2017 Fulbright Gala Presentation Dinner- Keynote Speaker Announced

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission is thrilled to announce that the keynote speaker of the 2017 Fulbright Gala Presentation Dinner is Ms. April Palmerlee, Director of Events and Partnerships at the University of Sydney’s U.S. Studies Centre. A member of the senior management team, she joined the Centre in February 2016.

With professional experience in Australia, the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong in government, academia, publishing, and high fashion, Palmerlee has a wide range of interests and associations.

In Australia, before joining the Centre, Palmerlee was a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, Assistant Editor of Policy magazine, and an independent consultant advising organisations such as the Lowy Institute of International Policy and the Sydney Opera House. She has organised running events for the Centennial Park Ultra, the Six Foot Track Marathon, and the Southern Highlands Challenge as well as serving as Vice President of Sydney Striders, the largest running club in Australia.

In the US, she was Senior Coordinator of International Women’s Issues (now referred to “Ambassador-at-Large”, equivalent to Assistant Secretary) at the US Department of State. In that capacity, she was responsible for coordinating US policy concerning women worldwide, including Afghanistan and Iraq. She and her team of veteran diplomats, regional experts, policy analysts, and experienced educators established, evaluated, and implemented programs worldwide to promote women’s political and economic participation.

Prior to her appointment by the White House, she was an executive at the Council on Foreign Relations, America’s largest non-partisan foreign policy think tank. She was Director of Strategic Planning, Director of Communications, and Special Assistant to the President. She has also worked for couturier Oscar de la Renta, financial publisher The Bank Credit Analyst, and The Spanish Institute.

She has been recognised by Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Women. She has been an invited participant at the World Economic Forum in Davos; the Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire; and Fortune Magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in Business” conference at the NYSE. She also led/co-chaired US delegations on women’s issues to international meetings and ministerials, such as APEC, OAS, and the UN.

She received a BS from Georgetown University and a Master’s from Columbia University. She speaks English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Swedish, and Italian. She is married to Luke Palmerlee, an investment banker. They have four children and live in Sydney.

For more information on the 2017 Fulbright Gala Presentation Dinner visit our Eventbrite page.