Past Speakers
Robert Wilkie
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
As the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, Robert Wilkie serves as the legislative advisor to the Secretary of Defense and promotes the Department’s strategy, legislative priorities, policies, and budget to the United States Congress. He began his professional career on Capitol Hill as Counsel to Senator Jesse Helms, where he was the Senator’s policy advisor for Armed Services, Nuclear Energy and Senate Rules and Procedure. In 1997, he began service as the Counsel and Advisor on International Security Affairs to the Senate Majority Leader, the Honorable Trent Lott. In addition to his regular duties, he was the principal staffer and editor of the national security section of the 2000 Republican Party Presidential Platform. From 2003-2005, Mr. Wilkie was Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and a Senior Director of the National Security Council.
Beverly Hallberg
Executive Director, District Media Group
Beverly Hallberg is the Executive Director of District Media Group, where she serves as a producer, director, editor, and media trainer for various news companies, production companies and government agencies. Her work includes: Producer/Director for the Department of Labor Video News Release focused on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Segment/Producer of the NBC “Today Show” for OSHA, Segment Producer/Director for the Career College Association promo with Newt Gingrich, and Writer/Producer/Editer for DOL’s 2003-2007 EVE and ODEP Award Programs. Since 2006, Beverly has served as the Director of Media Training for Guestbooker.com, where she travels nationwide to work with new authors on message development and camera presence.
Genevieve Wood
Director of Strategic Operations at The Heritage Foundation
Ms. Wood is both the acting Director of the Helms Foreign Policy School and an dynamic presenter during the conference. Ms. Wood's credentials include her current position as Director of Strategic Operations at The Heritage Foundation, where she coordinates long-term and short-term strategies on key think tank issues. Ms. Wood is also owner and president of W Media, a company that provides both media training and video production. With over 14 years experience in Washington politics, policy and media, she brings a fresh and informed perspective to the Policy School. Campaigns & Elections magazine has named her a "rising star in politics," and she is frequent commentator on CNN, FOX and MSNBC.
Jim Wilkinson
Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Specializing in strategic planning and policy communications, he plays a key role in shaping the message used to promote and defend U.S. foreign policy both at home and abroad. Wilkinson served as Director of Strategic Communications for General Tommy Franks before becoming deputy national security adviser at the White House.
Danielle Pletka
Vice President, Foreign and Defense
Policy Studies for the American Enterprise Institute for
Public Policy Research
Her research areas include the Middle East, South Asia, terrorism, and weapons proliferation. While at AEI, Ms. Pletka has developed a conference series on rebuilding post-Saddam Iraq and a project on democracy in the Arab world. Before coming to AEI, she served for ten years as a senior professional staff member for the Near East and South Asia on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Peter Brookes
Senior Fellow for National Security Affairs and Director,
Heritage Foundation
Mr. Brookes is a regular weekly columnist on foreign policy, defense and trade issues for one of the nation's top ten newspapers the New York Post. Brookes also writes regularly for the Boston Herald, Japan's Daily Yomiuri and Taiwan's China Post. He frequently appears on national and international TV and radio on foreign policy and security issues.
Roger Noriega
Former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Mr. Noriega is a visiting fellow coordinating the American Enterprise Institute’s program on Western Hemisphere issues. Twice appointed by President George W. Bush (and confirmed by the U.S. Senate) and with 10-year career on Capitol Hill, Ambassador Noriega’s breadth of experience and contacts offers strategic vision and practical insight on the Americas.
Deborah DeMoss Fonseca
Former member of Helms Senior Staff, Former Staff Director of U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
A former senior member on Senator Jesse Helms staff, she served as staff director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Narcotics and Terrorism Sub-Committee. Her private sector experience includes serving as a consultant for governments and businesses operating in the U.S. and Latin America. She also works with Samaritan’s Purse International, both as a government relations representative and country director in Honduras, Central America.
Robert B. Bluey
Editor, Human Events Online
Before taking the reigns as editor of Human Events Online, Mr. Bluey was the assistant editor and then managing editor of the print edition of Human Events. He writes frequently about breaking news in the nation's capital and across the globe. Bluey previously worked at Cybercast News Service, where he was the first to report on the forged CBS documents on President Bush's National Guard service. He covered the Republican and Democrat conventions in 2004. Mr. Bluey grew up in upstate New York and graduated from Ithaca College.
Richard Lessner
Capital City Partners, Former Editorial Page Editor, Arizona Republic and Manchester Union Leader
Mr. Lessner is a former editorial page editor and writer at the Arizona Republic and the Union Leader of Manchester, N.H. He formerly served as executive director of the American Conservative Union and now works for Capital City Partners, a Washington, D.C., public affairs consulting firm.
John Shosky
President, Roncalli Communications and Former Presidential Speech Writer (Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43)
A speech writer to three presidential administrations (Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43), Mr. Shoos worked in the Executive Office of the President, White House Public Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education.
Greg Jenkins
Former Director, White House Presidential Advance
Mr. Jenkins, a former Fox News television producer in Washington served as the director of presidential advance. Mr. Jenkins managed the small army of staff members and volunteers who move days ahead of Mr. Bush and his entourage to set up the staging of all White House events.
James Hill
Managing Editor, Washington Post Writers Group
For over 30 years, the Washington Post Writers Group media syndicate has been providing quality content to newspapers, magazines and electronic media worldwide. Started in 1973 with a small group of commentators, the WPWG has since expanded its roster to include more than 20 writers, numerous comic strip artists, editorial cartoonists, the Newsweek News Service and much more. The Writers Group also handles all reprint permission requests for articles and photographs owned by The Washington Post.
A. Yasmine Rassam
Independent Women’s Forum, International Relations Director
She is the director of international policy for the Independent Women’s Forum. She has an extensive background in law and international women’s issues. An attorney by training, Rassam concentrates on international and human rights law and foreign policy matters pertaining to women. She also directs IWF’s Iraq program. |
