Secretaries of State John Kerry and Michael Pompeo speak at Palm Beach Atlantic University

John Kerry served as U.S. secretary of state from 2013 to 2017, while Mike Pompeo served as U.S. secretary of state from 2018 to 2021. [Photos by the LeMieux Center]

Palm Beach Atlantic University opens its 2026 LeMieux Speaker Series with a public discussion featuring former U.S. Secretaries of State Michael R. Pompeo and John Kerry, bringing two senior figures from both political parties into the same forum.

The event takes place Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in DeSantis Chapel on Palm Beach Atlantic University’s West Palm Beach campus, 300 Okeechobee Blvd. The program is free and open to the public with advance registration.

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Hosted by the university’s LeMieux Center for Public Policy, the discussion will be moderated by former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who served in the Senate from 2009 to 2011 and is the founder and namesake of the center.

“This speaker series exemplifies Palm Beach Atlantic University’s dedication to preparing students for lives of leadership, service and informed civic engagement,” says Debra A. Schwinn, president of Palm Beach Atlantic University.

The program marks the LeMieux Speaker Series first event of 2026 and continues the university’s goal of fostering reasoned, thoughtful and civil discourse on public policy.

“Bringing Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Kerry together reflects our commitment to meaningful discussion that challenges perspectives and prepares the next generation for informed civic leadership,” Sen. LeMieux says.

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Pompeo served as the nation’s 70th secretary of state from 2018 to 2021, following his tenure as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2017 to 2018. He previously represented Kansas’ 4th Congressional District as a four-term member of Congress. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he finished first in his class, and Harvard Law School, Pompeo served as a U.S. Army cavalry officer before entering the private sector.

Kerry served as the 68th U.S. secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 and later as U.S. special presidential envoy for climate from 2021 to 2024, becoming the first principal-level member of the National Security Council focused exclusively on climate issues. A five-term U.S. senator and former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry was also the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004.

The LeMieux Center for Public Policy regularly brings national and international leaders to campus to engage students and the community.

More information and registration details are available at pba.edu.