Ward Brehm
Encyclopedia
Ward Brehm is a Minnesota
entrepreneur
, leader in African humanitarian efforts and nationally-known public speaker and commentator on relief and development in Africa.
In 2010, Brehm was appointed by President Obama to serve as a member of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF). He had previously been appointed chairman of USADF in 2004 by President Bush
, and he served in that role until the expiration of his term in 2008.
Brehm brought his message as an advocate
for the poor in Africa to the 2008 National Prayer Breakfast
, where he gave the keynote address before an audience including the U.S. President, First Lady
, foreign heads of state, most members of Congress
and the Washington diplomatic community. Brehm was the first person from the business community to ever be asked by Congress to address this annual gathering in Washington DC.
Brehm also continues to serve as an unofficial diplomat
, quietly behind the scenes connecting African and American leaders. He has also brought policymakers together from both sides of the aisle in Washington to unite and support African development initiatives. He has befriended numerous leaders in Africa and has helped facilitate small groups of praying leaders in many African nations.
In 2008, Brehm was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal
– the country's second-highest civilian honor – for his work in Africa at an Oval Office
ceremony. He is also the author of two books on his experiences in Africa, Life Through A Different Lens and White Man Walking.
In his professional life, Ward Brehm is the founder and chairman of The Brehm Group, Inc., a Twin Cities
insurance
consulting firm. He and his wife, Kris, live in Wayzata, Minnesota
and have three adult children: Andy, Michael and Sarah.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, leader in African humanitarian efforts and nationally-known public speaker and commentator on relief and development in Africa.
In 2010, Brehm was appointed by President Obama to serve as a member of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF). He had previously been appointed chairman of USADF in 2004 by President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and he served in that role until the expiration of his term in 2008.
Brehm brought his message as an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
for the poor in Africa to the 2008 National Prayer Breakfast
National Prayer Breakfast
The National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., on the first Thursday of February each year. The founder of this event was Abraham Vereide...
, where he gave the keynote address before an audience including the U.S. President, First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
, foreign heads of state, most members of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the Washington diplomatic community. Brehm was the first person from the business community to ever be asked by Congress to address this annual gathering in Washington DC.
Brehm also continues to serve as an unofficial diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, quietly behind the scenes connecting African and American leaders. He has also brought policymakers together from both sides of the aisle in Washington to unite and support African development initiatives. He has befriended numerous leaders in Africa and has helped facilitate small groups of praying leaders in many African nations.
In 2008, Brehm was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal
Presidential Citizens Medal
The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second highest civilian award in the United States, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is awarded by the President of the United States, and may be given posthumously....
– the country's second-highest civilian honor – for his work in Africa at an Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
ceremony. He is also the author of two books on his experiences in Africa, Life Through A Different Lens and White Man Walking.
In his professional life, Ward Brehm is the founder and chairman of The Brehm Group, Inc., a Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
consulting firm. He and his wife, Kris, live in Wayzata, Minnesota
Wayzata, Minnesota
Wayzata is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, a western suburb of Minneapolis. Wayzata came into existence in the center of Chief Shakopee's Indian village.-Early settlement:...
and have three adult children: Andy, Michael and Sarah.