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- The Honorable John E. Porter
- The Honorable Lee H. Hamilton
- The Honorable Tom Lantos
- The Honorable Frank R. Wolf
- The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
- The Honorable Mark S. Kirk
- Claudia Drucker
- Katy Moran
Hoda Wadie Halim, Board Member
and Co-founder of the Coptic Assembly of America, is a Copt
and an Egyptian American.
She emigrated from Egypt 29 years ago, and this background
gives her a unique and valuable perspective on human rights
issues in the Middle East. Having personally faced discrimination
based on her religion, Mrs. Halim is dedicated to the protection
and promotion of human rights worldwide and has a great sympathy
for the struggles of oppressed people everywhere. Mrs. Halim
is committed to raising awareness regarding violations of
human rights in general and specifically against women and
religious minorities. She is also an active member of the
Chicago Council on Global Affairs and regularly participates
in the campaigns of local politicians.
For over twenty years, Mrs. Halim has worked in the management
and development of commercial and residential real estate
in Chicago, Illinois, and its suburbs. She is committed to
the preservation and protection of important historical artifacts
and American architectural gems in the Midwest, and heads
another non-profit organization dedicated to this cause.
Mrs. Halim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Cairo
University, and a Masters of Science degree in Pharmacy from
the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Yakir M. Lubowsky is a business
and legal strategist and a combustion energy technology entrepreneur.
He has worked in both the U.S. House and Senate as a defense
and foreign policy assistant, practiced law on Wall Street (Milbank
Tweed) and been part of senior management at three successful
companies (two of them start-ups). He is a board member of six
civic organizations, an investment partnership and a corporate
shareholder trust. He is also a leading preservationist and
open space activist, writing often on land use/preservation
issues and directing strategic planning for the conservation
society in Fauquier County, Virginia, where he is also the strategy
chief of the County’s Republican Committee. Yak has managed
or co-managed the election campaigns of half a dozen political
candidates (and most recently was senior strategist in George
Fitch’s primary race for Virginia governor in 2005); he also
writes and lectures on political strategy. Yak holds a BA from
The Johns Hopkins University, from which he graduated first
in the Class of 1979 (focusing on political theory); and a law
degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, where he was
an editor of The Journal of International Law and Business and
founding president of its Federalist Society chapter in 1982.
Among his honors are a citation from the Israeli Navy for complex
international legal representation he provided in Germany (advanced
submarine program); a civic commendation by the Virginia General
Assembly; and a Fauquier Citizen of the Year award received
in 2004. He is a continuing member of the New York bar. Yak,
his wife and two daughters own a farm in Fauquier, but live
in a house at the edge of Warrenton’s Old Town.
Language has always come as a natural to Tom
Morris as conversation, beginning in the 1960’s as a young
field officer with the United States Marine Corps in the Republic
of South Vietnam where he called the Central Highlands home.
As civic Action Officer for the 12th Marines, Captain Morris
established medical care programs (MEDCAPS) for remote civilian
hamlets, medical evacuation (MEDIVACS) for seriously wounded
and diseased women and children, as well as self-help programs
such as medical training and reconstruction of church, hospital
and orphanage facilities. For his efforts, Captain Morris was
awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”.
Years later, as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
the conversation would turn to Arabic, with Special Agent Morris
being assigned as Liaison between all Middle East Embassies
in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Department of Justice, with
primary concentration on Protection of Foreign Government Officials
(PFO) and coordinating police and cultural training programs
for foreign national police departments. For these efforts,
Special Agent Morris received numerous Letters of Commendation
from the Director of the FBI and the Attorney General of the
United States.
Tom Morris has lived and worked in the Middle East countries
of Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,
as well as the Far East countries of Brunei Darussalem, Burma,
Nepal and Thailand, assisting in developing law enforcement
training and cultural exchange programs.
He is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
and the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.
He is a published author and photographer and featured speaker
with the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C.,
and police conventions in the U.S. and abroad.
He has recently returned to his roots in Philadelphia where
he is currently studying the spoken language of Philadelphian,
to date his most formidable challenge.
Trained
as an ecological anthropologist, Dr. James D. Nations
has spent the past 25 years working for the conservation of
natural ecosystems and cultural heritage in the tropics and
the United States. He lived three years with the Lacandón Maya,
a rainforest tribe in Chiapas, Mexico, studied alternatives
to deforestation in Central America for two years as a post-doctoral
fellow, and lived three years in Guatemala as a Senior Fulbright
Research Scholar and technical advisor to Guatemala’s National
Council for Protected Areas. He also worked with Ecuador’s Department
of National Parks and Wildlife to incorporate indigenous groups
into the planning and management of national parks in the Ecuadorian
Amazon. He is the author of Tropical Rainforests (Franklin Watts
1988), Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Tropical Rainforest (Conservation
International 2000), and The Maya Tropical Forest: People, Parks,
and Ancient Cities (University of Texas Press 2006), as well
as a dozen book chapters on protected areas, biodiversity, and
indigenous people. Before becoming the National Parks Conservation
Association’s Vice President for Center for State of the Parks
in 2003, Nations worked 13 years with Conservation International,
serving as Vice President for Latin America and Vice President
for Development Agency Relations. He earned BS and MS degrees
from the University of North Texas, and MA and Ph.D. degrees
in anthropology from Southern Methodist University, in Dallas,
Texas.
He serves as Clerk of Trustees for the Alexandria Monthly Meeting
of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and is President
of the Board of Directors of the Center for Maximum Potential
Building Systems in Austin, Texas.
The
Honorable Terrence M. O'Connell, II is the President and
CEO of Davis O’Connell, Inc. He has worked in government relations
for over twenty-five years with special expertise in the representation
of clients before Congress and the Departments of Commerce,
Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development,
Justice, State, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.
Mr. O’Connell is well versed in the federal policy, legislation,
budget and contracting processes. He is recognized nationally
for his expertise on homeland security and national defense
and provides counsel to corporations, authorities and communities
in their development and execution of domestic security projects.
Mr. O’Connell provides long-term strategic counsel for cities,
counties and major corporations in managing these projects including
the acquisition of federal grants and contracts, municipal bonds,
minority and small business enterprises participation and technology
interface.
Mr. O'Connell has helped manage projects such as the security
enhancements for the Port Authority of NY/NJ, conversion of
Homestead AFB, FL and the successful retention of Mayport Naval
Station, FL. All efforts involve the application of in-depth
negotiations with Congress and the federal agencies in establishing
the value of the infrastructure assets to the economy of the
host community. He currently advises on security needs of institutions,
businesses and communities across the country.
Mr. O’Connell served two terms as chairman of the Reserve Forces
Policy Board in the U.S. Department of Defense. He had direct
reporting responsibility to the Congress and the White House
and worked closely with the Secretary, the Joint Chiefs, all
Service Secretaries and the Interagency Task Force on Homeland
Security and the report on Northern Command.
As a senior advisor to the National Guard Association of the
United States, Mr. O’Connell works closely with the Governors
and Adjutant Generals in the management and deployment of their
equipment and troops assets in times of domestic disasters.
Mr. O’Connell has served on the Board of Visitors for West Point,
the Washington Hospital Foundation, the Purple Heart Memorial
Fund and VACOR.
The former political director of the Democratic National Committee,
Mr. O'Connell has worked in campaigns throughout the United
States. In 1992 and 1996 Mr. O'Connell served as the senior
advisor on security matters for the Clinton Gore Presidential
Inaugural Committees.
Mr. O’Connell is a former Captain in the U.S. Army, and was
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, and
three Bronze Stars for valor as a combat troop commander in
Vietnam. He received a B.A. in Economics and History from the
University of Michigan.
James E. Taylor is a political analyst with extensive experience in the former Soviet Union and Middle East affairs. His reporting experience includes diplomatic assignments in Moscow, Tel Aviv, Kabul and Tehran. Mr. Taylor’s specific analysis of a Mid-East crisis while in Israel led to U.S. political intervention that minimized the potential for a significant regional conflict. As a counter-terrorism liaison with the Government of Israel, he worked closely with Israeli officials during several crises including the TWA hijacking in Beirut and the capture of the Achille Lauro by terrorists. Political reports that Mr. Taylor filed in Kabul during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to strong U.S. sanctions against Moscow. Mr. Taylor was responsible for a series of reports on evolving Mid-East military doctrine highlighting a shift in a critical country’s military outlook and requirements. These reports provided the political backdrop for U.S. policy decisions with regard to several key Mid-East countries.
Mr. Taylor earned BA and MA degrees in International Relations from the University of Southern California, with one year of additional training at the U.S. Army Russian Institute. His language training includes Russian, French, German and Persian. Mr. Taylor is a former First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as an Intelligence Officer.
Dr. Nancy J. Walker is President of AfricaNet, an independent, international institute, focusing on human security and security sector governance in Africa, and serving as a professional development resource to civilian, military, and civil society leaders throughout the continent. At the request of African institutions and officials, AfricaNet programs emphasize long term professional relationships to further security cooperation and deepen understanding of modern security challenges. In early 2004, Dr. Walker resigned from United States government service after almost 15 years to pursue her professional passion for Africa. She has worked with the Carter Center as an election observer, the UN Office for West Africa, the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa, the International Peace Academy, Femmes Africa Solidarité, the Council on Foreign Relations, and other organizations. Dr. Walker is internationally recognized for expertise in African affairs and security policy, strong leadership, creative and strategic thinking, dynamic public speaking, and personal commitment to U.S.-Africa relations. In summer 2007 she relocated to Turkey, where she continues her work.
Dr. Walker spent ten years in leadership positions within the Department of Defense on African security issues, peacekeeping policy, and security policy. From 1999 through August 2003, Dr. Walker served as the founding Director of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Under her guidance, the Africa Center became highly respected for its quality programs for senior civilian, military, and civil society officials from Africa, Europe, and the United States, on subjects including civil-military relations, security strategy, peace operations, health and security, disaster management, conflict prevention, leadership development, and professional networking.
Previous assignments include Director of the Office of African Affairs within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where Dr. Walker designed and managed defense policy and programs in sub-Saharan Africa. She also served as the United Nations Branch Chief in the Office of Peacekeeping Policy in the Pentagon focusing on logistics, contracting, and communications. She was the German and NATO Analyst at the U.S. Information Agency’s Office of Research. Prior to government service, Dr. Walker had a diverse career as a political producer for German television, policy consultant to the International Institute for Women’s Political Leadership, editor, public opinion survey researcher, and defense analyst for an investment bank.
Dr. Walker holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and doctorate in politics at Oxford University (Nuffield College), where she was a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Fellow. She worked in Germany as a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow for American Leadership. Dr. Walker completed the MIT Seminar XXI in national security policy. Memberships include: Council on Foreign Relations, Women’s Foreign Policy Group, Women in International Security, American Council on Germany, American Political Science Association, Robert Bosch Foundation Alumni Association, and World Affairs Council. Dr. Walker is a sought after lecturer, public speaker, and facilitator. She speaks fluent French and German, conversational Spanish, and is learning Turkish.
Nancy Walker serves on the International Advisory Board of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (Switzerland). She recently completed service on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Committee for the United Nations Development Program (Washington, DC) and the Board of the Mohican Hills Citizens Association (Bethesda, MD). She received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Order of the Lion from the Republic of Senegal. Nancy Walker and her husband, an economist with the World Bank, have a daughter (15) and a son (14).
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