Throughout U.S. history there are presidents whose qualities separated them from the rest and propelled them to the highest office Washington’s honesty, Lincoln’s leadership, Kennedy’s charisma, Roosevelt’s fortitude, the list could go on. But which of these qualities can be transferred to the next generation? What leadership lessons apply today? In Talmage Boston’s new book, How the Best did it: Leadership Lesson’s From our top Presidents, he explores the best qualities of former U.S. presidents and what we can learn from them. Historian and Council friend Jon Meacham calls it “A discerning examination of what all of us can learn from some of our most effective leaders who have held—and wielded—ultimate power at the highest level.” ABOUT THE SPEAKER Talmage Boston is a partner at the Shackelford Law Firm in Dallas. He is also a former board member of the World Affairs Council and a member of the Mallon Circle, an honorary body comprised of members who have served the Council with distinction. He is a historian, author, speaker, and interviewer. Boston has spoken at the National Archives, six presidential libraries, 12 World Affairs Councils, and many universities. He has had the pleasure of having previously interviewed Henry Kissinger. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Liz Brailsford joined the Council in February 2021 from the World Affairs Councils of America, the network’s national office in Washington, DC, where she served as chief operating officer. Liz currently serves as an international task force member of the Dallas Regional Chamber; an ex-officio board member with the North Texas Commission; and an advisory committee member of the U.S. Global Leadership Commission of the Southwest region. She holds an M.P.A. in global policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School and a B.A. in media arts from the University of South Carolina. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

KEYNOTE – Salvatore A. Giunta Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself at the risk of his life in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2007. While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Giunta sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. After seeing that his squad leader had fallen, Specialist Giunta exposed himself to enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered medical aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Giunta’s body armor and his secondary weapon. Amidst the ongoing fire, Specialist Giunta continued to engage the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover to hide his position. Attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers, Specialist Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. Specialist Giunta’s unwavering courage, selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme fire were integral to his platoon’s ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American soldier from the enemy. On September 10, 2010, the White House announced that Staff Sgt. Giunta would receive the Medal of Honor, the first awarded to a living recipient since the Vietnam War. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Cyberspace is like the Wild West – a vast and lawless land. Both cyber warfare and cyberweapons have been used in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Rapid technology advancement and global dynamics challenge governments to protect military and critical infrastructures. Can the 2024 U.S. election occur without interference? Cyber expert Christopher Whyte joins us this January as we kick off our annual International Perspectives Series with The Shifting Geopolitics of Cyber Conflict: American Strategy in a Time of Change. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Dr. Christopher Whyte is an assistant professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research focuses on the decision-making dynamics of cyber operations, digital age influence campaigns, and the impact of artificial intelligence on cyber conflict. Whyte is author/co-author of nearly three dozen peer-reviewed articles on these subjects, numerous other articles/reports and four books on cyber conflict, including Information in War, published with Georgetown University Press in 2022. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Valmiki Mukherjee is a distinguished Global CISO, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist CEO, boasting a remarkable two-decade career that has significantly impacted the global cybersecurity landscape. Renowned for his visionary leadership, Mukherjee extends his influence beyond organizational and industry confines, orchestrating transformative programs globally. As the founder of the Cyber Future Foundation (CFF) in 2015, he has created a vital platform connecting leaders and experts worldwide. Mukherjee’s philanthropic initiatives, such as supporting cybersecurity education and workforce development programs, demonstrate his commitment to creating a safer world. Currently serving as the Board Appointed Global CISO of Accolite, he previously held executive roles, including Managing Director at EY. Mukherjee holds a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of North Texas and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) by ISC2. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Since Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have been in power, Russia and China have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Director of China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Bonny Lin notes that “the bond has been decades in the making, but Russia’s war in Ukraine has tightened their embrace.” Leading the BRIC alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), they see the global south as the key to push back against U.S. hegemony in the west. Join the Council in part II of the International Perspectives Series Ordering Disorder: Governing the World to Come with Charles Kupchan to discuss the future of geopolitics and world order. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Charles A. Kupchan is professor of international affairs in the School of Foreign Service and Government department at Georgetown University, and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2014 to 2017, Kupchan served as special assistant to the President and senior director for European Affairs on the National Security Council in the Obama White House. He was also director for European Affairs on the National Security Council during the first Clinton administration. His most recent books are Anchoring the World: International Order in the Twenty-First Century (2021), Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World (2020), No One’s World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn (2012), and How Enemies Become Friends: The Sources of Stable Peace (2010). . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

In 2023, 39.1% of all U.S. businesses were owned by female entrepreneurs. The number of women elected in congressional leadership has increased by 15% in the past 20 years. Today, women make up 28% of the 118th U.S. congress. That said, of the 193 member states of the United Nations, only 13 of those leaders are women. There is still much work to be done. Join the Council and Texas Woman’s University in observation of International Women’s Day on March 12. The Council will host a panel discussion featuring Dallas’ very own Nina Vaca, chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group, and Hattie Hill, President & CEO of Hattie Hill Enterprises, to discuss women who lead in such a way that encourages other women leaders. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Rama Yelkur, dean of Texas Woman’s University’s College of Business. ABOUT THE PANELISTS Hattie Hill has spent more than three decades developing successful global diversity and inclusion and gender equity strategies for corporations, nonprofits and foundations across 70 countries, including IBM, Southwest Airlines and McDonald’s. Partnering with Fortune 500 CEO’s, she’s driven significant cultural change by prioritizing the importance that businesses and people place on diversity. Her belief that talent and culture is the new corporate currency and her desire to see people of all backgrounds and gender enjoy amazing success is what motivates her passionate pursuit of equity. Her prophetic sensitivities and experience over the past 30 years have profoundly impacted the way that many of today’s organizations approach diversity and inclusion and gender equity. Above all, Hattie is adept at discovering the root of the problem and providing a practical, strategic resolution. Nina Vaca embodies the American Dream as a pioneering Latina entrepreneur, philanthropist, and global leader. She founded Pinnacle Group in 1996 and has since served as its Chairman and CEO. Under her leadership, Pinnacle has experienced rapid growth, evolving from a one-woman IT staffing firm into a leading provider of workforce solutions across various industries such as telecommunications, financial services, transportation, and technology. Pinnacle expanded nationwide in 2007, entered the Canadian market in 2009, and is now expanding internationally to Europe, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, and beyond. The company has been recognized in the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies 13 times and was named the fastest-growing women-owned/led company by the Women Presidents’ Organization in 2015 and 2018. ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Dr. Rama Yelkur, dean of the College of Business at Texas Woman’s University, leads with a wealth of academic and consulting experience. She has held leadership roles at St. John Fisher University and Saginaw Valley State University, fostering global competence among business students and establishing partnerships worldwide. With extensive expertise in marketing, she has published in top journals and conducted international corporate training. Dr. Yelkur also boasts three decades of consulting in sports marketing and advertising, notably with Kimberly Clark and the NFL. Actively engaged in various boards and professional organizations, she is committed to leadership development and holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Mississippi State University, an MBA from PSG College of Technology, and a BSc. in Mathematics from Ethiraj College for Women, India. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

“America’s secret weapon is a blue note in a minor key,” proclaimed the New York Times. In the late 1950’s, President Eisenhower looked to fight the Cold War using the cool weapon of jazz. The State Department hoped that showcasing popular American music around the globe would not only introduce audiences to American culture, but also win them over as ideological allies in the cold war. Jazz, structured around improvisation within a set of commonly agreed-upon boundaries, was a perfect metaphor for America in the eyes of the State Department. Renowned artists such as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck toured the globe promoting United States’ culture. Brubeck’s father would famously announce before the crowds, “No dictatorship can tolerate jazz, it is the first sign of a return to freedom.” Join us to explore how the U.S. State Department contracted jazz performers to fight the Cold War in the form of Jazz Diplomacy. ABOUT THE PANELISTS Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney is an adjunct professor at UNT Dallas and President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History who has dedicated his forty-two-year career to teaching American and African American history. As an emeritus associate professor of history, former interim director of the Center for African American Studies, and past chair of the department of history at the University of Texas, Arlington, he has left a significant impact on academia. Dulaney is a graduate of Central State University and Ohio State University and has actively engaged with communities in Charleston and Dallas-Fort Worth as part of his commitment to bring history to the people. His extensive service on boards, including the Texas State Historical Association, and his numerous publications showcase his dedication to preserving and advancing African American history and civil rights. Dr. Dulaney is currently working on a history of African Americans in Dallas. Rick Ruth is a dedicated builder committed to creating institutions that uphold individual dignity and reject violence and extremism. As a senior State Department official on 9/11, he played a crucial role in guiding the department’s response and proposed the U.S. government’s inaugural high school exchange program for the Arab and Muslim world, known today as the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program. This program has engaged more than 15,000 young individuals from 40+ countries. Ruth’s innovative approach involves countering disinformation through positively focused cross-border networks and establishing the State Department’s first global alumni network. He introduced cultural heritage as a non-political component of American leadership and rescued the Summer Work Travel program. A skilled global diplomat, particularly focused on Russia and the Middle East, Ruth is a recipient of the Department of State’s Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy and the 2016 Alumnus of the Year at the University of Arizona’s College of Humanities. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Emily Abrams Ansari is Assistant Dean of Research and Associate Professor of Music History at Western University in Canada. Her scholarly research, which has won a number of awards, examines music’s political usages and engagements across the Americas. Her 2017 book, The Sound of a Superpower: Musical Americanism and the Cold War, explored the effects of the Cold War on musical nationalism in the United States and classical composers’ involvement with federally-funded cultural diplomacy initiatives. Her current projects interrogate Cold War-era music in El Salvador and Canada.

War is catastrophic for nations and can bring businesses to a complete halt. When Russia attacked Ukraine, U.S. companies such as McDonald’s and Starbucks closed their stores. Millions of dollars of Ukraine’s infrastructure has been destroyed. War’s cost can be simplified into three parts: the opportunity cost of resources, the destruction of physical and human capital, and the reduction of GDP. However, war can also stimulate the economy – World War II pulled the U.S. out of the Great Depression. So what is the global economic toll of war? Join the Council’s virtual discussion on war economics with world-renowned economics professor, bestselling author, and innovative educator Jeffery Sachs. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Jeffery Sachs serves as the director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he holds the rank of University Professor, the university’s highest academic rank. Sachs served as director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University from 2002 to 2016. He is president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, co-chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University, and SDG Advocate for UN Secretary General António Guterres. From 2001-2018, Sachs served as special advisor to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, and António Guterres. Sachs has authored and edited numerous books, including three New York Times bestsellers. He is the 2022 recipient of the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development and was the co-recipient of the 2015 Blue Planet Prize, the leading global prize for environmental leadership, and was twice named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders. Sachs has received 42 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Larry Pascal, Chair of the Americas Practice Group at Haynes Boone, boasts 25+ years of expertise in cross-border transactions across diverse sectors. Specializing in real estate, energy, agribusiness, and technology, he is actively involved in the Mexican M&A sector, recently advising clients like Toyota and Ecopetrol. Larry’s international reach extends to Asia Pacific, with notable clients including American Airlines and Shell Oil Company. Recognized in Chambers Latin America and Chambers Global for corporate M&A, Larry is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Beyond law, he is an avid racket sports player, having represented the United States in international padel competitions. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Part of the Dialogues for Democracy Series Forty countries will hold major elections in 2024, including Taiwan, Russia, Mexico, and the U.S. As technology “improves” and cyber-attacks become more difficult to predict, elections have become more susceptible to meddling. At the same time, social media has transformed our news consumption – and it’s harder than ever to decipher what is real and trustworthy. Join us on Thursday, February 15 to hear American political advisor, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer Mark McKinnon discuss the “Pulse on Politics.” ABOUT THE SPEAKER Mark McKinnon is a multifaceted figure known for his roles as a political advisor, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer. He is the creator and co-host of Showtime’s acclaimed documentary series The Circus and has worked with President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, and Bono. Committed to bipartisanship, McKinnon co-founded No Labels and is a board member of Take Back Our Republic, which advocates for electoral reforms. McKinnon is a columnist and served as a governor of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. He attended the University of Texas, where he was editor of The Daily Texan. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Liz Brailsford joined the Council in February 2021 from the World Affairs Councils of America, the network’s national office in Washington, DC, where she served as chief operating officer. Liz currently serves as an international task force member of the Dallas Regional Chamber; an ex-officio board member with the North Texas Commission; and an advisory committee member of the U.S. Global Leadership Commission of the Southwest region. She holds an M.P.A. in global policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School and a B.A. in media arts from the University of South Carolina. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Even though globalization has become a negative concept for some, the reality is that there is no going back. While the politics of globalization are debated, Professor Małgorzata Zachara-Szymańska says, “All social organizations have ‘gone global’ within the last several decades; they are more interconnected and more dependent on global processes, so the question of effective leadership strategies matching these new realities is highly necessary…” Join us to learn about global power games, leadership crises, and how our world is shifting in the 21stcentury. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Małgorzata Zachara-Szymańska is an associate professor at the Faculty of International and Political Relations, Jagiellonian University in Poland and a lecturer in leadership, global change, and international relations. She has accumulated several years academic experience lecturing and conducting research at different European universities. Her articles on global public goods, global leadership and diplomacy have been published in Leadership, Society and Economy, International Relations/Stosunki Międzynarodowe, Sustainability and other journals. Her most recent publication Global Political Leadership: In Search of Synergy (Routledge: 2023) is available in open access. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Robert Kissack has been at Instituto Barcelona de Estudios Internacionales (IBEI) since 2008. His research profile is at the intersection of the foreign policy of the European Union and international organization. More specifically, it has centered on the EU as an actor in the multilateral system and his book Pursuing Effective Multilateralism (Palgrave 2010) was one of the first in this field. He specializes in examining the capacity of the EU to operate in many different multilateral organizations, including the ILO, FAO, UN General Assembly and Security Council, the WTO and the IMF. He is currently leading IBEI’s participation in the Horizon 2020 ENGAGE project, as well as the Jean Monnet Networks NORTIA and RENPET. He also work closely with colleagues at IBEI, including Esther Barbé, Oriol Costa and Elisabeth Johansson-Nogués in many projects on European foreign policy. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

ABOUT THE SPEAKER General David Petraeus, U.S. Army (Ret.) served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2011-2012 and as commander of U.S. Central Command from 2008-2010. His highly decorated 37-year military career included combat commanderships of the Surge in Iraq and the U.S./Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. He established the KKR Global Institute in 2013 and is a partner with the global investment firm KKR. Petraeus graduated with distinction from the U.S. Military Academy and earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Meredith M. Walker is Principal and Global Economist at MMW Research, a leading business consultancy, is a renowned speaker, author, and media commentator specializing in strategic insights on the economy, geopolitics, and technology. A member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the National Association for Business Economics, she focuses her research on cross-sector solutions to global challenges in security and sustainability. Walker serves as the President of America’s Future Series and Megellas Award Trustee, leading forums on cybersecurity, space, and defense innovation. With a diverse background including roles as the EarthX Chief Economist and XPRIZE Foundation Global Economist, she has a strong commitment to building international understanding and fostering a better world. She holds a BA from The University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, showcasing a dedication to academic excellence and international collaboration. About the Mel Kusin National Security Lecture Mel Kusin (1926-2018) was a World War II veteran and University of Illinois alumnus. Mel Kusin’s association with the Council goes back two decades when he established the International Perspectives Series, a joint program with the American Jewish Committee of Dallas. The series has brought some of the nation’s foremost scholars and thinkers on U.S. foreign policy to Dallas. To honor Mel and his legacy, the Mel Kusin National Security Lecture was established in the fall of 2018 and has since featured Ambassador Michael McFaul, Michael O’Hanlon, and Charles Kupchan. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

ABOUT THE PANELISTS: Sam Brownback currently serves as co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit, is a senior fellow at Global Christian Relief, and is chairman of the National Committee for Religious Freedom. While serving as ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom under the Trump Administration from 2018 until 2021, Brownback focused on highlighting cases of religious discrimination in various countries such as China and Iran and worked with organizations and coalitions promoting international competence. He began his career in Kansas in 1986 and became the youngest Secretary of Agriculture in that state’s history. Brownback won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995 and was elected to the U.S. Senate a year later, where he continued to work on international relations concerning religion while involved in the Senate Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Brownback was elected governor of Kansas in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Rabbi David Saperstein was the Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom, having been appointed in December 2014 until 2017 by President Obama. Acting as a key advisor to President Obama and Secretary Kerry, he played a pivotal role in shaping policies on international religious freedom. His dedication to promoting the importance of religious freedom worldwide is evidenced by his role as president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Ambassador Saperstein served for 40 years as director of the Religious Action Center segment of American Jewry. He also worked as a rabbi and an attorney for 35 years, teaching seminars in First Amendment church-state law and Jewish law at Georgetown University Law Center. Saperstein has also served on many boards including the NAACP and Common Cause and he was named the most influential rabbi by Newsweek in 2009. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University, a master of Hebrew letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and a juris doctor from American University. Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice which she upholds in honor of her father, the late Congressmen Tom Lantos. Lantos Swett is the former chair and vice-chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and now teaches human rights and American foreign policy at Tufts University. She was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit from the Republic of Hungary for continuing her father’s efforts on behalf of the ethnic minorities in Hungary. She earned a political science degree from Yale University, a juris doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Southern Denmark. ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Dr. Bob Roberts is the founder of GlocalNet, co-founder of the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, and president of the Institute of Global Engagement. Roberts has garnered admiration and acknowledgment from the United Nations, the United States Department of State, and the World Economic Forum. In addition to his extensive background in peacemaking concerning religious freedom, Roberts was awarded the prestigious Uniter Award in 2022 for his efforts to build bridges among diverse faith communities across the U.S. He has led Northwood Church for over 30 years, where he currently presides as the founding global pastor. Roberts has published six books and is the host of the Bold Love Podcast. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, a master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and holds a doctorate of ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary.