Michelle Obama to speak in Vancouver

Michelle Obama is coming to Vancouver in Februaryto speak at a special event, hosted by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

The former U.S. first lady will be the keynote speaker on Feb. 15 at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

"We are exceptionally excited to host a conversation with Michelle Obama one of the most inspirational public figures of our time," saidGreater Vancouver Board of Trade president Iain Black, in an interview with On the Coasthost Gloria Macarenko.

"She's a Harvard lawyer.She's a former public servant.She's a former associate dean of a university.She's a former senior executive in health care.Oh, and then, she has this little gig called being first lady," said Black.

Black says they started reaching out to Obama last August, but it was "tricky" to get her to agree to come to Canada.

"Getting her and her team in New York to put together a program for her, so she could do multiple stops and whatnot is kind of what happens through that period, and we got the news just before Christmas after months of work," he said.

There has not yet been a topic announced for the engagement, but Black says the Board of Trade and Obama have shared values surrounding the promotion of women's leadership.

Black says he doesn't know if former president Barack Obama will be joining his wife in Vancouver.

"I suspect he'll be off doing his own thing that night, but you never know," he said.

The Board of Trade previously hosted former U.S. Secretary of StateHillary Clinton at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in 2014, which they say attracted a sold-out audience of 2,781.

Advance tickets will be available to members of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade on Jan. 10, while tickets for the public will go on sale Jan. 18.

With files from CBC'sOn the Coast