The American Australian Association Ltd announces their 2010 Benefit Dinner honouring

Jeanne Pratt AC Co-Chairman, Visy | Anthony Pratt, Executive Chairman, Visy | The Pratt Family

Thursday 8 April 2010

Crown Palladium | Southbank, Melbourne VIC

Reception: 6:30pm
Dinner: 7:00pm
Black Tie

The 2010 American Australian Association Benefit Dinner on Thursday 8 April is already shaping up as our most successful one to date. The Dinner is still some weeks away, however time marches by quickly, particularly in Melbourne, an event-filled city these next two months.

We announce our Honourary Dinner Chairmen in this, our first Benefit Dinner e-newsletter. We will keep you updated with future Dinner newsletters providing the latest information on the event, and details of the many Dinner Chairmen now signing on for the night.

The Hon. Kim Beazley AC was appointed Australia’s  Ambassador to the United States, taking up the appointment in 2010. Ambassador Beazley has an extensive career in politics, being elected to the Federal Parliament in 1980 and represented the electorates of Swan (1980-96) and Brand (1996-2007). Mr Beazley was a Minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments (1983-96) holding, at various times, the portfolios of Defence, Finance, Transport and Communications, Employment Education and Training, Aviation, and Special Minister of State. He was Deputy Prime Minister (1995-96) and Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition (1996-01 and 2005-06). Mr Beazley served on several parliamentary committees during his tenure. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Beazley served as Chancellor of Australian National University. He is on the Council of Advisors of the United States Studies Centre.

Jeffrey L. Bleich presented his credentials to Governor General Quentin Bryce on November 26, 2009, as the 24th American ambassador to the Commonwealth of Australia.
Mr. Bleich served as Special Counsel to the President at the White House. From 1995 to 2009, he was a litigation partner in the San Francisco office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP,
Mr. Bleich has a long-standing commitment to international law. Including roles as Special Rapporteur to the International Court of Arbitration, and assisting the Special Prosecutor for the International Tribunal for the Former-Yugoslavia. He has taught international human rights at UC Berkeley's School of Law, and written and lectured extensively on the international criminal court. Ambassador Bleich has served on many international committees and foreign policy organisation.

Dennis Richardson AO commenced as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 13 January 2010. He was Ambassador of Australia to the United States from June 2005 to December 2009. Mr Richardson has been a career public servant since 1969, when he joined Australia’s foreign service. From October 1996 until his appointment to Washington, he served as Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Prior to that he was Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (1993-1996). 
Mr Richardson has served in various senior public service roles in the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Immigration. He was Head of the Review of the Intelligence Community post Cold War in 1992 and Principal Adviser to the Prime Minister from 1990 to 1991.

Rupert Murdoch is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation, one of the world’s largest diversified media companies. News Corporation’s global operations include newspaper and magazine publishing on three continents; significant book publishing interests; major motion picture and television production and distribution operations; and television, satellite and cable broadcast operations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. Throughout News Corporation’s history, Rupert Murdoch and his family have been closely involved with, and made generous contributions to, various educational, cultural, medical and charitable organizations throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and Israel.

Andrew N. Liveris is President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Dow Chemical Company, a $58 billion global chemical, plastics and agrosciences company based in Midland, Michigan. Liveris was born in Darwin and later lived in Brisbane. He serves on the board of directors of Citigroup. He is board chairman of the US-China Business Council and chairman of SCI America; a vice-chair of the US Business Council; a member of the US Climate Action Partnership; and a past chairman of the American Chemistry Council and the International Council of Chemical Associations. He is a member of American Australian Association, Business Roundtable, Detroit Economic Club, National Petroleum Council, Société de Chimie Industrielle and a trustee of Tufts University. Liveris resides in Midland, Michigan, where he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation.

Sam Lipski AM, BA and LLD (Hon), is the CEO of The Pratt Foundation, the philanthropic trust for the Pratt family and Visy, which funds charitable activities in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Israel.
With a background in journalism, editing and publishing in Australia and internationally, he has also served on a range of community and cultural boards. A former President of the State Library of Victoria, (2000-2006), a Member of Council at Swinburne University of Technology (1995-2005) and a Trustee of the Refugee Foundation of Australia, he is currently Chair of the Advisory Board of Monash University's Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Chair of the Advisory Board of Melbourne University's Centre for Advanced Journalism, and a director of the Sydney-based Schizophrenia Research Institute.

For further information and sponsorship opportunities for the Benefit Dinner, please contact Lisa Levar at 02 9338 6989 or benefitdinner@aaa-aus.org.  Visit our website at  www.americanaustralian.org.au.

Funds raised at the Benefit Dinner go towards the Association and its Education Fund.

The Association’s Education Fund provides graduate education opportunities in the United States and Australia. Since these programs launched in 2002, Fellows have received awards totalling over AU$2.7 million. Nine Australian Fellows have been selected this year to pursue research in the USA, and 4 American Fellows will be selected to pursue research in Australia.

The American Australian Association Ltd. (AAA Ltd) is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to promote friendship, cooperation and understanding between the peoples of the United States and Australia through a better understanding of their cultures and societies. The Association was incorporated as a limited liability company in Sydney on May 16, 2006. and is affiliated with the US-based American Australian Association Inc. Visit our website at www.americanaustralian.org.au