25 Years after Diana: The Deadly Impact of Landmines in Ukraine and Around the World
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM & DRINKS RECEPTION ORGANIZED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF FOREIGN PRESS CORRESPONDENTS (AFPC-USA)
During this in-person educational program, foreign correspondents will have the opportunity to learn about the deadly impact of landmines in Ukraine and around the world from two experts: Chris Whatley, Executive Director of the HALO Trust, USA, and Michael Tirre, Executive Director of the US State Department, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. The in-person educational program and drinks reception will take place at the University Club, 1 West 54th Street, Manhattan, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Seats are limited. RSVP requests should be sent to contact@foreignpresscorrespondents.org stating your full name, media affiliation, and telephone number.
SPEAKERS BIO:
Chris Whatley
Chris Whatley, Executive Director Chris Whatley serves as Executive Director of HALO USA, the US arm of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian mine clearance organization. Prior to joining HALO, Chris served as Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the United States, a program of the United Nations Foundation (UNF).
Chris led UNA’s national staff in Washington, D.C., and New York, advocating for the UN’s mission, leading fundraising efforts, and advancing private-sector partnerships with UN agencies. Before joining UNF, Chris served as Deputy Executive Director of The Council of State Governments (CSG), representing elected officials from all 50 states and the six territories on Capitol Hill, forging ties between American states and their counterparts in Canada and Mexico, and serving as an appointed advisor to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Prior to joining CSG, Chris served as a program officer and field representative for the International Republican Institute (IRI), leading a wide range of international election observation missions and technical assistance programs in Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. He began his career as a Research Assistant for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), studying the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants in Zimbabwe. Chris holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Angelo State University
Michael Tirre
Assistant Program Manager for Europe and North Africa in the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA). He’s held this position since 2016, and before that he was an intern in the Center for Adaptive Design, researching data collection methodologies for vacant housing units between various surveys conducted by the Census Bureau. The project focused the American Community Survey (ACS) and aimed to predict what addresses are likely to be vacant in order to reduce cost. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in International Relations.