Press Releases
World Affairs Council Honors Ambassador David Wilkins
COLUMBIA (Nov. 9, 2009) - The Columbia World Affairs Council has recognized former Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins with a 2009 Global Vision Award. The prestigious award is bestowed on individuals who have helped create and have implemented a global vision for our state and who have been leaders in helping build South Carolina's global presence. The organization also recognized Bob Royall, former Ambassador to the Republic of Tanzania.
"Bob Royall and David Wilkins epitomize the essence of this award," said Fred Monk, chairman of the Columbia World Affairs Council. "Both men have contributed greatly to South Carolina's global presence topped by their service as ambassadors to Tanzania and Canada. However, long before they were ambassadors they were making a mark for South Carolina globally for our state."
The World Affairs Council is a nonprofit organization created in 1993 to increase the awareness of international activities in the Columbia region and help build international relationships for the region and state. It is one of 93 councils in the country and is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America based in Washington, D.C.
Ambassador Wilkins, a partner based in the Firm's Greenville, S.C., office, chairs the Public Policy and International Law practice group, which focuses primarily on representing businesses on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border and offers experience on a wide range of strategic bilateral issues.
On April 27, 2005, Mr. Wilkins was nominated by President George W. Bush to become the United States Ambassador to Canada and was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on May 26, 2005. On June 29, 2005, he became the 21st United States Ambassador to Canada.
During his tenure, Ambassador Wilkins helped to resolve some of the most high-profile issues between Canada and the United States, including the decades-old softwood lumber dispute. He is known on both sides of the border as an honest broker who worked for solutions on the toughest issues - energy, national security, the environment, trade and travel -- impacting millions of citizens in both countries.
Mr. Wilkins was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1980 and served there for 25 years. He quickly rose through the ranks in the House of Representatives, serving six years as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and two years as speaker pro tem before being elected speaker, a position he held for 11 years. He was the first Republican elected speaker of any legislative body in the South since the 1880s and retired as one of the longest serving speakers in the country. In 2001, he served as president of the National Speakers Association.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Ambassador Wilkins earned his undergraduate degree from Clemson University and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He also served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves. The Ambassador has been married to Susan Wilkins for 37 years.
