Former Army Ranger from the 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment and private security contractor known as the hero of the Benghazi attack, Kris “Tanto” Paronto, will deliver the 12th annual Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, at Southern Arkansas University.
Tickets for the event are now on sale. To purchase tickets by phone, call the SAU Office of Development at 870-235-4321. Tickets can be purchased online www.saufoundation.org by clicking the Make-A-Gift button.
A private reception will be held with Paronto at 5:15 p.m. at the Farmers Bank & Trust main branch in Magnolia. A book signing will be held at 6 p.m. at the SAU Reynolds Center. Dinner and lecture will follow at the Reynolds Center Grand Hall at 7 p.m.
Tickets start at $100 for the dinner and lecture. Tickets are $200 for the dinner and lecture as well as a private reception which includes an autographed photo with Paronto.
Sponsorship opportunities are also offered through the SAU Foundation. A Blue Sponsorship, $800, includes eight tickets for the dinner and lecture, two tickets for the private reception with photo, a table in the Blue Section with the sponsor’s name displayed on the table and in the program. The Gold Sponsorship, $2,000, includes eight to ten tickets to the dinner, lecture and private reception with photo. Gold Sponsor tables also enjoy premium seating and name displayed in the program and on the table.
Paronto, known affectionately as “Tanto” in security contracting circles, has deployed throughout South America, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. He also worked with the US Government’s Global Response Staff conducting low-profile security in high-threat environments around the world.
He was part of the CIA annex team that responded to the terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012. He helped save more than 20 lives while fighting off terrorists for more than 13 hours. His story is told in the book, 13 Hours, written by Mitchell Zuckoff and his five surviving annex security team members.
Born in Alamosa, Colo., Paronto received his bachelor’s degree from Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo., and master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He served four years in the U.S. Army and an additional four years in the U.S. Army National Guard, reaching the rank of sergeant, then becoming a commissioned officer in 2003. He started contracting for Blackwater Security Consulting in 2003 and continued to deploy on various security contracts, to include the Global Response Staff until 2013.
He has been involved in security operations in hostile environments for more than 10 years. His and his team’s involvement with the Benghazi terror attack was instrumental in saving American lives and assets. He is a proven leader, teammate and friend to those who have deployed with him, and a devout husband and father.
