2010 SDDC Training Symposium

March 9, 2010
Guest Speaker - Eric Greitens

The Mission Continues
Eric Greitens was born and raised in Missouri, where he was educated in the public schools. He was an Angier B. Duke Scholar at Duke University where he studied ethics, philosophy, and public policy. Selected as a Rhodes and a Truman Scholar, he attended Oxford University from 1996 through 2000. There he earned a master's degree in development studies in 1998 and a Ph.D. in politics in 2000.

Eric's book of award-winning photographs and essays, Strength and Compassion, grew from his humanitarian work.  His doctoral thesis, Children First, investigated the ways in which international humanitarian organizations can best serve war-affected children. He has worked as a humanitarian volunteer, documentary photographer, and researcher in Rwanda, Cambodia, Albania, Mexico, India, the Gaza Strip, Croatia, and Bolivia.  Strength and Compassion is a collection of striking photographs from each of these countries, combined with bold essays on Strength, Pity, Dignity, Courage, Faith, Time, Hope, and Compassion.

Eric is also a United States Navy SEAL officer, and he has deployed four times during the Global War on Terrorism to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia. He has served as the Commander of a Joint Special Operations Task Unit, Commander of a Mark V Special Operations Craft Detachment, and as Commander of an Al Qaeda Targeting Cell.  His personal military awards include the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star.

In 2005, Eric was appointed by the President to serve as a White House Fellow. The White House Fellowship is a non-partisan, non-political appointment that is considered America's most prestigious fellowship for leadership and public service.

Eric is a sub-3 hour Marathon runner and the winner of the Shamrock Marathon at Camp Fallujah, Iraq. As a boxer, he won two Oxford Boxing Blues and the Gold Medal at the BUSA National Boxing Championships.

Eric used his combat pay from Iraq to start The Mission Continues.  The Mission Continues empowers wounded and disabled veterans to continue their service to their country and communities as citizen leaders here at home. Eric currently serves as volunteer Chairman and CEO. He has contributed over 2,000 volunteer hours to The Mission Continues, and in October 2008 the President of the United States personally presented Eric with the President's Volunteer Service Award in recognition of his inspiring national leadership working with wounded and disabled veterans.

Eric is a Senior Fellow at the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, where he teaches on public service, ethics, and leadership.

2010 SDDC Training Symposium
March 8 - 10, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia