On Tuesday, March 23, over 90 English speaking graduates from the Caribbean and Latin America gathered for the first of two “Alumni Day” celebrations this year. So, what exactly is Alumni Day, and why?

The concept was initially conceived by a working group of alumni from 14 different countries who have been meeting virtually since early 2020. The idea was quickly embraced by Perry Center director, LTG (ret.) Frederick Rudesheim, and March 27 was designated as “Alumni Day” in commemoration of the graduation date of the first Perry Center resident course in 1998. Alumni Day is an annual event to celebrate the impact and strength of the alumni network with a focus on community, cooperation, and leadership. This year Alumni Day activities stretched over a three-day period and ended with “Día del Egresado” (Alumni Day) on the 25th for Spanish-speaking graduates.

For this year’s inaugural event, on March 23rd, we had the pleasure of having Ambassador Adam Namm, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) as our keynote speaker. Ambassador Namm’s fascinating career includes a creative, relationship building approach to diplomacy and his thoughtful and inspiring words provided context to the importance of relationship building and leadership within a complex regional and global environment.