You are here: / News

Running the Traps Podcast Interview

/in /by

A special thank you to Aaron Jones with the Running the Traps podcast for giving PSA the opportunity to shine a light on our work. As a small outfit, it’s not very often that we get to publicize how PSA builds common ground and bipartisan support for our country’s most pressing foreign policy and national security issues. PSA is unique amongst Washington’s foreign policy and national security community in our singular focus to build trust, expertise, and opportunities for bipartisan problem solving on Capitol Hill and throughout Washington.

Our Executive Director John Sullivan expanded on our efforts to facilitate bipartisanship. He touched on the numerous educational models we utilize for our congressional programs and the impact they have on the staffer’s future work. Our Congressional Partnership Program, Department of State-Congressional Communication Program, and the Program on Legislative Negotiation go beyond the roadblocks of DC politics to focus on education, skills development, and professional networks.

As John mentioned, we are a do-tank, convening experts and professionals. We are building a community from all sides of the aisle to help Congress work better. The vast majority of public servants are driven by a genuine sense of service to our country, and we work to support these dedicated professionals. Time and time again, we hear from staffers about the beneficial impacts of our programs, whether by gaining greater awareness of specific issues or by fostering friendships across the aisle. We build professional capital between colleagues by encouraging them to take a break from their fast paced lifestyle and to learn about one another. Participants in our programs are forming bonds that can, in time, change the culture of deadlock and division on Capitol Hill. As John put it, PSA is playing the long game; it is an approach that is rewarding and effective.

If you are interested in learning more about PSA, take a listen to the conversation our Executive Director, John Sullivan had with Aaron. The Running the Traps podcast is in a short, digestible format and is a great way to brush up on various issues quickly.

 

 

Partnership for a Secure America: New Board of Directors Chair

/in /by

Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) is proud to announce Ambassador David Welch as our new Chair of the Board of Directors. Ambassador Welch brings considerable government and business experience to the PSA role, where he has been a Director for two years.

Ambassador Welch’s government career was in the U.S. Foreign Service, with a variety of overseas assignments.  He has held Presidential appointments in Democratic and Republican administrations and was confirmed by the Senate for the lifetime rank as Career Ambassador. We at PSA are confident that David Welch will make substantial contributions to the organization, and we are grateful for his public service. You can read more about David in his bio listed below. 

PSA would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Andrew Semmel for his contributions to PSA as the previous Chair of the Board of Directors. Because of Dr. Semmel’s work, PSA has expanded its programing to deliver premiere education and networking opportunities to congressional staff. The values and virtues exemplified by Dr. Semmel have come to define the work done at PSA. He has been a driving force behind many of our programs and was the impetus for the Department of State-Congress Communication Project and the Program on Legislative Negotiation. 

Holding the line of the bipartisan center can be thankless at times, but Dr. Semmel has meaningfully impacted not only PSA, but generations of congressional staff. His strong commitment to bipartisanship in national security and foreign policy will continue to be at the heart of PSA’s work. PSA thanks Dr. Semmel for his years of public service and stewardship of PSA. 

Ambassador David Welch Bio

David Welch is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of PSA. He has a broad range of knowledge and experience in government and business, both internationally and in the United States. Ambassador Welch retired in 2018 after 10 years with Bechtel, a global engineering and construction firm, where he was a Senior Vice President and Partner, supervising international and government affairs; Bechtel’s regional representatives in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America; Bechtel’s Washington D.C. office; global corporate security; and internal and external corporate communications. He was a board member of the U.S.-Saudi Business Council, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and the U.S.-Egypt Business Council and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy.   David Welch is currently a Director of OCI NV, and of Fertiglobe, fertilizer firms with global business and production plants in the United States, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. 

Ambassador Welch served 32 years (1977-2008) with the U.S. Foreign Service. He was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to senior positions in successive Democrat and Republican administrations. In 2008, he attained the lifetime rank, confirmed by the Senate, of Career Ambassador. He has extensive experience in international negotiations, conflict resolution, peacekeeping operations, and policy formulation and execution. When he retired from government, Ambassador Welch was Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (2005-2008), the senior-most U.S. diplomat for the region. He served as Ambassador to Egypt (2001–2005) and Assistant Secretary for International Organizations (1998–2001). He was also acting Chief of Mission in Saudi Arabia (1992-1994) during an interregnum between Ambassadors. Ambassador Welch was on the National Security Council staff at the White House (1989-1991), and served in Pakistan, Syria, and Jordan. He was the recipient of numerous awards during government service, including a Group Award for Valor. 

Ambassador Welch is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He attended the London School of Economics.

Andrew Semmel Bio

Dr. Andrew Semmel is a private consultant at AKS Consulting. He currently consults for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

Dr. Semmel joined the Department of State in Spring 2003 as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nuclear Nonproliferation in the Department’s Bureau of Nonproliferation and continued in that role in the newly formed Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN). His primary responsibilities included the development and execution of policies and initiatives to stem the spread of nuclear weapons, associated technologies and know-how, including export controls. 

From September 2001 to January 2003, he served as the first Executive Director of the U.S.-China Security Review Commission. He was responsible for the Commission’s public hearings, research, briefings, foreign travel, and the preparation of an annual report of findings and recommendations to the Congress on the security implications of economic and financial transactions and interactions between the U.S. and China. 

Dr. Semmel served on the personal staff of Senator Richard G. Lugar from 1987 to 2001, where he was the Senator’s senior Legislative Assistant for Foreign Policy. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and has been a Tenured Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati. He has also been an Adjunct Visiting Professor in the Master of Science in Foreign Service Program (MSFS) at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In 1981, he took a position with the Department of Defense as a Foreign Affairs Specialist in the Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA). He served as Chief of the Analysis Division of DSAA until he moved to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February 1985.

PSA Board Member, Ambassador Tom Miller Receives Mostar Peace Connection Award

/in /by

Washington, DC — Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) proudly congratulates Amb. Tom Miller, a member of our Board of Directors, for receiving the prestigious Mostar Peace Connection Award. The award is presented by the Center for Peace and Multi-ethnic Cooperation from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Center is a non-governmental and non-profit organization which aims to investigate and document important events in the history of Mostar and Herzegovina in the period from 1990 to 2004.

The Center traditionally presents the Peace Connection Award as recognition to prominent individuals and institutions that have contributed to peace and establishing trust and cooperation among people. There is a long list of laureates of the Centre’s Peace Connection Award, to include Nelson Mandela, the UNESCO Director-General, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

 

Amb. Miller was honored with this prestigious Mostar Peace Connection Award. A 29-year career diplomat, Amb. Miller’s experience in the Foreign Service spanned many continents. From 2001-2004, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Greece, where he focused on the security concerns of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and domestic counter-terrorism. From 1999-2001, as U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, he worked on helping the country recover after a devastating war. From 1997-1999, he was Special Coordinator for the Cyprus negotiations (rank of ambassador). He was also posted to Thailand as well as at the State Department in Washington, where he focused on North Africa, the Middle East, and counter-terrorism issues.

 

PSA celebrates Amb. Miller’s award in recognition of his public service. We are grateful for his guidance and support of PSA.

 

Ambassador Tom Miller Bio:

 

Amb. Thomas Miller served as President/CEO of International Executive Service Corps, a non-profit that provides expertise to the developing world to train in best business practices. Tom was the Chair of the Board of Intralot, Inc., a US corporation that runs lotteries in 11 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, in 2011, Tom was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be the Chair of the Board of the International Commission on Missing Persons, an internationally acclaimed organization that identifies missing persons in many countries by using DNA-matching and other techniques.

 

In 2009, Tom was President and CEO of the United Nations Association of the U.S. From 2005 through 2008, he served as CEO of Plan International, a large nongovernmental organization that works in 66 countries to improve the lives of children in developing countries.

 

A 29-year career diplomat, Tom’s experience in the Foreign Service spanned many continents. From 2001-04, he served as U.S. ambassador to Greece, where he focused on the security concerns of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and domestic counter-terrorism. From 1999-2001, as U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, he worked on helping the country recover after a devastating war. From 1997-99, he was Special Coordinator for the Cyprus negotiations (rank of ambassador). He was also posted to Thailand as well as the State Department in Washington, where he focused on North Africa, the Middle East, and counter-terrorism issues.

 

Tom serves on the boards of Partnership for a Secure America (promoting bipartisanship in U.S. foreign policy), The People’s Trust (supporting young entrepreneurs in Greece), and Lampsa (a Greek hotel company). He is the recipient of many honors and awards.

 

A native of the Chicago area, Ambassador Miller holds five degrees from the University of Michigan: a Ph.D. in Political Science (1975), Master’s in Political Science (1973) and Asian Studies (1972), and a B.A. in Political Science (1969) and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree (2003). He also received an honorary degree at the American College of Greece (2002).

 

 

PSA is a nonprofit founded by former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton (D-IN) and U.S. Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH) to advance bipartisanship on today’s critical national security and foreign policy challenges. Leveraging the leadership of its distinguished Advisory Board, PSA has unique credibility and access to forge common ground and fashion thoughtful, fact-based policy that promotes America’s national interests. More information on PSA can be found at www.psaonline.org.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Gabriella Ghandour (202-293-8580), or ghandour@psaonline.org.

 

Applications Open for The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship

/in /by

The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship invites recent college and graduate school alumni to apply for six to nine month paid fellowships with NGOs in Washington, DC, including Partnership For A Secure America, focusing on arms control, conflict resolution, peace, diplomacy, and international security issues. For more information, visit www.scoville.org .

Passing of Secretary Albright

/in , /by

 

“What people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.”

— Madeleine Albright

Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) is deeply saddened by the loss of our Advisory Board Member
and one of the most highly esteemed women of our time, Secretary Madeleine K. Albright.
With heavy hearts, we mourn the loss of a beloved American leader and supporter of PSA’s mission.
We will continue look to Secretary Albright’s life as a source of inspiration for what the future of
America can hold when we act with both steadfast determination and compassion.
A woman of many accomplishments, some of Secretary Albright’s most notable roles include her
confirmation as the 64th Secretary of State of the United States, the first female to hold the position and
the highest-ranking female leader in the history of the U.S. government at that time.
As Secretary of State, Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated for democracy and human
rights, and promoted American trade, business, labor, and environmental standards abroad. From 1993 to
1997, Secretary Albright served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and was a
member of the President’s Cabinet. From 1989 to 1992, she served as President of the Center for
National Policy. Previously, she was a member of President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Council
and White House staff, and she served as Chief Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie.
Secretary Albright was also a Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown University
School of Foreign Service. She chaired both the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
and the Pew Global Attitudes Project and served as president of the Truman Scholarship Foundation.
Secretary Albright served on the Boards of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institute, and the
Center for a New American Security. In 2009, Secretary Albright was asked by NATO Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen to Chair a Group of Experts focused on developing NATO’s New Strategic
Concept.

Dr. Albright is the author of four New York Times bestsellers: her autobiography, Madam Secretary: A
Memoir, (2003); The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs (2006);
Memo to the President: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership (2008); and Read
My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box (2009).
Dr. Albright received a B.A. with Honors from Wellesley College, and Master’s and Doctorate degrees
from Columbia University’s Department of Public Law and Government, as well as a Certificate from its
Russian Institute.

PSA Expands its Board of Advisors

/in , , /by

 

 

Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) is excited to announce the addition of five new members to our Advisory Board, Senator Evan Bayh, Senator Tom Daschle, Senator Olympia Snowe, Lieutenant General Charles W. Hooper, and Mr. Robert Zoellick. Combined, they have served over 70 years in Congress, the Executive, the military, and international organizations such as the World Bank.  All five bring a strong commitment to promoting bipartisan foreign policy. PSA is grateful for each of their commitment to bipartisan collaboration, and we are honored to have their wealth of experience added to that of our current Advisory Board Members’.

Evan Bayh is a former U.S. Senator from Indiana (1999 – 2011) two-term governor (1989 – 1997), concluding his second term as governor with an approval rating of nearly 80%.  He was first elected to public office as Secretary of State for Indiana in 1986.  As Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, Senator Bayh pushed for “Third Way” solutions to issues that often fall victim to partisan fighting. He has also served with numerous corporate and business entities\, as well as a lecturer at Indiana University Bloomington. Bayh He has also served on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Tom Daschle has participated in the development and debate of almost every major public policy issue of the last three decades. In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for eight years. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and was chosen as Senate Democratic Leader in 1994. Senator Daschle is one of the longest-serving Senate Democratic leaders in history and served as both Majority and Minority Leader.  In 2007, Senator Daschle joined with former Majority Leaders George Mitchell, Bob Dole and Howard Baker to create the Bipartisan Policy Center, an organization dedicated to finding common ground on some of the pressing public policy challenges of our time. Senator Daschle serves on numerous public and private boards, including the Center for American Progress and the National Democratic Institute. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Lieutenant General Charles Hooper is recognized as one of America’s foremost soldier-diplomats and is widely respected with the Departments of State, Defense and the Intelligence Community.  With over 40 years of experience, Lieutenant General Hooper’s numerous assignments included serving as the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency; U.S. Defense Attaché in both China and Egypt; Senior Country Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense; DOD strategist and planner for U.S. Africa Command; Deputy for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and as an instructor at the Naval Postgraduate school in Monterey. LTG Hooper’s many accomplishments began when he was commissioned as an infantryman in 1979. He holds numerous degrees from schools such as West Point, Harvard and the U.S Army War College. He is a fluent Chinese linguist and was awarded the French National Defense Medal.

Olympia Snowe is a former U.S. Representative (1979 – 1995) and Senator (1995 – 2013) from Maine. When first elected to Congress in 1978, at the age of 31, Snowe was the youngest Republican woman, and the first Greek American woman, ever elected to Congress.  She is also the first woman in American history ever to be elected to both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress.  Senator Snow currently is a member of the board of numerous private major American companies; is a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Board of Directors of the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Senior Advisory Committee of Harvard’s Institute of Politics, the National Institute for Civil Discourse’s Advisory Board, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission. In 2014, she founded the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute to elevate the confidence and aspirations of high school girls and now serves as Honorary Chair of its Board of Directors.

Robert Zoellick served in the Treasury Department, State Department, and in the George H.W. Bush White House from 1985-1993. Between 1993 and 1997 he was the Executive Vice President of Fannie Mae. In 1997 he took a position with Goldman Sachs as a senior advisor and held various academic appointments. Zoellick returned to government when he was appointed the U.S. Trade Representative (2001-2005) and would go on to serve as Deputy Secretary of State (2005-2006.) In 2007, President George Bush nominated him to serve as the President of the World Bank, a position he would hold until 2012. Since leaving the role, Zoellick has served on the boards of a broad range of institutions including, the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, the German Marshall Fund, the European Institute, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

Partnership for a Secure America Advisory Board;

Madeleine Albright (Secretary of State 1997-2001)

Evan Bayh (Senator (D-IN) 1999-2011)

William Cohen (Secretary of Defense 1997-2001)

Tom Daschle (Senator (D-SD) 1987-2005)

Paula Dobriansky (Undersecretary of State 2001-2009)

Lee Hamilton (Congressman (D-IN) 1965-1999)

Gary Hart (Senator (D-CO) 1975-1987)

Carla A. Hills (US Trade Representative 1989-1993)

General Charles W. Hooper (U.S. Army Ret.) (Lieutenant General, Former Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency)

Jeh Johnson (Secretary of Homeland Security 2013-2017)

Nancy Kassebaum Baker (Senator (R-KS) 1978-1997)

Thomas Kean (Governor, New Jersey 1982-1990, 9/11 Commission Chair)

John Lehman ( Secretary of the Navy 1981-1987, 9/11 Commission 2003-2004)

Donald McHenry (Ambassador to UN 1979-1981)

Robert McFarlane (National Security Advisor 1983-1985)

Admiral Michael Mullen (U.S. Navy Ret.)  (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2007-2011)

Sam Nunn (Senator (D-GA) 1972-1996)

Leon Panetta (Secretary of Defense 2011-2012)

William Perry (Secretary of Defense 1994-1997)

General David Petraeus (U.S. Army, Ret.) (Director of the Central Intelligence Agency 2011-2012)

Thomas Pickering (Undersecretary of State 1997-2000)

Olympia Snowe (Senator (R-ME) 1995-2013)

Frances Townsend (Homeland Security Advisor 2004-2008)

Frank Wisner (Undersecretary of Defense Policy 1993-1994)

Robert Zoellick (President of World Bank 2007-2012)

 

 

 

Passing of Former Ambassador George P. Shultz

/in /by

For Immediate Release: February 8, 2021

Media Contact: psa@psaonline.org

Press Release: Passing of Former Ambassador George P. Shultz

Washington, D.C. – – Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) mourns the loss of PSA advisory board member Ambassador George P. Shultz, who passed away on Sunday, February 7th. Ambassador Shultz passed away in his home in Northern California.

Ambassador Shultz was an incredibly skilled patriot and is one of only two Americans to hold four cabinet positions throughout his long career in public service. He began his work in presidential administrations as a member of the Council of Economic Advisors for President Eisenhower and went on to occupy the roles of Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Labor, and as the first director of the newly created Office of Management and Budget. Most notably, Shultz served as Secretary of State under President Reagan and spearheaded historic achievements in arms control and diplomatic negotiations with the Soviet Union that helped pave the way to ending the Cold War. Ambassador Shultz was a central leader on the global effort to prevent the U.S. from deploying Pershing-II intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, a move that would have increased the already high tensions of the Cold War. He received the Presidential Medal of Honor in 1989 and holds a legacy as one of the United States’ greatest statesmen.

Ambassador Schultz was a champion of bipartisanship and remained a staunch and active advocate for bipartisan foreign policy after leaving office.  PSA proudly hosted Secretary Shultz in a policy forum for his first visit back to Congress. Statesmen from both sides of the political aisle have expressed their sadness at his passing while celebrating his distinguished service for this Country.

President Biden acknowledged Shultz as a man of “honor and ideas…inked into the pages of our [US] history.” Secretary of State, Antony Blinken revered Shultz as a “patriot” and a “towering figure in the history of the State Department.” He was praised by and returned his praise to his diplomatic colleagues in the Department.

PSA will miss Ambassador Shultz and is honored to have benefitted from his guidance, experience, and wisdom and sends its deepest condolences to the Ambassador’s family and friends.

 

Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship

/in /by
Read more

Off-the-Record with Ambassador Richard Verma on the Current State of U.S. – India Relations

/in , , , , , /by

On February 13th – Partnership for a Secure America held an off-the-record dinner featuring the former U.S. Ambassador to India. PSA Board member and  Associate at the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard University Ronak Desai moderated the discussion. The dinner discussion emphasized the value of the U.S. India relationship and how it has […]

Read more

Fall 2019 CPP Final Dinner

/in , /by

Monday, November 18th – The Congressional Partnership Program’s Fall 2019 class participated in their final dinner on Monday. They presented to the group the findings from their partner projects, discussed the program highlights, and enjoyed one final night of mingling with their cohort.

Read more

PARTNERSHIP FOR A SECURE AMERICA

1990 M St., NW, Suite 250
Washington, D.C. 20036

202-293-8580

info@psaonline.org