Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer is best known as President George W. Bush's press secretary, a job he held from January 2001 to July 2003. During Fleischer's term in the Bush administration, terrorists flew into the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 and the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in October 2001.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts' 2010--11 Lecture Series will present Fleischer as its final speaker on Thursday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood in Ketchum. Tickets to the lecture are $25 for Center members and $35 for nonmembers. To buy tickets, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org, call 726-9491 or stop by The Center in Ketchum.
In 2005 Fleischer published the book "Taking Heat: The President, the Press and My Year." The book reached No. 7 on The New York Times bestseller list. The book provides a behind-the-scenes look at President Bush and a critical assessment of the media and how news gets made.
After leaving the White House, Fleischer formed Ari Fleischer Sports Communications, which provides advice to corporations and sports organizations on how to handle the press. Similar to the battles Fleischer endured in the White House, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications clients experienced tough times with clients, including steroid-using baseball player Mark McGwire and, briefly, Tiger Woods.
Prior to serving as press secretary, Fleischer served as senior communications adviser and spokesman for the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign. Before joining Bush's campaign staff, he was the national spokesman and communications director for Elizabeth Dole's presidential campaign. He also served as press secretary to New Mexico Sen. Pete V. Domenici from 1989 to 1994. From 1983 to 1989, Fleischer served as press secretary to two members of Congress from New York and worked on several political campaigns.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, will speak at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood in Ketchum on Thursday, March 10.
