MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura K. Boggan, Associate Director, Communications
office: 423.652.4707 mobile: 423.383.4769 email: lkboggan@king.edu
Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis and Col. John E. “Jack” Woolley to Speak on The Middle East Nov. 12 at Kingsport Center for Higher Education and Nov. 13 at King University
BRISTOL, Tenn., Nov. 4, 2014– Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis, director of the King Institute for Security and Intelligence Studies and assistant professor of Political Science for King, and Col. John E. “Jack” Woolley, retired US Army, will speak at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education auditorium on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. and again on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. at King University’s Student Center Complex board room. Dr. Fitsanakis will present “The Middle East – Can Stability be Restored?” Following the presentation, Dr. Fitsanakis and Col. Woolley will join together for a panel discussion led by Gail Helt, assistant professor of Political Science at King. Helt served as a CIA analyst for 11 years. The events are free and open to the public.
The event is co-sponsored by the Tri-Cities Military Affairs Council (TC-MAC), the Mountain Empire Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and King University’s Security and Intelligence Studies Department.
Dr. Fitsanakis has authored several books and articles on the history and politics of intelligence and international espionage. His work has been referenced in hundreds of outlets around the world, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, BBC, ABC, The Boston Herald, Politico, Al Jazeera, The Huffington Post, and Studies in Intelligence (the journal of the Central Intelligence Agency). He is the senior editor of intelNews.org and a regular contributor to specialized publications such as Embassy, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy Journal, Homeland Security Today, The Intelligencer, and others.
Dr. Fitsanakis was born in Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, and has lived in many countries. He received his General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE) in Communications from Exeter College, and his Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Media and Communication Technology from the Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham in England. He then received his Master of Science in Technology and Society and his PhD in Interception of Communications from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Fitsanakis came to the United States from the United Kingdom in 1998. He joined King University in 2007.
Col. Woolley was born in New Jersey and grew up in a summer resort community on the New Jersey shore. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University; Master of Arts in Strategy, Management, and Naval Operation from the US Naval War College; and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama. He is also a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College.
Upon graduating from college, Col. Woolley entered the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry. After completing basic officers training and Airborne and Ranger schools, he joined his first unit, the 11th Airborne Division in Munich, Germany. Over the next 25 years, he commanded an Infantry company (200 men) in Vietnam, an Infantry battalion (1,000 men) in Germany, and a Mechanized Infantry brigade (3,000 men) at Fort Hood, Texas. Major staff assignments included Chief of Staff, Ist Infantry Division (Fwd) in Stuttgart, Germany, Chief Operations Officer, III US Corp, (40,000 troops) at Fort Hood, Texas, and four tours of duty in the Pentagon. These assignments included a special study group for the Secretary of Defense, two years on the Chief of Staff of the Army’s World Wide Briefing Team, one year as a JCS daily White House briefer for Dr. Henry Kissinger and General Al Haig focusing on the war in Vietnam and almost three years as one of the Army Staff’s “Three Wise Men” developing, coordinating, and recommending Army positions on matters related to the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
Col. Woolley has received the following awards and decorations: Combat Infantry Badge, Parachute Wings, Ranger Tab, two Bronze Stars, three Legions of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Several Vietnam Campaign Ribbons, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
Significant civilian positions held by Col. Woolley include four years as a senior executive in a major coal and energy company and 15 years as vice president of operations for an international trade association in Washington, D.C. He is a member and past president of the Mountain EmpireChapter of the Military Officers Association of America and serves on the board of directors for Bristol Chamber of Commerce and the Paramount Center for the Arts.
Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis and Col. John E. “Jack” Woolley will speak at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education auditorium on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. and again on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. at King University’s Student Center Complex board room. Dr. Fitsanakis will present “The Middle East – Can Stability be Restored?” Following the presentation, Dr. Fitsanakis and Col. Woolley will join together for a panel discussion led by Gail Helt. The events are free and open to the public. King University students in attendance will receive convocation credit.
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