2020 Speaker Dinner Series

The Naples Yacht Club is offering another thought-provoking lineup of speakers in a new format. This season, plan on arriving at the Ballroom at 5:30 p.m. for a cocktail reception with the speaker. At 6 p.m., dinner will be served, and the speaker will take the podium. Dinner is now included in the format, rather than optional. We look forward to seeing you at one—or all—of these special speaking events.

January 23

Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr.

Ambassador Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr., is a Distinguished Fellow and Chairman Emeritus at the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan policy research center in Washington, D.C. Bloomfield has served as a national security official in the administrations of former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. He is a former U.S. Special Envoy, serving at the rank of Ambassador, and Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs. Bloomfield is founder and president of Palmer Coates LLC, an international business advisory company working with startups developing innovative sustainable energy and transportation technologies, among others.

February 18

U.S. Senator Rick Scott

U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) was elected to the senate in 2018 after serving two terms as the 45th governor of Florida. Scott served in the U. S. Navy, then became the partner of a Texas law firm after earning his Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. He later cofounded and served as CEO of Columbia/HCA, which became the nation’s largest private for-profit healthcare company. The long-time Naples resident has been a venture capitalist since his departure from the healthcare company in 1997.

March 3

Kay Cole James

Kay Cole James is president of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank which formulates and promotes public policy based on free enterprise, limited government, and a strong national defense. She has an extensive background in crafting public policy and in leading nearly every sector of America’s economy, and has worked at the local, state, and federal levels of government. James was the founder and president of The Gloucester Institute, an organization dedicated to training and nurturing leaders in minority communities.

March 19

Steve Miller

Robert Steven “Steve” Miller, Jr., who calls himself “The Turnaround Kid,” has spent his career leading and restructuring low-performing companies, including Delphi Corp., Bethlehem Steel Corporation, AIG, and Chrysler Corp. He currently serves as the chairman of Purdue Pharma.

April 2

Rob Moher

As president/CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Rob Moher is establishing cooperative partnerships with local individuals, businesses, and governmental and non-governmental institutions to protect Southwest Florida’s unique ecosystem and its future. He previously served as the nonprofit’s vice president of development and marketing, when he led the Conservancy’s successful “Saving Southwest Florida” Capital Campaign, which raised $38.8 million.