properties. Learn from the best in art workshops, culinary demos, and botanical walking tours of the Plateau’s flora and fauna.  CLE also organizes the annual Highlands Porchfest, where over 30 musicians from every genre perform at numerous hosting businesses/organizations downtown Highlands.  Highlands Porchfest 2023 is set for Sunday September 17. Program registration opening dates are based on your membership level as follows: Chancellor, Dean, Chairman and President Members opens April 3; Patron and Benefactor Members opens April 10; Friend Members opens April 17; Family and Individual Members April 24; General Public opens May 1 Some programs, such as Home & Garden Tours, Author Cocktail Receptions, and Culinary Demos have a small group capacity and often sell out quickly. Please consider increasing your membership level to participate in earlier registration to ensure your participating in these popular and limited programs. Here’s a sneak peak of two June programs: Vignettes from 39 years of Diplomacy: The Foreign Service Behind the Curtain, Thursday June 8, 10:00 A.M. to Noon; $30 members/$40 nonmembers, Presenter: Ambassador Gene Cretz. Ambassador Cretz served in India, China, Egypt, Syria, Israel and Libya, some of the most challenging nations in the world. He witnessed many historical events firsthand like Tiananmen Square. He helped blow the whistle on Gaddafi. He was a senior American official (exposed to vital inside information) to the governments of Mubarak, Netanyahu, and al-Assad. Mr. Cretz will also discuss how/why diplomats remain critical in a world increasingly dominated by direct leadership interactions and non-traditional ways of doing business, including cyber intrusions and zoom meetings. China in 2023: A Year of Living Dangerously Friday, June 9, 10:00 A.M. to Noon; $30 members/$40 nonmembers; Presenter: Robert Goldberg. For 10 years, Robert Goldberg has been a Principal with The Scowcroft Group, a Washington DC-based consulting group which provides insights and analysis about US and global geopolitical and economic issues. Mr. Goldberg’s focus is on China, Northeast Asia; regional security (Southeast Asia); and Indo-Pacific Framework economic institutions. He will speak on China’s international relationships regarding Russia, the U.S., and the Asian-Pacific nations. He’ll address questions about China’s leadership, economic growth, its effect on global security, and more. Visit clehighlands.com or call (828) 526-8811 for the latest details.

by Fallon Hovis, Executive Director, Center For Life Enrichment