Rigby Assad will join the engaging campus discussion on April 10.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – On Thursday, April 10, former CIA Intelligence Officer, Michele Rigby Assad will be welcomed by Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) to participate in its LeMieux Center’s Annual Speaker Series. The event will take the form of a fireside chat between Rigby Assad and Senator George LeMieux. The event is free and open to the public with advance registration and will be held at the DeSantis Chapel at 6:30 p.m.
PBA’s LeMieux Center for Public Policy at provides a space for reasoned, thoughtful and civil discourse on pressing public policy issues confronting Florida, the United States and the world. Students and the community get the opportunity learn directly from esteemed policy experts and global thought leaders from a broad spectrum of disciplines.
A resident of Florida’s Space Coast, Rigby Assad holds a master’s degree in Contemporary Arab Studies from Georgetown University and an undergraduate political science degree from PBA. Her husband Joseph, also a PBA graduate, served alongside her as a CIA operative. They credit PBA with providing life-changing opportunities that served as the springboard to their unique careers.
In her previous role, she served five CIA tours in the Arab World and has traveled to more than 50 countries. She credits her experiences in sharpening her ability to deal with the most challenging people, including terrorists and insurgents. Significant milestones and lessons in her career have been highlighted in her bestselling memoir “Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What it Taught Me About What’s Worth Fighting For.” This year, Rigby Assad also released her second book “Get Off the X: CIA’s Secrets for Conquering Obstacles and Achieving Your Life’s Mission.” The book is set to inspire people to get out of their personal and professional comfort zones and into a life of purpose and meaning.
“We are proud to welcome back a distinguished PBA alum to the stage to discuss her decorated career and testimony,” said Dr. Debra A. Schwinn, PBA President. “Michele is an extraordinary example of someone who has answered her calling and the hope we have for all students, which is to grow in wisdom, lead with conviction and serve God boldly.”
Palm Beach Atlantic University, founded in 1968, is a private, Christian university, offering 100 different programs and pathways, including undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The university has a 19-acre campus in West Palm Beach and an Orlando campus, and the 78-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus provides facilities for training and hosting intercollegiate sports. Sailfish athletes compete in 18 NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference varsity sports. PBA’s mission is to equip students to grow in wisdom, lead with conviction and serve God boldly. The university affirms the values that have built American society, including religious liberty and the free enterprise system.
For more information on the LeMieux Speaker Series, or to register for this event, please visit pba.edu/academics/schools/centers-of-excellence/lemieux/.
