Former NATO Allied Supreme Commander Among Eight Newly Inducted Churchill Fellows
From left: Matthew Geekie, Deputy Senior Fellow Neal Perryman, Alexandra Lindemann Roedy, Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.), Stephen Poss, Catherine Grace Katz, Roger Porter, and Timothy Riley, the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator of America’s National Churchill Museum.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fulton, Mo. – March 26, 2024: Eight distinguished individuals including a former top NATO military leader were inducted into the Association of Churchill Fellows on Saturday, March 23, 2024, by the Board of Governors of America’s National Churchill Museum during the 2024 Churchill Fellows Weekend at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. The newest members of the Association of Churchill Fellows are Roger B. Porter, Alexandra Lindemann Roedy, U. S. Navy Admiral James G. Stavridis, Stephen D. Poss, William Reller, James H. Hance, Matthew W. Geekie, and Catherine Grace Katz.
The Association of Churchill Fellows is an honorary society recognizing leaders in industry, commerce, statecraft, and in the arts and sciences. It is among the key organizations that support America’s National Churchill Museum, the only museum in North America that commemorates the life and times of former British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill and his legacy of leadership.
Admiral Stavridis is the former 16th Supreme NATO Allied Commander in Europe and is currently vice chair, Global Affairs, the Carlyle Group, chair of the board of trustees, the Rockefeller Foundation and chief international diplomacy and national security analyst for NBC News. During his keynote address immediately following the new Churchill Fellows induction ceremony, he expressed concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s influence on U.S. elections and China’s growing military spending. He said addressing growing global tensions and cybersecurity would take a multi-part solution.
“We need a combination of international cooperation, inter-agency work between the various branches of the U.S. government, public-private cooperation. We will never solve cybersecurity without engaging the private sector,” Stavridis said. “Fourth and finally, strategic communications, we can’t communicate to the population without being effective communicators.”
He also presented a call to hope for the United States and how to navigate its future. “America’s leaders need to be dealers of hope and not fear,” Stavridis stated. “I think it’s vital that both Republicans and Democrats spend time understanding each other’s position because as Americans, together we can solve any problem.”
The 2024 Class of Churchill Fellows also includes:
- Roger B. Porter is the IBM Professor of Business and Government at Harvard University. His teaching and research focus on the U.S. presidency, the relationship between business and government, decision making and strategic management, and domestic and international economic policy.
- Alexandra “Alex” Lindemann Roedy is the dedicated wife and partner of Bill Roedy and a dynamic force in her own right. Her journey has been defined by a deep commitment to family values and global activism. With a background in foreign language and economics from Ludwig Maximilian University, she embarked on a remarkable career in the media industry, leaving her mark at MTV Networks International in Munich and later in London.
- Stephen D. Poss is a dedicated vice chairperson and leader of the International Churchill Society (ICS) and a member of the boards of directors and trustees of both the U.S. and U.K. ICS organizations. He has played a key role in ICS governance issues and is focused on protecting and teaching accurate history, including educating the leaders of today and tomorrow on the vital relevance to today’s dangerous world of the lessons of Winston Churchill’s life and times.
- William Reller has devoted his life’s work to real estate development and investment in the Palo Alto, California, area, where he was the president of EWS Real Estate Investments. He was an economics major and member of Phi Delta Theta at Westminster College.
- James H. Hance, Jr., is a senior advisor to the Carlyle Group and a member of the board of directors of Carlyle. He was elected to the board of directors of Carlyle’s general partner effective May 2, 2012. He previously served as vice chairperson of Bank of America.
- Matthew W. Geekie is the senior vice president, secretary, and general counsel for Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical and communications products and related supply chain management and logistics services.
- Catherine Grace Katz is an attorney, writer, and historian from Chicago. Her first book, Daughters of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans, A Story of Love and War, was published to critical acclaim in 2020.
“Winston Churchill’s extraordinary ability to forge coalitions and alliances to defend democratic ideals was one of his greatest strengths. In that respect, the lessons of the past are vitally important given the challenges of today,” said Timothy Riley, the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator at America’s National Churchill Museum. “We welcome these accomplished leaders into the Association of Churchill Fellows and honor their commitment to Churchill’s lasting legacy.”
Other Churchill Fellows include Margaret Thatcher; Winston Churchill II; U.S. Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson; J.C. Penney; Walter Cronkite; Harry Guggenheim; Douglas Fairbanks Jr.; The Hon. Edwina Sandys; The Hon. Emma Soames; Andrew Roberts; Gen. David H. Petraeus (USA Ret.); Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer; Sen. John Danforth; Lord Watson of Richmond; Richard J. Mahoney; Sandra and Dr. Monroe Trout; R. Crosby Kemper III; Jon Meacham; Sir David Cannadine; David Rubenstein; and, former Secretary of State Dr. Madeleine Albright.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE: Founded in 1851 and home of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, Westminster College is ranked prestigiously by The Princeton Review as one of the “Best 150 colleges in the Midwest” for 2024. New graduates experience a more than 90% placement rate within six months of graduation, while Westminster alumni are in the top 16% nationwide for graduate earnings. The only National Liberal Arts college in Missouri, Westminster has long been recognized for its focus on educating and inspiring students to make an impact on the world around them. Find out more about Westminster College by visiting our website.
FORE MORE INFORMATION: Call, text, or email Craig Workman at 314-640-9033 or [email protected] or Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or [email protected].
