Five Years After The Fall of Kabul:
The Afghan Connection in Traverse City
September 3, 2026 | 6:30 - 8:30pm
Alongside our Afghan community and other local experts, distinguished panel including:
Amb. Greta C. Holtz, President & CEO, AmidEast, former U.S. Ambassador to Oman (2012-2015)
Karen Puschel Segal (moderator) retired U.S. Diplomat, Coordinator for the Afghan Migrant Ministry Project, Traverse City
About the event
As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and reflect on the legacy of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan, join us for a compelling panel on the human impact of the 2021 evacuation and its direct connection to Traverse City. Hear firsthand accounts from Ambassador (ret.) Greta Holtz, who oversaw massive evacuation operations in Qatar, plus a long-time manager of the U.S. Afghan Interpreter program now living in Leelanau, a local immigration attorney, and our new Afghan neighbors. Moderated by retired diplomat Karen Puschel Segal, this discussion bridges global foreign policy with personal stories of survival, resettlement, and how our new Afghan neighbors are enriching our local community today.
Gold Sponsors
Event Details
Thursday, September 3, 2026
7:00 pm Eastern US program | 6:30 pm reception
Milliken Auditorium, Northwestern Michigan College
1701 E. Front St. Traverse City, MI
In-person event | free event, registration required
Registration required | All attendees are required to register for this free, special event.
Students & educators | free admission for all registrants, current students and educators, including NMC and area secondary schools.
About the panel
Alongside our Afghan community and other local experts, distinguished panel including:
Ambassador (ret) Greta C. Holtz is the President and CEO of Amideast, Amideast is a leading American nonprofit organization engaged in international education, training, and development activities in the Middle East and North Africa, which also supports educational and cultural exchange opportunities for American students and institutions. She was U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Chargé d'affaires in Qatar, and the Minister-Counselor for Provincial Affairs in Baghdad. Ambassador Holtz was the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the U.S. Special Operations Command, and Chancellor of National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs.
Ambassador Holtz was the Senior U.S. government Coordinator for Operation Allies Refuge in Qatar, from August 2021-October 2021, when Kabul fell to the Taliban. She led the interagency and bilateral task force which oversaw the housing, feeding, security, security screening, medical care, and transport to the U.S. of over 59,000 evacuees arriving from Afghanistan during the largest humanitarian airlift in history. She personally coordinated with senior U.S. and Qatari officials on all aspects of the evacuation, to include massive assistance from the Qatari government to the evacuees, intense and complicated transportation coordination with the U.S. military and other USG elements, ensured international and U.S. protocols and procedures were followed to safely handle the over 500 unaccompanied minors who arrived from Afghanistan.
Ambassador Holtz served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (covering Afghanistan, Central Asia, India and Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and as the Deputy Assistant Sec State in the Middle East Bureau covering all strategic communications and public diplomacy programs in the Middle East and North Africa region, including Iran.
She served in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Tunisia, Syria, and Türkiye. She earned a B.S. from Vanderbilt University, an M.A., Univ of Kentucky (distinguished graduate), and has an M.A. from the National War College. Ambassador Holtz is on the board of advisors of the Spirit of America, the Marshall Legacy Institute, the Global Appalachia NGO, and a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Ambassador Holtz is also a non-resident Distinguished Fellow at the University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute.
About the moderator
Karen Puschel Segal
draws upon her five years as Coordinator of the Afghan Migrant Ministry Project based at Grace Episcopal church and her close relationships with the local Afghan families. Karen is a retired U.S. diplomat and the former co-chair of the International Affairs Forum.
