Oxnard : Kissinger to Speak at Bank’s April Event

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is scheduled to appear in Oxnard to share his insights on the Middle East crisis as the guest speaker for Ventura County National Bank’s “An Evening With . . . “ series.

“We’ve been considering inviting Mr. Kissinger for the past 1 1/2 years, but when the Iraq-Kuwait problem broke, we decided this was the year to have him,” said W.E. (Bill) McAleer, president and chief executive officer of the bank.

Kissinger, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who served as national security adviser to Presidents Nixon and Ford, will speak at the Oxnard Civic Center April 23.

“Regardless of the outcome in the Middle East, the problems there will not all be over by April and Kissinger’s observations will still be interesting and pertinent,” McAleer said.

This is the sixth year of the series. The bank pays for the speaker, this year costing $35,000, and for the after-show buffet reception. All proceeds from ticket sales goes to a local charity, which will be selected in January.

The bank sends invitations to people on its mailing list, ranging from students to the Board of Supervisors, McAleer said. Seating is limited to the 1,600-seat civic center and the bank offers tickets to those who apply earliest. “The place always gets packed,” McAleer said. Anyone can add their name to the mailing list by writing to the bank, he added.

Past guests include Watergate co-conspirator G. Gordon Liddy and political satirist Mark Russell.