Former Mexican president to speak at Macky Auditorium

Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, will speak at the University of Colorado Boulder's Macky Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., April 13. He is coming to campus at the invitation of the Distinguished Speakers Board, a student organization at CU-Boulder.

Fox will present "Surveying the Geo-Political Landscape" and speak on his perspective on the state of the world. He will touch on the relationship between the United States and Latin America, the role of the United Nations and the promises of globalization, both fulfilled and unfulfilled. There also will be a question and answer session.

Tickets are $1 for students with a valid Buff OneCard. Community tickets are $15 for general admission and $30 for priority seating, and are being sold through Ticketswest.com and local King Soopers locations.

Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. No backpacks or skateboards are allowed inside the building.

"We believe Mr. Fox gives an important voice on the current geopolitical climate," said Punam Chatterjee, Distinguished Speakers Board chair. "He can provide a new understanding of current economic and social challenges as well as provide his perspective on global leadership. We also believe he will connect with many students, as well as the community, because of his expertise in many fields and because of current events."

Fox was president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. When elected, he ended the rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. During his term in office he succeeded in controlling inflation and interest rates, and in achieving the lowest unemployment rate in Latin America. He studied business administration at the Universidad Iberoamericana and afterward pursued a Top Management Diploma at the Harvard Business School.

Fox has four adopted children. He was born in Mexico City in 1942 and grew up on San Cristobal Ranch in the municipality of San Francisco del Rincon, in Guanajuato state. Post-presidency, he wrote an autobiography, "Revolution of Hope: The Life, Faith and Dreams of a Mexican President," and travels for public speaking engagements.

"Fox's experiences as a businessman, educator, politician and leader in a foreign country are attractive to the CU community, which appreciates diverse perspectives," said Taylor Coughlin, Distinguished Speakers Board public relations director.

The Distinguished Speakers Board mission is to attract "speakers of the highest caliber, who will intellectually stimulate the student body and the surrounding community. Ultimately, we hope to inspire people by bringing some of the world's greatest minds to the University of Colorado Boulder."

The board is a student-run organization and part of the CU student government. Previous speakers brought to CU-Boulder by the board have included Queen Noor, Thomas Friedman, B.B. King, the Rev. Desmond Tutu, Howard Dean and Karl Rove.