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Bowsher provides financial expertise

Charles Bowsher (left), former Comptroller General of the United States, spoke Thursday as part of the Delta State University Colloquia Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series.

Charles Bowsher, former Comptroller General of the United States, shared his knowledge of American finances with the Delta State University community Thursday as the fist distinguished colloquium speaker of the semester.

Delta State President William N. LaForge welcomed his longtime friend and mentor from Washington, D.C. The two developed a friendship during LaForge’s political and legal career in the nation’s capital.

A large crowd filled Jobe Hall auditorium to hear from Bowsher, a leader who served 15 years as Comptroller General and head of the General Accounting Office (GAO). He was appointed to the position by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He completed his term in 1996, but Bowsher continues to remain a voice of reason in the Washington financial spectrum.

Bowsher’s speech, titled “The State of Our Nation’s Finances: An Insider’s View,” provided updates on some of America’s current financial struggles. Bowsher said that careful planning in Washington could help turn some of the struggles around, specifically with the growing debt that America faces.

Thursday’s event featured a new addition to the colloquium platform. Following Bowsher’s speech, LaForge invited a “Face the Nation” style Q&A forum to the center stage. Joining Bowsher and LaForge was Dr. Clint Wood, chair of accounting; Kristin Swarek, accounting major; and Mikel Sykes, SGA president. Bowsher 9.25.14 Colloquia-2

Bowsher also handled questions from the audience, which was eager to learn more from the man highly respected for his experience in both government and corporate endeavors.

Prior to his GAO role, Bowsher was associated with Arthur Andersen and Company for 25 years, except for a four-year period between 1967-1971 when he served as assistant secretary of the Navy for Financial Management. His work in that role earned him Distinguished Public Service Awards from both the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense.

Since retiring as Comptroller General, Bowsher has joined the corporate boards of American Express Bank, National Steel, Newport News Shipbuilding and DeVry, Inc. He also serves on the advisory board of the Washington Mutual Investors Fund, and he was appointed as a public member of the board of the National Association of Securities Dealers, which oversees the NASDAQ system and the over-the-counter securities markets.

Additionally, Bowsher is a trustee of the Center for Naval Analyses, the United States Navy Memorial Foundation, the Concord Coalition and the Hitachi Foundation. He also serves on advisory boards at several universities. He has been a trustee of the Logistics Management Institute since 1996, serving first as a member of the audit committee and later as its chairman.

Bowsher will remain on Delta State’s campus today, spending time at a luncheon with students enrolled in a leadership course taught by LaForge himself.

The Delta State University Colloquia Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series was established by LaForge when he became president in 2013. The ongoing series of top-flight lectures and addresses features prominent speakers from across the nation. Former Mississippi governor William F. Winter was honored as the first speaker.

“This is a university-wide program that will continue to bring a unique and diverse array of people — from judges, former government officials, lawyers and business people,” said LaForge. “These are all folks our students can look up to.”

Learn more about the series at www.deltastate.edu/president/colloquia.