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X-WR-CALNAME:Tennessee World Affairs Council
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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Tennessee World Affairs Council
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260812T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260812T180000
DTSTAMP:20260728T154804
CREATED:20260622T224310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T225724Z
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SUMMARY:America at 250: The U.S. Armed Forces and Global Leadership
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n  \nAs the United States approaches the historic milestone of the 250th Anniversary of its Independence\, the Tennessee World Affairs Council will host a special Distinguished Speaker Series panel to reflect on the vital role of the United States Armed Forces in shaping\, protecting\, and leading the nation globally. \nThis distinguished panel will provide a historical and strategic timeline of the evolution of America’s military institutions and their contributions to national security\, democratic values\, technological advancement\, international stability\, and the shaping of global affairs. \nThe discussion will explore the role of the armed forces from the Revolutionary War to the present day\, highlighting key historical moments\, major conflicts\, military transformations\, and America’s capacity to project leadership\, protect its allies\, and defend its interests worldwide. \nThis event aims not only to honor the service and sacrifice of generations of military personnel but also to foster a broader public understanding of the strategic importance of the armed forces in the history\, national security\, and international leadership of the United States. \n————– \nWednesday\, August 12\, 2026 I 11:00am-1:00pm\n* Luncheon Event *\nVenue:  \nRichland Country Club – 1 Club Drive\, Nashville\, TN 37215 \n    \n    \n    \n        Register Now    \n    \n  \n\nFeatured Moderator: Dr. Breck Walker\n Breck Walker pursued a twenty-year career in international business\, law\, and finance before turning to academia. For several years\, he taught foreign policy courses at Sewanee\, The University of the South\, and worked as a contract historian for the Office of the Secretary of Defense Historical Office\, researching and writing on the early Pentagon policies in the computer security and cyber areas. Dr. Walker is currently retired. \n \n \n \n \n \n  \n \nFeatured Panelist: LT CMDR Patrick Ryan\n \nPatrick Ryan is President Emeritus and founder of the Tennessee World Affairs Council. In 2007 Mr. Ryan organized a group of concerned citizens to launch Tennessee’s first World Affairs Council\, to bring global awareness education programs and resources to communities and schools in the state. The Council\, responding to the statewide interest in its programs\, moved from its first home in Cookeville to Nashville where it is hosted on the campus of Belmont University. \nMr. Ryan was born and raised in New York City. At age 17 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served a 26-year career\, assigned first in the Persian Gulf in 1973 followed by assignments in the Submarine Service where he attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Mr. Ryan received a BA degree at the University of South Carolina\, in 1981\, majoring in International Studies followed by commissioning in the Navy as an Ensign. Mr. Ryan served aboard numerous ships\, headquarters staffs and overseas assignments before retiring in 1998 as a Lieutenant Commander. Among his assignments were the Joint Staff in the Pentagon\, the Center for Naval Analyses\, and US Central Command headquarters. He has lived and worked in Bahrain\, Italy and Japan and has traveled to about 50 countries for work and leisure. \nPatrick Ryan was the President and founder of Ryan & Associates\, an editorial consulting firm based in Nashville\, from 1999 to 2015\, specializing in online global affairs information resources\, especially covering developments in the Middle East. \nMr. Ryan also serves as the founding President of the Tennessee Submarine Memorial Association\, on the National Geographic State Advisory Board\, and on the U.S. Global Leadership Council’s Tennessee State Committee. \nFeatured Panelist: COL Kevin Baird\nColonel (Retired) Kevin Baird was originally commissioned as an Armor Officer and later transitioned to the Logistics Corps. During his career\, he commanded a forward support company in Baghdad as part of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 53rd Transportation Battalion\, deploying to Liberia in support of the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Kevin held several key positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense\, including Director of Transportation\, Senior Advisor in the Office of Industrial Base Policy\, and Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment. In his final assignment\, he served as the Logistics Advisor for the United States Mission to NATO Headquarters in Brussels\, Belgium. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the University of Missouri of Science and Technology. He is also a graduate of the Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies. \n \n  \nFeatured Panelist: BRIG Gen Eden Murrie\n\nEden Murrie is the Chief Executive Officer of Murrie Solutions\, where she leads strategic consulting initiatives for a range of clients. Prior to returning to the private sector\, she served as CEO of Operation Stand Down Tennessee\, a leadingnon-profit supporting military veterans. Before assuming the CEO role\, she served as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer\, driving operational excellence and program expansion. \nEarlier in her non-profit career\, Eden was a Director at the Partnership for Public Service in Washington\, D.C. In the business sector\, she served as a consultant for major corporations\, including Moog Inc. and Boston Consulting Group.Before transitioning to the non-profit and business sectors\, Brigadier General Murrie concluded a distinguished 29-year career in the United States Air Force\, culminating as Director of Air Force Services at the Pentagon. Her senior executive experience includes serving on the National Security Staff at the White House\, working on the staff of a Member of Congress\, managing a $2billion global program portfolio\, and leading multinational teams. A master navigator with over 2\,400 flying hours\, she also served as an instructor in three different aircraft. \nEden continues to serve her community through board positions with many organizations\, including Centerstone Military Services and the Davidson County Veterans Court Foundation. She is also an advisor for Veteran Ventures Capital and Nashville YWCA’s Dress for Success program. \nShe is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and holds master’s degrees in political science and national security strategy\, as well as an MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Eden and her husband\, Jon\, have been married for 37 years and have one daughter. \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/america-at-250/
LOCATION:Richland Country Club\, 1 Club Drive\, Nashville\, TN\, 37215\, United States
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Speaker Series
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260819T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260819T180000
DTSTAMP:20260728T154804
CREATED:20260622T222037Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T222206Z
UID:78762-1787155200-1787162400@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:The Iran War and The Asian Future of the Middle East
DESCRIPTION:  \n \n \nThe traditional framing of the “Middle East” as a discrete region oriented toward Europe has obscured a more fundamental reality: the region is Asian\, shaped by Asia\, and increasingly shaping the Asian order itself. The term “Middle East” itself\, coined in 1902 by American naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan to describe a British imperial corridor from the Mediterranean to Arabia to India\, has distorted U.S. strategy for over a century by orienting Washington toward Europe at the expense of the region’s deepening ties with Asia. \nOrder-building that allows Washington to institutionalize a West Asian system is the only pathway for the U.S. to pivot credibly to East Asia\, where competition with China will ultimately decide the future of American power. A functional West Asian architecture must bring together diverse partners—France\, Italy\, Greece\, Japan\, and South Korea alongside Egypt\, Pakistan\, Saudi Arabia\, Turkey\, the UAE\, and Qatar. This system allows America to accomplish more with less\, without leaving strategic gaps that competitors can exploit. \nThe Iran war represents a costly distraction from this imperative. The war has consumed American attention and resources\, casting a shadow over Washington’s position in Asia\, particularly regarding Taiwan. The war has also accelerated the formation of two competing regional blocs: the Indo-Abrahamic coalition of Israel\, India\, and the UAE\, and the Indo-Islamic axis of Egypt\, Turkey\, Pakistan\, and Saudi Arabia. Both are operating within the framework of American security guarantees\, but the window for consolidating this order around shared interests is narrowing. Washington must choose: continue its ideological wars in the Middle East\, or build the architecture for sustainable American power in Asia. \n  \n————– \nWednesday\, August 19\, 2026 I 11:00am-1:00pm\n* Luncheon Event *\nVenue:  \nBass Berry & Sims – 21 Platform Way S\, Suite 3500\, Nashville\, TN 37203 \n    \n    \n    \n        Register Now    \n    \n  \n\n \nFeatured Speaker: Mohammed Soliman (Director\, McLarty Associates / Senior Fellow\, Middle East Institute)\nMohammed Soliman is a director at McLarty Associates and a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. A trained engineer\, Mr. Soliman works on strategic and policy issues at the intersection of technology\, artificial intelligence\, finance\, and energy in emerging markets. He is the author of West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East (Polity Press\, 2026). Soliman also serves as a non-resident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a visiting fellow with the National Security Program at Third Way. On X: @thisissoliman \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-iran-war-2026/
LOCATION:Bass\, Berry & Sims – New Location\, 21 Platform Way South\, Suite 3500\, Nashville\, TN\, 37203\, United States
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Speaker Series
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260902T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260902T180000
DTSTAMP:20260728T154804
CREATED:20260723T220946Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260723T221741Z
UID:80696-1788364800-1788372000@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:The New Rules of Global Commerce: Why Adaptability Is the New Competitive Advantage
DESCRIPTION:  \n \n \nFor decades\, global commerce was built on a simple premise: optimize for efficiency. Businesses designed supply chains to move products faster\, cheaper\, and more predictably—fueling unprecedented economic growth and global connectivity. But today’s world operates by a different set of rules. Geopolitical shifts\, technological disruption\, climate events\, and evolving customer expectations have fundamentally changed how organizations compete and collaborate. In this keynote\, Laura Ritchey\, President & CEO of GEODIS in the Americas\, explores why adaptability\, not efficiency alone\, has become the defining competitive advantage for businesses\, communities\, and nations. \nDrawing on her leadership at one of the world’s leading logistics providers\, Laura offers a compelling perspective on how resilient supply chains have become a lens for understanding economic security\, innovation\, workforce development\,artificial intelligence\, and public policy. Attendees will gain insights into the forces reshaping global commerce\, the strategic opportunities emerging for Tennessee and the broader region\, and what it will take for business leaders\, policymakers\, educators\, and students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world. \nWednesday\, September 2  I 11:00 am – 1:00 pm\n* Luncheon Event *\nVenue: \n \n501 Commerce St\, Nashville\, TN 37203 \n    \n    \n    \n        Register Now    \n    \n  \n\nFeatured Speaker: Laura Ritchey (President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)\, GEODIS Americas Region)\n \nLaura Ritchey joined GEODIS in July 2025 as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Americas region. Laura is responsible for overseeing the region’s freight forwarding\, contract logistics\, and transportation business units\, along with engineering and technology\, IT\, and ProVenture (U.S.-based subsidiary of GEODIS focusing on industrial real estate) and Material Handling Resources (one of the country’s leading material handling distributors owned by GEODIS). In total\, Laura oversees GEODIS Americas’ expansive operations\, including nearly 20\,000 employees and more than 230 sites across eight countries. \nLaura brings over 30 years of experience to GEODIS\, with 15 focused on supplychain management in both retail and third-party logistics. Laura began her careerin finance before transitioning to supply chain operations\, including sourcing\,distribution\, and strategic transformation. Prior to her current role\, Laura was most recently CEO at Radial\, Inc.\, a leader in e-commerce fulfillment solutions\, where she drove revenue growth and profitability through operational excellence. At Radial\, she led the North American P&L for a $1.4B e-commerce logistics division\, responsible for relationships with over 170 clients across four service lines. \nBefore joining Radial\, she held leadership positions at L Brands\, FullBeauty Brands and Centric Brands. Laura is on the Dean’s Advisory Council at Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and is an active board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Nashville Branch. Additionally\, she is actively involved with C200 whose mission is to inspire\, educate\, support and advance current and future women leaders. Laura earned her J.D.\, MBA and bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University. Additionally\, Laura is accredited as a certified public accountant and admitted to the bar in Ohio. \n_________________________________________________________________
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-new-rules-of-global-commerce/
LOCATION:AllianceBernstein\, 501 Commerce St\, Nashville\, TN\, 37203\, United States
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Speaker Series
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260915T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260915T180000
DTSTAMP:20260728T154804
CREATED:20260724T180807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T180807Z
UID:80704-1789488000-1789495200@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:The Middle East After the Iran War: A New (Dis)Order Emerging?
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n \nThe Middle East is at a “hinge moment\,” a period of transformative change where the old order is collapsing\, and a new\, region-driven multipolar order is emerging. The war with Iran is the most dramatic and consequential development shaping this emerging order; its trajectory and outcome will be definitive not only for the region but for the world. The conflict has reverberated in significant ways: U.S. and Israeli strikes have inflicted major damage on Iran\, while Iran’s de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz and its ability to strike its Arab Gulf neighbors have enhanced its asymmetric leverage\, potentially reordering regional power dynamics.    \nThe Middle East’s changing order heralds a time of greater volatility\, dynamism\, and uncertainty. Currently\, this transformative moment is marked by deepening conflict. Yet\, it also holds the potential for new opportunities for peace and prosperity. In this volatile mix\, spoilers one day can become champions for peace the next—and vice versa. Understanding the dynamics at play in the Middle East\, the motivations of the region’s key stakeholders\, and the inherent risks and opportunities embodied in the changing order will be critical to ensuring that the region ultimately embarks on a path toward peace and prosperity. \n————– \nTuesday\, September 15 I 11:00am-1:00pm\n* Luncheon Event *\nVenue:  \nBass Berry & Sims – 21 Platform Way S\, Suite 3500\, Nashville\, TN 37203 \n    \n    \n    \n        Register Now    \n    \n  \n\n \nFeatured Speaker: Mona Yacoubian\, Director and Senior Advisor of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)\n \nMona Yacoubian is Director and Senior Advisor of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She has more than thirty years of experience working in the Middle East and North Africa\, with a focus on conflict analysis\, governance and stabilization challenges\, and conflict prevention. She was previously vice president of the Middle East and North Africa Center at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP)\, where she managed field programming in Iraq\, Libya\, and Tunisia as well as Washington\, D.C.–based staff. In 2019\, she served as executive director of the congressionally appointed Syria Study Group. From 2014 to 2017\, Yacoubian served as deputy assistant administrator in the Middle East Bureau at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)\, where she had responsibility for programming across Syria\, Jordan\, Lebanon\, and Iraq. Prior to joining USAID\, Yacoubian was a senior adviser at the Stimson Center and a special adviser on the Middle East at USIP. \nFrom 1990 to 1998\, Yacoubian served as the North Africa analyst in the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Her opinion pieces have appeared in the New York Times\, Foreign Affairs\, Foreign Policy\, and various other outlets\, and she has testified to Congress six times. Yacoubian was a Fulbright scholar in Syria\, where she studied Arabic at the University of Damascus from 1985 to 1986. She has held an international affairs fellowship with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and is a CFR member. She earned a master’s in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s in public policy from Duke University. \n\n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-middle-east-after-the-iran-war/
LOCATION:Bass\, Berry & Sims – New Location\, 21 Platform Way South\, Suite 3500\, Nashville\, TN\, 37203\, United States
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Speaker Series
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