Board

Executive Committee

Hon. Franklin D. Kramer (Chairman)
Mr. Patrick Gross (Co-Founder and Former Chairman)
Mr. John M. Duff, Jr. (Vice-Chairman)
Mr. Thomas J. Reckford (Vice-Chairman)
Dr. Michael Haltzel (Secretary)
Mr. Robert Berry (Treasurer)
Mr. Richard Knop
Mr. Tobia Mercuro
Heidi Shoup, President (ex officio)

Darcy Bacon

Darcy Bacon is currently an analyst and research aide to commentator Mark Shields, for whom she conducts research and writes reports for his weekly appearances on PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Prior to this, Mrs. Bacon served as Associate Producer for National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday from 2001 to 2008, and was an editorial assistant for National Public Radio's All Things Considered from 1998 to 2001. From 1990 to 1997, Mrs. Bacon was the producer for The Diane Rehm Show, a nationally syndicated radio talk show. Among her other employments, Mrs. Bacon has worked as a speechwriter for the United States Regulatory Council from 1979 to 1981, an editorial assistant and writer for the National Education Association from 1977 to 1979, and was the chief speechwriter for the mayoral campaign of Clifford L. Alexander in 1974. Mrs. Bacon holds a M.A.T. from Columbia University and a B.A. from Smith College.

Robert J. Berry (Treasurer)

Robert J. Berry currently serves as the treasurer for the Washington, DC branch of the World Affairs Council of America following over twenty-five years of banking experience in the international field. Mr. Berry is a Chicago native, although with six years of living abroad in Mexico, and has gone on to serve at the top of several significant international organizations including working on the board of directors of the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the Asia Society, and holding the position of director at the Meridian International Center. Mr. Berry was also Senior Vice President for International Banking at Bank of America. Mr. Berry has also served as President of the Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas and earned his degree in economics from Harvard University.

The Honorable Julia Chang Bloch

The Honorable Julia Chang Bloch is President of the US-China Education Trust and became the first Asian American to hold the rank of U.S. Ambassador in 1989. Before this, The Honorable Bloch earned her BA in Communications and Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964, and an MA in Government and East Asia Regional Studies from Harvard University in 1967. In 1971 she served as a staffer for the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs and continued on to serve in several other civil service positions before being appointed as the US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Nepal from 1989 to 1993. Following this, Ambassador Bloch worked for the Bank of America as the Group Executive Vice President from 1993 until 1996 during which time she was credited with the establishment and management of the Corporate Relations Department. However, from 1996 to 1998 she moved on to become the President and CEO of the US-Japan Foundation.

Roel Campos

Roel Campos is the partner in charge of Cooley Godward Kronish's Washington, D.C. office. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Campos was a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission from 2002-2007. He has participated in the crafting and adoption of all of the SEC's major regulatory initiatives, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Prior to being nominated to the Commission, Mr. Campos was a principal owner-executive of El Dorado Communications, a radio broadcasting company. After attending Harvard Law School, he worked in Los Angeles for major law firms as a corporate transactions/securities lawyer and litigator. Mr. Campos served as a federal prosecutor for five years in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles and has been recognized as one of the top Latino leaders in America. He is a founding member of the New America Alliance, a Latino initiative for raising awareness of investment opportunities in the Latino sector. Mr. Campos earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1979, his M.B.A. from UCLA in 1972, and in 1971 earned his B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Joseph Caracuel

Joseph Caracuel is the Senior Vice President of the International Government Division of Bank of America. He is responsible for providing global treasury management and international banking services to multilateral organizations, international governments and international corporations. Mr. Caracuel has been working with Bank of America for 17 years and has been active with environmental and community development initiatives within the Bank. Mr. Caracuel is a guest speaker for The George Washington University's M.B.A. program and works with the International Programs from Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Mr. Caracuel received a Bachelors of Business Administration degree with an IB concentration from The George Washington University, a Graduate Certificate in International Finance from Georgetown University and a MBA from The George Washington University's School of Business and Public Management.

Shan Carr Cooper

Shan Cooper is Vice President, Human Resources (HR), for Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services. An experienced operational leader, Shan previously served as Vice President and Deputy of Human Resources for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. She also was the Site Lead for Human Resources at the Marietta, Ga., Meridian, Miss., and Clarksburg, W. Va., facilities. Shan joined Lockheed Martin in 2002 as Senior Manager, Diversity Workforce Management. Before joining Lockheed Martin, Shan held leadership positions with various Fortune 500 companies, most recently at Lucent Technologies. She has received several national honors, including the Women of Color in Technology Corporate Responsibility Award, the YWCA Tribute to Women of Achievement, and was named to Diversity MBA Magazine's 2009 Top 100 Under 50 Executives. Shan received her MBA from the Roberto C. Goizueta Business School, Emory University and is a graduate of the Rutgers Global Executive Master's in Human Resource Leadership Program.

Tony Culley-Foster

Tony Culley-Foster brings 35 years of extensive top-level, international business, trade, strategic communications, entrepreneurship, marketing, sales and lobbying expertise, as well as a "can do" enthusiasm to his business activities. After immigrating from Ireland to the United States, Culley-Foster worked as Personal Assistant to W. Clement Stone. In November 1985, Culley-Foster established CFCO International, an international business consultancy specializing in business management, government relations, corporate communications, and support services to the senior management of European & Asian companies who seek to enter the American market. CFCO also works with the World Bank, IMF, IFC, USAID, and regional international finance institutions on international private public partnership, political risk guarantees & financing . Culley-Foster is profiled in Who's Who in the World; a Visiting Professor in Communications, University of Ulster & the recipient of numerous American & international commendations for voluntary leadership, corporate social responsibility & contributions to peace in Northern Ireland.

The Honorable Diana Lady Dougan

The Honorable Diana Lady Dougan has been a Director at Qualcomm Inc. since December 1998. Ambassador Dougan is Chairwoman of the Cyber Century Forum and Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Honorable Dougan has served in senior policy and management positions for more than three decades, including appointments by both Republican and Democratic presidents in senate-confirmed positions. From 1982 to 1988, as the first statutory U.S. coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, The Honorable Dougan spearheaded international negotiations and policies involving telecom, broadcast, and information technology services on behalf of 14 federal agencies, served as Assistant Secretary of State and currently holds the permanent rank of ambassador. Early in her career, The Honorable Dougan was the first CATV marketing director for Time, Inc. and an award-winning TV producer. In addition to earning undergraduate degrees in industrial psychology and English from the University of Maryland, her studies also include economics at the University of Utah and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

John M. Duff, Jr. (Vice-Chairman, Global Education Committee Chair)

Before co-founding Duff Ackerman Goodrich and DAG Ventures, Mr. Duff spent nine years with Bechtel Investments where he served initially as Chief Counsel and then as Managing Principal responsible for private equity investments. Previously, Mr. Duff was Deputy General Counsel and Senior Vice President of the Export Import Bank where in the latter capacity he was responsible for overseeing the Bank's lending activities. He also was formerly a partner in the law firm of Reed Smith headquartered in Pittsburgh. Mr. Duff holds a BA from Princeton University and an LLB from Yale Law School.

Candace H. Duncan

Candace Duncan is the Midatlantic Area Managing Partner - Audit, KPMG LLP. Candy provides leadership and direction to Midatlantic Business Unit partners in charge, office managing partners, and audit partners. In addition, Candy is the partner in charge of the Virginia Business Unit Audit practice, overseeing the unit's operations of the Virginia Business Unit. Candy has spent more than 30 years as an audit professional with KPMG. Her extensive experience includes serving clients within the consumer and industrial products arena, including manufacturing, retailing, and distribution. Candy is a member of the AICPA and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants. She holds a BS degree in accounting from Kansas State University. She works to advance mentoring relationships within the firm and is a strong supporter of KPMG's Network of Women.

A. Edward Elmendorf

A. Edward Elmendorf is President of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area and on the Advisory Council of the Textile Museum in Washington DC. Mr. Elmendorf joined the United States Foreign in 1963 and left in 1970 to join the World Bank, where he stayed for 30 years. Mr. Elmendorf worked on policy planning, loan programming and negotiation with North African countries, personnel management, country assistance strategy, lending, and macroeconomic policy in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, and the Indian Ocean countries and became one of the founders of the World Bank Group Staff Association. He has worked and written on health strategy and policy in Africa. He was co-author of the book Better Health in Africa. Since retiring from the World Bank, he has taught at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and School of Public Health, and worked as consultant for several distinguished organizations such as the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Program. Elmendorf received his Masters in Economics from George Washington University.

Edie Fraser (Senior Consultant to Diversified Search Odgers Berndtson (DSOB))

Prior to joining Diversified, Mrs. Fraser was Founder and CEO of Diversity Best Practices (DBP). She was publisher of the CEO Magazine, The Diversity Primer and The Diversity Officer. Mrs. Fraser is also the founder of the Business Women's Network (BWN) and Best Practices in Corporate Communications (BPCC), and is former President of a PR agency, where she won the highest award possible in the field or communications, the Silver Anvil, for a specialized international campaign on US and Japan communications and trade promotion. She has won 38 major awards in Diversity and Women's Leadership. Mrs. Fraser sits on numerous boards and advisory boards which include: World Affairs Council of Washington; National board of SCORE; Enterprising Women Magazine. She was of the first women in the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame and is on the Advisory Board of Center for Citizen Diplomacy and the newly inducted Harvard Center for Public Diplomacy; board of LATINAStyle and the Ana Maria Arias. Mrs. Fraser started her career as a Desk Officer for Malawi at the Peace Corps.

Carl J. Green

Carl J Green is Senior Representative of Hitachi, Ltd., in Washington, DC, and is responsible for both business and public affairs. Prior to joining in Hitachi, Mr. Green practiced and taught international business law. He was a partner in the Washington and Tokyo offices of Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy and a member of the faculty of Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Green was the Ford Foundation’s Representative in Japan and East Asia. He has held various positions in numerous organizations concerned with international affairs, such as President of the Japan-America Society of Washington, Chairman of the Washington Advisory Board of the Asia Society and a member of the board of the International House of Japan. He serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is on its International Affairs Fellowship selection committee. He is the author or editor of numerous books and articles on international business law and international affairs. He is fluent in Japanese and speaks Chinese, French, and German. Mr. Green received his BA in Far Eastern Languages from Harvard University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

Patrick Gross (Co-Founder and Former Chairman, Development Committee Chair)

Patrick Gross is Chairman of The Lovell Group, a business and technology advisory and investment firm. Previously, he spent three decades as principal executive officer of American Management Systems, Inc. He founded AMS in 190 with four colleagues from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and built it to a $ 1 billion company with 8,000 professionals throughout North America and Europe. He is currently a director of three NYSE companies: Capital One Financial Corporation, Waste Management, Inc, and Rosetta Stone and three NASDAQ companies: Career Education Corporation, Taleo Corporation, and Liquidity Services, Inc. He is also an investor and director of numerous private, venture funded technology based firms. His other leadership positions include Trustee and Cochairman of the Policy and Impact Committee of the Committee for Economic Development, Trustee of the Aspen Institute, Director of the Jamestown Foundation and the Foreign Policy Association. He is a Trustee of the Federal City Council and a Director of DC Preparatory Academy, a charter school system. He is an elected member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Washington Institute for Foreign Affairs, and the Economic Club of Washington DC.

Michael Haltzel (Secretary)

Michael Haltzel is Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. Dr. Haltzel capped a distinguished career in public service as senior foreign policy advisor (1994-2005) to Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-Delaware), Ranking Member (Chairman 2001-03) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and as Democratic Staff Director of the Subcommittee on European Affairs of the Committee. Dr. Haltzel went to the Senate in 1994 from the Library of Congress and from 1985 to 1992, he served as Director of West European Studies of the Woodrow Wilson Center at the Smithsonian Institution. He previously taught Russian and German History at Hamilton College and was Vice President for Academic Affairs at Longwood College. In 1975-78, Dr. Haltzel helped launch the Aspen Institute Berlin as its first Deputy Director. Dr. Haltzel has been awarded the Grand Cross of Commander of the Order of Grand Duke Gediminas by Lithuania, the Star of Romania by Romania, the Knighthood of the Royal Order of the Polar Star by Sweden, the Officer's Cross Order of Merit by Hungary, the Grand Decoration of Honor in Silver by Austria, and the Three Star Order by Latvia. He received a B.A. magna cum laude with honors in history from Yale, an M.A. in Soviet Studies and a Ph.D. in history, both from Harvard.

Beverly Kirk

Beverly Kirk is CEO of Bevkirk International, LLC, a media consulting and professional services company. Previously, she anchored Live Tonight, Federal News Tonight, and the Latenight Report for NewsChannel 8. Prior to joining NewsChannel 8, Beverly anchored hourly newsbriefs produced by National Public Radio for PBS stations around the country. She also spent six years as a correspondent for NBC News Channel, the affiliate division of NBC News, covering national stories including September 11th and the War on Terrorism, the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2000 Presidential Election, the Clinton Impeachment, and other breaking news events for all NBC stations. In addition, she contributed occasional feature stories to the Weekend Edition of the NBC Nightly News. Before joining NBC in 1997, Kirk served as an anchor and local government reporter for WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky, where she also produced and hosted the station's monthly minority public affairs program. Kirk began her television news career at WBKO-TV in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She holds a Master of Arts degree in International Politics from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. She also is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Western Kentucky University with degrees in History and Broadcasting.

Rebecca Klemm

Rebecca Klemm is the founder and President of Klemm Analysis Group, Inc. (KAG). Graduating magna cum laude, Dr. Klemm received her BS in mathematics from Miami University in 1971. She received her MS in 1973 and Ph.D. in 1976 in statistics, both from Iowa State University. She uses her statistical training to solve and explain complex problems that arise from legislation or disputes. She has presented evidence-based analysis that has withstood scrutiny in Federal District courts, Congressional committees, and scientific conferences. In 2006 Honorable Judge Paul Friedman named Ms. Klemm to the three-person Blackman Jones Evaluation Team to study special education in DC Public Schools where she analyzed data to suggest improvements. Ms. Klemm has directed projects for the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Bar Association, and the Department of Veterans. Prior to founding KAG, she taught in the Schools of Business of Temple and Georgetown Universities.

J. Richard Knop (Program Advisory Committee Chair)

Mr. Knop is Senior Managing Director for BB&T Mr. Knop co-founded Windsor Group, LLC in 1992, which was later acquired by BB&T Capital Markets in January 2005. With over twenty years of investment banking experience, Mr. Knop has closed a broad range of investment banking transactions, including over eighty defense and government contractor mergers in the past fifteen years. In 2004, Mr. Knop was selected as the recipient of both the Greater Washington Technology's Financier of the Year and the Association for Corporate Growth's Dealmaker of the Year awards. In 2007, he received a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the George Washington University. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and is a former President for the National Capital Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, the D. C. Metro Board of Directors for BB&T and the George Washington University’s Law School Board of Advisors Mr. Knop is also a monthly guest columnist for Washington Technology. He holds a Juris Doctorate with honors from The George Washington University Law School.

The Honorable Franklin Kramer (Chairman)

The Honorable Franklin Kramer is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy. Mr Kramer was Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from March 1996 to February 2001, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and NATO Affairs from January 1996 to March 1996. He has also served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1979 to 1981, and as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1977 to 1979. Mr. Kramer is the chairman of the board of the World Affairs Council - Washington, D.C.; chairman of the Committee on Asian and Global Security of the Atlantic Council and on the Executive Committee of the board; a Capstone Professor at George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs; and on the board of directors and board of advisers of other organizations. Mr. Kramer has been a partner with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Shea and Gardner. Mr. Kramer received a B.A. cum laude from Yale University in 1967 and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1971.

Ado A. Machida

Ado Machida is Vice President, Government Relations, BAE Systems, Inc. Prior to joining BAE Systems, Ado was President and Founding Principal at The Kaizen Strategy Group, LLC. He previously worked as the principal Partner in charge of Administration and Executive Branch representation at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, in Washington, D.C. Starting in 2002, he spent two years at The White House as Deputy Assistant to Vice President Cheney for Domestic Policy and as the Acting Director of the Office of Domestic Policy, Office of the Vice President. He was also the principal liaison for the White House and the President's Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. Mr. Machida has remained active in Republican politics, having also served as Economic Policy Advisor to the 1996 presidential campaign of Sen. Bob Dole, and as an Assistant to the Senate Republican Leader under Sen. Dole from 1992 to 1995, specializing in taxation, banking and finance issues. He was a senior policy advisor to Senator Fred D. Thompson for the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Previously, he was the General Manager in charge of corporate and strategic planning for the Larson Company in Arizona and an investment banker in the New York and Tokyo Offices of Goldman, Sachs & Co. specializing in cross-border transactions. Mr. Machida received his LL.B. from Kyoto University in Japan in 1986, attended Harvard Business School from 1989 to 1990, and received his LL.M. in taxation from the New York University School of Law in 1997.

Tobia Mercuro

Tobia Mercuro is a former entrepreneur/CEO who recently sold his construction materials mining and manufacturing company. During his business career, he served in leadership roles in many civic, political and industry organizations, managed several political campaigns, and created an industry lobbying coalition on an environmental issue. He is currently on the Boards of the Meridian International Center, World Affairs Council,DC, and the United Nations Association,DC where he Co-chairs a UN Strengthening and Reform Committee, and on the Advisory Council for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Kennedy Center's International Committee and its Washington Committee on the Arts. He is a Director of Riverton Properties Management, and a past Trustee of the Corcoran Museum of Art & College of Art+Design.

Richard P. Merski

Richard Merski is Senior Vice President and Head of Federal Affairs of Zurich Financial Services Group, where he counsels Zurich's senior management on executive and legislative branch developments. Prior to joining Zurich, Mr. Merski worked with American International Group as Vice President and Counsel in their Washington office and served as Legislative Director and Counsel to Congressman Richard T. Schulze (R-PA). Mr. Merski holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, a Master's in International Relations from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University with Bachelor's degrees in Economics and Political Science. He is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia; Commonwealth of Virginia; District of Columbia Court of Appeals; U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit; U.S. District Court, District of Columbia; and U.S. Court of International Trade. Mr. Merski is a past-Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council. He also served on the Board of the Congressional Economic Leadership Institute and is a Senior Advisor to the United States-Asia Foundation.

Robert Pence

Robert Frank Pence, a lifelong resident of the Washington D.C. area, has developed, through Pence-Friedel Developers, Inc., thirty-five shopping centers totaling over 5,800,000 square feet of retail space. Mr. Pence is a principal owner of the Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, VA and Grand Duke Hotels, the operator of multiple hotels in the Washington metropolitan area. A graduate of the University of Maryland, he earned J.D. and M.A. degrees (Renaissance Literature and Art) from American University and a M.Phil. (Italian) from Yale University where he is completing his Ph.D. dissertation. He has taught at both Yale and Georgetown. A past member of the boards of American University, McLean Youth, and the Langley School, his current memberships include the District of Columbia Bar, Congressional Country Club, the Yale University Capital Campaign, the Wolf Trap Foundation. Appointed by President George W. Bush to the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts, Mr. Pence and his wife Suzy are members of the International Committee of the Kennedy Center. Bob and Suzy have funded study in Italy for over 50 college students. They endowed the naming gift of American University's law library and received American University President's Award in 2007. They are proud sponsors of the 2005 USO Christmas dinner and Beach Boys Concert at WRAMC, the 2006 Beach Boys Thanksgiving concert at Ramstein AFB, Germany, and the 2007 Beach Boys and 2007/2008 Gary Sinise/Lt. Dan Band WRAMC concerts. The Pences have three sons, Stephen, Geoffrey and Brian with whom they have created a scholarship at Virginia Tech to benefit the children of police officers, firefighters and members of armed forces who have been killed in the line of duty.

Thomas J. Reckford (Vice-Chairman, Membership Committee Chair)

Thomas J. Reckford is Vice Chairman of the World Affairs Council - Washington, D.C. and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also the regional director for East Asia at the National Leadership Forum on Global Challenges. Mr. Reckford has been a senior international analyst with the Eaton Corporation, a vice president of InterMatrix Incorporated, a senior advisor to the Government Research Corporation, and an expert consultant to the Department of Commerce. Before entering business, Mr. Reckford served in the Office of National Estimates at the Central Intelligence Agency, in the Commission on the Organization of the Government for the Conduct of Foreign Policy, and in U.S. Army Intelligence in France and Germany. A Harvard graduate (magna cum laude in history), Mr. Reckford has taught political risk analysis at Georgetown University. A former director of the Council on International Business Risk Management, he currently serves on the advisory committee of the Asia Society's Washington Center. He is co-author of Building ASEAN: 20 Years of Southeast Asian Cooperation (Praeger, 1987).

Raymond S. Sczudlo

Raymond S. Sczudlo is Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Children's National Medical Center. Prior to joining Children's National Medical Center, Mr. Sczudlo was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of EYECAST Corporation from 2000-2001. In addition, Mr. Sczudlo was a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Mr. Sczudlo was also an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law Center from 1991-2000, where he taught banking and finance. He has authored numerous articles on banking, technology, investment, capital markets, regulatory and policy issues, and has been a frequent lecturer on such topics. Mr. Sczudlo is a member of the Federal City Council, the Economic Club of Washington, DC, the District of Columbia Bar, the American Health Lawyers Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and the Corporate Counsel Institute Advisory Board of the Georgetown University Law Center. He holds a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Detroit.

Helmut Sonnenfeldt

Helmut Sonnenfeldt currently serves as Director of the Atlantic Council of the United States, a trustee of Johns Hopkins University, and member of the Executive Panel of the Chief of Naval Operations. Using his expertise in international relations and security, Sonnenfeldt has secured several prestigious positions in his past as well, holding membership in the Executive Committee of the International Institute of Strategic Studies from 1988-1989. Prior to this he served as a Counselor for the U.S. Department of State from 1974 to 1977 was a Senior Staff Member on the National Security Council from 1969 to 1974. Helmut Sonnenfeldt also held the position of Director in the Office of Research on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe of the U.S. Department of State from 1952 to 1969. Mr. Sonnenfeldt holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Nigel Sutton

Nigel Sutton spent over 23 years in the US Navy before serving as Director/Staff Executive to the CEO of the Raytheon Company. Sutton is involved in the aircraft survivability technical committee at the American Institute of Aerospace and Aeronautics (AIAA), a senior member of the Society of Flight Tests Engineers (SFTE), and a member of the board of directors for the Precision Strike Association (PSA). In addition, he is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Business Executives for National Security Forum, the Baltimore Council of Foreign Relations and the Foreign Policy Association. He holds an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from US Naval Postgraduate School, an MBA from Florida Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Aviation Systems from University of Tennessee, a B.S. in Computer Science from Park College, and a Flight Test Certification from the United States Navy test Pilot School

Hillary Thomas-Lake

Hillary Thomas-Lake is the Managing Director and co-founder of the international development consulting firm LTL Strategies. She is an Africa and conflict management specialist who speaks 8 languages, including French, Spanish, and Portuguese. She has also lectured on US foreign policy, African affairs, and conflict management at universities in the US and abroad. Previously, Thomas-Lake worked at the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs as an Assistant Coordinator for Democracy, Human Rights, and Special Projects. At the Africa-America Institute, she was the Senior Program Coordinator for the emerging democracies electoral assistance program, known as the Africa Regional Electoral Assistance Fund.
Thomas-Lake holds a BSFS from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, a Master's in International Public Policy from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, and is a PhD candidate in International Relations focusing on Conflict Management/African Studies at SAIS.

Mary Webster

Mary Webster is an attorney in the Washington DC office of Winston & Strawn. She concentrates her practice in international arbitration and litigation, representing Latin American and Middle Eastern sovereign nations in investor-state arbitration. Prior to attending law school, she worked for the NGO, Child Family Health International, which places health science students on global health education programs around the world. She also led high school students on a summer volunteer and travel program to Mexico through the Experiment in International Living. Ms. Webster earned both her LL.M. in Law, Development and Governance from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies and her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 2008. She also holds a B.A. in History and Latin American Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Honorable Togo D. West, Jr.

Togo D. West, Jr. served under President Gerald R. Ford as Associate Deputy Attorney General in the U. S. Department of Justice. In the Administration of President Jimmy Carter, he was General Counsel of the Navy, later, the Special Assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, and, thereafter, General Counsel of the Department of Defense. He served in President Clinton's Administration as Secretary of the Army. In the second Clinton Administration he was Secretary of Veterans Affairs and a member of President Clinton's Cabinet from 1998 to 2000. He served on active military duty in the Army's Judge Advocate General Corps and for his service, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal, and for his public service, he has received decorations for distinguished service from the Departments of Defense, Army, Air Force, Navy, and Veterans Affairs. Secretary West is the Chair-elect of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Washington Hospital Center. He is an Eagle Scout with Bronze Palm, he has been named Distinguished Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America and was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award for his national contributions to America's youth. Currently, he is the President of the National Capital Area Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America.

Howard Woolley

Howard Woolley is Senior Vice President of Public Policy for Verizon Wireless. Woolley develops and manages company strategy and initiatives in the Congress, Executive Branch, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and state governments. Previously, he served as Vice President of Wireless and International Relations for Bell Atlantic Corporation and was a member of the State Department Communications and Information Policy Advisory Committee. Prior to joining Bell Atlantic, Woolley was vice president of Regulatory Affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters, where he directed association initiatives at the FCC. He holds a BA in TV and Radio from Syracuse University and a MA in management from Johns Hopkins University.

The Honorable R. James Woolsey

The Honorable R. James Woolsey joined Booz Allen Hamilton's McLean, Virginia, office in 2002 as a Vice President working with the firm's Global Resilience clients and currently holds positions on a vast number of related committees and boards. In 2003, Consulting Magazine named Mr. Woolsey to its list of Top 25 Consultants in the United States. He was previously a partner at the law firm of Shea & Gardner in Washington, DC, where he practiced for 22 years in the fields of civil litigation and alternative dispute resolution. During his 12 years of government service, Mr. Woolsey was Director of Central Intelligence from 1993 to 1995; Ambassador to the Negotiation on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), Vienna, from 1989 to 1991; Under Secretary of the Navy from 1977 to 1979; and General Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services from 1970 to 1973. Mr. Woolsey received his B.A. degree from Stanford University (1963, With Great Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa), an M.A. from Oxford University (Rhodes Scholar 1963–1965), and an LL.B from Yale Law School (1968, Managing Editor of the Yale Law Journal).