David L. Carder Elected President of the American Committees on Foreign Relations

At the Annual Meeting of The American Committees on Foreign Relations held in Washington, D.C. on May 5, 6 and 7, 2005, David L. Carder, of Birmingham, Alabama, was elected President of the organization and Frank M. Young, III was elected a member of the Executive Committee. Carder, Retired President of Vulcan Lands, has been a member of the Executive Committee of the ACFR since 2002. He is a past Chairman of the Birmingham Committee on Foreign Relations and a longstanding member of its Board of Directors. Through Carder’s leadership during the past two years, the ACFR organized a Board of Distinguished Advisors, of which Herb Sklenar, retired Chief Executive Officer of Vulcan Materials, serves as a member.

Carder assumed his duties at the ACFR Board meeting on Saturday, May 7th, presiding over a meeting of Board members from across the country. The ACFR is an organization of over 2,400 members throughout the United States that supports civic dialogue on U. S. foreign policy issues by sponsoring outstanding programs and guest speakers on these important issues. The Committee in Birmingham was established in 1943, and is in its 61st year. Carder’s leadership helped build the Birmingham membership to become one of the strongest committees in the ACFR organization.

Carder is the first President of the organization from Birmingham. “I hope to continue to strengthen the organization’s emphasis on quality speakers and add new committees where appropriate during my term,” said Carder, who has held many leadership roles in the Birmingham community, including Past Chairman of the Norton Board of Advisors for Birmingham Southern College, and Past President of The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham.

Frank M. Young, III, the current Chairman of The Birmingham Committee on Foreign Relations, said it is a great honor for Birmingham to have its first elected President of the national organization. “Dave Carder is an outstanding leader and will do a superb job as President of our organization. Under Dave’s leadership, we expect the ACFR to continue to grow and prosper.”