close

Porter J. Goss to speak at BIG ARTS Lecture Series

2 min read
article image -
Former director of the CIA and Sanibel mayor Porter J. Goss will deliver at lecture at Schein Performance Hall on Feb. 3. The event is sold out.

The FORUM at BIG ARTS lecture series will welcome former Sanibel mayor Porter J. Goss on Wednesday, Feb. 3 for a lecture being held at Schein Performance Hall, located at 900 Dunlop Road.

Goss became director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in April 2005 and served in that position until May 2006. Prior, he served as the 19th Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), was a U.S. Army intelligence officer and served as a clandestine service officer with the CIA where he completed assignments in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.

After leaving the CIA, Goss and his family settled in Sanibel, where he was a small business owner and founded the Island Reporter newspaper. He was elected to the Sanibel City Council in 1974 and served there until 1983, including three years as mayor. From 1983 until 1988, Goss was a member of the Lee County Commission, where he served as its chairman from 1985 to 1986.

In addition, Goss served as the congressman from Southwest Florida for almost 16 years. His congressional career focused on the environment, House ethics, senior issues and Rules Committee. He was chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 1997 until his nomination as DCI in August 2004. This committee oversees the intelligence community and authorizes its annual budget.

During the 107th Congress, Goss co-chaired the joint congressional inquiry into the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He is only the second director of Central Intelligence to have served in congress.

All speakers in The FORUM program are sold out, though interested patrons can come the night of the lecture to see if tickets are turned back in. Although BIG ARTS cannot guarantee ticket availability, historically tickets have become available the night of a lecture. The FORUM lectures begin at 7:30 p.m.

The FORUM Grand Patron Series Sponsors are Northern Trust and Sue and Tom Pick.

Want to read more? Please visit www.BIGARTS.org for more event and performance information, including links to speaker’s sites. To purchase tickets, stop by BIG ARTS or call the Marks Box Office at 395-0900.