DANBURY, CONN. —The Western Connecticut State University Ancell School of Business will present Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. chairman, president and CEO Farooq Kathwari in conversation with Ancell School Dean Dr. David Martin in a public forum at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015.

“A Conversation with Farooq Kathwari,” presented as part of the Ancell Leadership Forum series, will be in Room 218 of the Classroom Building on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. Admission will be free and the public is invited to attend.

Kathwari has served for 27 years as chairman and chief executive of the Danbury-based manufacturer and retailer, which has built a global reputation as an innovator in the home furnishings market since the company’s founding in 1932. Kathwari has earned numerous recognitions for his leadership of Ethan Allen including the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce Cecil J. Previdi Award and the National Retail Federation Gold Medal Award. He was chosen in 1999 for Worth magazine’s list of “The Best 50 CEOs” and inducted in 2009 as a member of the American Furniture Hall of Fame. He is a director and former chairman of the National Retail Federation, and a director emeritus and former chairman and president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

Kathwari also has been widely recognized for his humanitarian work to champion the protection of human rights and to promote frameworks for dialogue and peaceful resolution of international conflicts. His wide-ranging contributions have included service as chairman of Refugees International and membership in the Council of Foreign Relations, the Board of Overseers of the International Rescue Committee, and the International Advisory Council of the U.S. Institute of Peace. He has received the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal for his efforts to advance conflict resolution in the Kashmir region, the Development in Literacy Humanitarian Award for his contributions to establishment of schools in impoverished areas of Pakistan, and the Anti-Defamation League Humanitarian Award for his advancement of social justice and human rights causes.

Kathwari serves as a director of the WCSU Foundation and received an honorary doctorate from Western in 2008. He also holds honorary doctorates from Tufts University and Sacred Heart University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and political science from Kashmir University in Srinagar and a Master of Business Administration in international marketing from New York University. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services division recognized him in 2007 as an “Outstanding American by Choice,” an award honoring outstanding achievements of naturalized U.S. citizens in civic participation, professional achievement and responsible citizenship.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

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