BUFFALO, N.Y. – Douglas Waller, author of “Wild Bill Donovan The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage,” will be the featured speaker at the Buffalo City Forum and buffet luncheon on Tuesday, March 8.  Doors open at noon and lunch begins at 12:15 p.m.  The Forum takes place in the WNED studios, 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo.

Waller is a former Time/Newsweek correspondent who reported on the CIA for six years and covered the top power sources in Washington, D.C., including the White House and the Pentagon. His latest book presents a riveting biography of a mythic figure and controversial innovator from Buffalo, N.Y.

“If you asked me to write a novel, I’d have a hard time creating a character as compelling as the real Wild Bill Donovan or a story as exciting as the life he actually lived,” said Waller. He describes his latest book as “the tale of a heroic figure whose life was filled with personal tragedy, a spy drama that could be ripped from today’s headlines and a story of political intrigue at the highest levels of government.”

His book takes readers inside World War II-era spy missions—with new details about U.S. operations to topple Adolf Hitler, to steal secrets from the Axis powers and to snoop on wartime allies.  There were also revelations about secret plots by the Pentagon and J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI.

The Buffalo City Forum community speaker series is open to the public. It is produced by WNED-AM 970 and Leadership Buffalo in collaboration with JacksonParker Communications and hosted by WNED director of news and public affairs Jim Ranney. The hour-long Forum, which includes a question-and-answer session with the speaker, will be broadcast live on WNED-AM and wned.org/news beginning at 1 p.m.  Attendees must be seated by 12:45 p.m.

The admission fee for the Buffalo City Forum is $20 for the public and $15 for members of WNED or Leadership Buffalo.  Advanced registration is encouraged. RSVP’s are required for lunch by Monday, March 7 at noon.  Tickets are available by contacting Leadership Buffalo at (716) 849-2626, ext. 17 or jcollier@leadershipbuffalo.org.

Buffalo City Forum is made possible by the support of presenting sponsor Independent Health with additional support from gold sponsor People Inc. and community sponsor HSBC African Heritage Committee.

Through WNED-AM 970 The Information Station, Classical 94.5/WNED, WNED-TV and ThinkBright and Well TV, member-supported WNED Buffalo/Toronto provides high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate Western New York and Southern Ontario communities. Additional information can be found at wned.org.

Leadership Buffalo, established in 1987, is the premier network of business, civic and professional leaders in Western New York. The not-for-profit corporation is committed to developing current and future leaders of Buffalo and Erie County by enhancing our social capital and helping leaders to lead from a common set of four core values: service, diversity, inclusion and openness to change. For more information, visit leadershipbuffalo.org.