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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T190000
DTSTAMP:20261012T141120Z
CREATED:20260907T210126Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261012T141120Z
UID:80844-1791482400-1791486000@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:All the Presidents’ Wars | 25 Years of America’s War on Terror with Peter Bergen (Webinar)
DESCRIPTION: \n  \nHow did the War on Terror reshape America – and the world? \nPeter Bergen\, the journalist who conducted the first televised interview with Osama bin Laden in 1997 and author of All the Presidents’ Wars\, joins WorldNow with Jim Falk to examine the decisions of four U.S. presidents over 25 years of conflict and their lasting consequences: from the rise of ISIS and the Taliban’s return to Afghanistan to today’s war with Iran. \nThursday\, October 8 I 6:00pm – 7:00pm CT\n \n\n \nFeatured Speaker: Peter Bergen\n \n  \nPeter Bergen is the author of seven books\, including Manhunt\, one of three New York Times bestsellers. Bergen is vice president at New America\, professor at Arizona State University\, and CNN national security analyst. \nHe is the author of All the Presidents’ Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America’s War on Terror\, available September 8th\, 2026. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured Moderator: Jim Falk\n \n  \nJim Falk is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe\, a member organization of the World Affairs Councils of America. He is the host of WorldNow with Jim Falk and the producer and host of The Forum\, the weekly public affairs program on KSFR-FM\, Santa Fe Community Radio (KSFR.org). A member of the Council on Foreign Relations\, Falk led the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as President and CEO from 2001 to 2021\, helping expand the organization’s role as one of the nation’s leading forums for international affairs and public policy. His guests have included diplomats\, senior intelligence officials\, policymakers\, military leaders\, scholars\, journalists\, and bestselling authors from around the world. Through WorldNow and The Forum\, he continues his commitment to fostering informed\, civil dialogue on the international\, political\, social\, and cultural issues shaping our world. \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/all-the-presidents-wars/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T190000
DTSTAMP:20261016T155523Z
CREATED:20260907T210747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261016T155523Z
UID:80854-1792087200-1792090800@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages with Brett McGurk (Webinar)
DESCRIPTION:  \n  \nBrett McGurk\, former White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa and author of Brink (available Oct. 6\, 2026)\, takes us inside the high-stakes negotiations to free the October 7 hostages and secure a ceasefire in Gaza. \nMcGurk led U.S. diplomacy on some of the region’s most consequential challenges\, offering a rare firsthand look at the negotiations and decisions that continue to shape the Middle East today. \nThursday\, October 15 I 6:00pm – 7:00pm CT\n \n\nFeatured Speaker: Brett McGurk\n \nBrett McGurk served as a top national security advisor under Presidents George W. Bush\, Barack Obama\, and Donald Trump. He has been involved in U.S. military strategy\, diplomacy\, and foreign policy for nearly two decades\, most recently as Obama and Trump’s envoy leading the campaign to defeat ISIS. He served as a law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist on the U.S. Supreme Court from 2001 to 2002\, and was at the Court on the morning of 9/11\, a day that changed history and his life. McGurk is currently the Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute\, where he teaches and lectures on presidential decision-making in wartime.He is the author of the forthcoming book Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7 Hostages\, available October 6th\, 2026. \nFeatured Moderator: Jim Falk\n \nJim Falk is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe\, a member organization of the World Affairs Councils of America. He hosts WorldNow with Jim Falk and produces and hosts The Forum\, the weekly public affairs program on KSFR-FM\, Santa Fe Community Radio (KSFR.org). A member of the Council on Foreign Relations\, Falk led the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as President and CEO from 2001 to 2021\, helping expand the organization’s role as one of the nation’s leading forums for international affairs and public policy. His guests have included diplomats\, senior intelligence officials\, policymakers\, military leaders\, scholars\, journalists\, and bestselling authors from around the world. Through WorldNow and The Forum\, he continues his commitment to fostering informed\, civil dialogue on the international\, political\, social\, and cultural issues shaping our world. \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/inside-the-race/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T120000
DTSTAMP:20261026T135824Z
CREATED:20261012T210824Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261026T135824Z
UID:81041-1792494000-1792497600@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:The Global Race for Critical Minerals (Webinar)
DESCRIPTION:  \n  \nChina. Defense. AI. Energy. The resources powering global competition. \nCritical minerals are becoming a defining fault line in global security. From advanced weapons and defense systems to AI\, energy\, and emerging technologies\, access to these resources is increasingly tied to national power and security. \nGracelin Baskaran\, Director of the CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program\, and Michael Winter\, RTX Chief Scientist\, join the Global Security Forum: Fault Lines to explore China’s role in global mineral supply chains\, the global competition to secure critical resources\, and what it means for U.S. security\, industry\, and technological leadership. \nTuesday\, October 20 I 11:00am – 12:00pm CT\n \n\n \nFeatured Speaker:  Dr. Gracelin Baskaran (Director\, Critical Minerals Security Program\, CSIS)\n \nDr. Gracelin Baskaran is director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She is a mining economist and has spent over a decade working on critical minerals globally. \nShe began her career in South Africa’s platinum belt and later spent five years at the World Bank in South Africa\, where she coauthored the book Africa’s Resource Future: Harnessing Natural Resources for Economic Transformation during the Low-Carbon Transition. She recently published a policy playbook\, Critical Minerals and the Future of the United States Economy\, and is now writing a book on an international strategy for critical minerals engagement for the United States. \nDr. Baskaran is also an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University\, where she teaches critical minerals in the Center for Security Studies. She was a Fulbright Scholar and has held positions at the University of Cambridge\, the University of London\, and the University of Cape Town. \nDr. Baskaran has been cited as an expert in The Economist\, Financial Times\, the New York Times\, the Wall Street Journal\, the Washington Post\, Fox\, CNN\, Bloomberg\, and BBC\, and regularly appears on television. She has authored more than 200 policy reports\, white papers\, and op-eds. \nIn 2025\, Mining Journal ranked Dr. Baskaran No. 8 on its “Top 50 Most Influential” list—the only woman in the top 12. She regularly speaks at international conferences and policymaker forums and has testified before the U.S. Congress. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. \nFeatured Moderator: Michael Winter (Chief Scientist\, RTX)\n \nDr. Michael Winter\, Ph.D.\, is the Chief Scientist at RTX. RTX is a major Aerospace and defense company providing advanced systems and services for commercial\, military and government customers worldwide\, comprised of three industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace\, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon. In his role at RTX\, he shapes the company’s cross-enterprise technology strategy and accelerates innovation across aerospace and defense. He leads efforts to advance next-generation propulsion\, materials\, electrification\, hybrid-electric systems\, and defense platforms\, while strengthening the company’s global engineering tools\, processes\, and knowledge base. He also plays a central role in RTX’s external engagement strategy\, representing its technology priorities with universities\, startups\, and government stakeholders. \nWith 45 years of experience in aerospace\, and 35 of them as part of RTX\, Dr. Winter has held pivotal leadership roles across the corporation\, including 14 years at the RTX Technology Research Center and\, most recently\, as a principal fellow at Pratt & Whitney. His work has helped enable major commercial and military propulsion platforms — including the Geared Turbofan and the F-35 Lightning II — and advanced technologies spanning fuel cells\, lasers\, combustion\, and propulsion systems. \nA prolific innovator\, Dr. Winter is the inventor or co-inventor on more than 40 patents and has published over 50 technical articles. He has served on multiple engineering school advisory boards and on the National Research Council Board of Assessment of the National Academies\, and he currently serves on the NASA Advisory Council. He is a fellow of AIAA and the Royal Aeronautical Society\, and a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE). \nWidely respected for his deep technical insight and his ability to demystify complex aerospace challenges\, Dr. Winter is known for combining a “lab-rat” curiosity with a strategic\, enterprise wide perspective. He holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Philosophy\, as well as a Master of Science from Yale University\, and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Drexel University. He is an avid cyclist\, enjoys sea kayaking and recently received a 2nd-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-global-race-for-critical-minerals/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261020T193000
DTSTAMP:20261021T133638Z
CREATED:20261008T140707Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261021T133638Z
UID:81022-1792517400-1792524600@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:Global Eats: Mexican Cuisine - An Evening at Mesero Nashville
DESCRIPTION:  \n \n  \nGlobal Eats: Mexican Cuisine – An Evening at Mesero Nashville\nTuesday\, October 20 I 5:30pm – 7:30pm \nOur “Global Eats” events offer a unique cultural and culinary experience that brings the world to your plate. Join us as we explore authentic cuisines from around the globe at local restaurants\, featuring rich\, exotic flavors. These events go beyond dining\, offering rich conversations about the featured country’s history\, culture\, and traditions\, often with guest speakers or cultural demonstrations. Led by a host-country representative\, “Global Eats” blends food\, culture\, and learning\, offering a delightful way to connect with diverse perspectives while enjoying a shared meal with fellow globally minded individuals. \nMesero means server in Spanish\, reflecting the restaurant’s vision. It wants to be service-oriented: the best and friendliest experience for customers\, while being a higher level than a typical Mexican restaurant. Originally from Dallas\, Texas\, it has multiple locations\, mainly in Texas\, but now in Tennessee and Oklahoma as well. While they are influenced by different regions in Mexico\, they focus the most on the North. The Nashville location\, however\, has a more southern focus because its team members are from regions like Oaxaca\, Jalisco\, and Chihuahua. Each location’s team influences the food and other elements of the restaurant to deliver a more authentic\, higher-caliber experience. \n**Your $40 ticket includes family-style entrées and gratuity. Attendees can purchase drinks and gratuity for drinks separately.** \n  \n  \n  \n\n\nFeatured Speaker: Edgar Mandujano (Chef at Mesero Nashville)\nChef Edgar Mandujano has been part of Mesero Nashville’s culinary team since the restaurant opened two years ago. From the Oaxaca region of Mexico\, Edgar brings a deep appreciation for his home region’s flavors and traditions to the kitchen\, along with a meticulous approach to every dish. \nOne of his greatest passions is salsa\, which he views as an art requiring time\, consistency\, and careful attention to each ingredient. That same attention to detail shapes his approach to cooking\, from balancing flavors to the color and presentation of a finished plate. Edgar takes particular pride in creating dishes that feel special for celebrations and shared occasions \nAt Mesero Nashville\, Chef Edgar has collaborated with Sous Chef Elias Cuevas to incorporate more of their Oaxacan heritage into the menu. Their interpretation of mole\, made with approximately 50 ingredients\, reflects the complexity and care behind one of Mexico’s most celebrated sauces. Edgar is also proud of his Puerco Pasillo\, a dish that evolved from a recipe created at Mesero’s Dallas location and was adapted by the Nashville team. Through Mesero’s Nashville team\, his Oaxacan culinary traditions have joined a broader conversation between Mexico’s regional flavors and the restaurant’s Texas roots.
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/an-evening-at-mesero-nashville/
LOCATION:Mesero Nashville\, 2803 12th Ave S #202\, Nashville\, TN\, 37204\, United States
CATEGORIES:Global Eats
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T130000
DTSTAMP:20261029T143505Z
CREATED:20261006T172522Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261029T143505Z
UID:80998-1793185200-1793192400@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:With Friends Like These... The Way Forward for Transatlantic Trade and Security
DESCRIPTION:  \n \n \nThe past 18 months have witnessed significant disruption in the post-WWII trade and security relationship between the United States and Germany\, and Europe more broadly. Questions surrounding U.S. support for Ukraine\, growing pressure for Europe to assume greater financial and political leadership within NATO\, and tensions over tariffs and trade are reshaping a transatlantic partnership that has been a cornerstone of international security and economic cooperation fordecades. At the same time\, Germany faces its own economic and political challenges\, while elections and shifting political dynamics across Europe could further influence the continent’s direction. \nPlease join the Tennessee World Affairs Council\, The American Council on Germany’s Nashville Chapter\, and The Nashville Chamber of Commerce International Business Council for a timely conversation with leading U.S.-German political\, diplomatic\, security\, and trade experts Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton and Dr. Stephanie Harwood. Drawing on their extensive experience in transatlantic relations\, diplomacy\, trade\, and public policy\, they will examine where the relationship stands today\, how we arrived here\, and the risks and opportunities ahead for the United States\, Germany\, and Europe. The discussion will explore the geopolitical and economic forces reshaping the transatlantic alliance—from NATO and European security to trade\, tariffs\, investment\, and economic competitiveness. It will also consider Germany’s role as a major European economic and political power\, the implications of changing political dynamics across Europe\, and what these developments mean for American interests. \nAs the international order undergoes profound change\, can the United States and Europe redefine their partnership for a new era? This panel will look beyond today’s tensions to consider the way forward for transatlantic trade\, security\, and cooperation — and why this relationship continues to matter on both sides of the Atlantic. \nWednesday\, October 28  I 11:00 am – 1:00 pm\n* Luncheon Event *\nVenue: \n \n501 Commerce St\, Nashville\, TN 37203 \n  \n\n \nFeatured Moderator: Paul Gallagher (Nashville Warburg Chapter Director\, The American Council on Germany)\n \nPaul Gallagher is the Nashville Warburg Chapter Director of The American Council on Germany.  He has had a long career in financial services\, most recently as Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Thread Bank\, with previous roles at Pinnacle Financial Partners\, PayPal\, Silicon Valley Bank\, Wells Fargo\, The Boston Consulting Group\, and IBM.  He was a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow in 1993-1994 and lived in Cologne\, Berlin\, and Munich for three years.  Mr. Gallagher holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in Political Science from Brown University. \n  \nFeatured Panelist: Stephanie Harwood (Director for Trade Policy\, Representative of German Industry and Trade – RGIT)\n \nStephanie Harwood is Director for trade policy at RGIT. Her professional background combines project and program management in the German-American nonprofit and corporate sectors\, while her international upbringing gave her a strong awareness and appreciation for both cultures. Stephanie previously worked for the German grocery chain Lidl US\, supporting its US expansion in several roles\, including in its real estate\, procurement\, and legal departments. She received her master’s degree in European Studies from the University of Bath\, England\, and Humboldt University in Berlin and completed her bachelor’s degree in international relations at the University of Denver\, Colorado. \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured Panelist: Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton (President\, Transatlantic Leadership Network)\n \nDr. Daniel S. Hamilton is a leading expert on transatlantic relations\, European affairs\, and international security. He is President of the Transatlantic Leadership Network and a Senior Nonresident Fellow at both the Brookings Institution and the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He previously founded and directed the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations and served as the Richard von Weizsäcker Professor and Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Professor at SAIS.  \nDr. Hamilton has held numerous senior positions at the U.S. Department of State\, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for European Affairs\, where he oversaw NATO\, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)\, transatlantic security\, and Nordic-Baltic and Balkan affairs. He also served as U.S. Special Coordinator for Southeast European Stabilization\, Associate Director of the Policy Planning Staff for two U.S. Secretaries of State\, Director for Policy in the Bureau of European Affairs\, and Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Germany.  \nHis extensive engagement with Germany includes serving as the inaugural Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow of the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin and as the first Robert Bosch Foundation Senior Diplomatic Fellow in the German Foreign Office. In 2012\, he served on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Futures Advisory Group.  \nA frequent adviser\, speaker\, and commentator on European and transatlantic affairs\, Dr. Hamilton regularly testifies before the U.S. Congress and European parliaments. He has authored more than 100 books and articles addressing European\, transatlantic\, and international affairs. Recent publications include The Transatlantic Economy annual series\, including the 2026 edition\, The Transatlantic Community and China\, Paradigm Lost? Europe and the Challenges of a New World\, and The Arctic and World Order.  \nHis contributions to international and transatlantic relations have earned him numerous honors\, including Germany’s Cross of the Federal Order of Merit\, France’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques\, Sweden’s Royal Order of the Polar Star\, and Poland’s Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit. \nDr. Hamilton holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. with distinction from Johns Hopkins SAIS\, an honorary doctorate from Concordia College\, and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. \n  \n  \n\n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-way-forward-for-transatlantic-trade-and-security/
LOCATION:AllianceBernstein\, 501 Commerce St\, Nashville\, TN\, 37203\, United States
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Speaker Series
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T130000
DTSTAMP:20261102T165046Z
CREATED:20261005T182939Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261102T165046Z
UID:80988-1793361600-1793365200@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:Lessons from Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy (Webinar)
DESCRIPTION:The statecraft of John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill\, with its emphasis upon standing up to dictators and forestalling the threat of nuclear war\, has become relevant once more following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The lessons of the 1930s and the 1960s\, rather than being of academic interest\, have become fearsomely relevant. Joel Nelson’s new book “Kennedy’s Only Hero” tells the story of John F. Kennedy’s fascination with Winston Churchill and shows how\, as President\, Kennedy adapted Churchill’s campaign against appeasement to combat the threat of the Soviet Union. Drawing lessons from this history\, Nelson will discuss Churchill’s strategy\, how Kennedy adapted it and succeeded\, and how it can be used again in this new age of peril. \nFriday\, October 30 I 12:00pm – 1:00pm\n \n\n \nFeatured Speaker: Joel Nelson (Historian and Author of “Kennedy’s Only Hero”)\n\n \nJoel Nelson is a British writer and historian. He has worked as an advisor to the Secretary of State for International Development\, an editor at Foreign Affairs\, and a Director of European Policy at an AI think tank in Washington\, D.C. He has a first-class honors degree in History from the University of Oxford\, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge\, and he was a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard. Kennedy’s Only Hero is his firstbook. \n \n \n \n \n  \n \nFeatured Moderator: Lee Pollock (Historian and Board Director\, The International Churchill Society)\n \nLee Pollock is an award-winning historian\, writer\, and public speaker on the life of Winston Churchill. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal\, the New Criterion\, and other publications\, and he has been featured on CBS\, the BBC\, and numerous media outlets in the U.S. and Britain.  Lee has spoken about Winston Churchill at venues ranging from the U.S. Congress\, the Pentagon and the Supreme Court to leading universities\, museums\, and non-profit institutions. \nHe is a Director and Senior Advisor to the Board of The International Churchill Society and previously served as its Executive Director. Lee is a Fellow of the National Churchill Museum and a recipient of the Churchill Society’s prestigious Chartwell Award. He is editor of “Winston S. Churchill on Public Speaking” and the author of “Action This Day: Adventures with Winston Churchill.” \n  \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/lessons-from-winston-churchill-and-john-f-kennedy/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261103T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261103T130000
DTSTAMP:20261015T181833Z
CREATED:20260928T194945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261015T181833Z
UID:80976-1793703600-1793710800@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:The Kurds: U.S. Relations\, Regional Change\, and the Kurdish-American Experience
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Kurdish people have played an important role in the history and politics of the Middle East\, while their relationship with the United States has evolved through decades of regional conflict\, cooperation\, and changing geopolitical priorities. This panel will examine the recent history of U.S. engagement with the Kurdish people\, U.S. policy toward Kurdistan\, and the political challenges facing Kurdish communities across the Middle East. The speakers will also consider what recent developments in the region may mean for the future of the Kurdish people. \nThe conversation will also bring the discussion closer to home by exploring the Kurdish- American experience. The panel will discuss the establishment and growth of Kurdish communities in the United States and the contributions Kurdish Americans make to the cultural\, economic\, and civic life of their communities. With Nashville home to a significant Kurdish community\, the discussion will connect international affairs with Tennessee\, offering perspectives on how developments in the Middle East resonate within our own community. \nTuesday\, November 3 I 11:00 am – 1:00 pm\n* Luncheon Event *\nVenue: \n \n1221 Broadway\, Suite 1300\, Nashville\, TN 37203 \n  \n    \n    \n    \n        Register Now    \n    \n  \n\n \nFeatured Moderator: Dr. Breck Walker\n \nBreck 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 early Pentagon policies in the computer security and cyber areas. Dr. Walker is currently retired. \n\n  \n\n  \n\n  \n  \n  \n \n \nFeatured Panelist: Tabeer Taabur (President\, Tennessee Kurdish Community Council)\nTabeer Taabur is a community leader\, advocate\, and public servant dedicated to strengthening the visibility\, well-being\, and civic engagement of Kurdish and New American communities in Tennessee. With a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration\, Tabeer serves as President of the Tennessee Kurdish Community Council\, where he promotes cultural preservation\, community unity\, youth and family engagement\, and greater Kurdish representation in civic life. He also serves on the New Americans Advisory Council Committee and the Nashville PBS Community Advisory Board\, contributing his perspective to efforts that advance inclusion\, access\, and diverse representation. A committed advocate for the Kurdish community\, Tabeer works with policymakers\, civic leaders\, and community partners to raise awareness of Kurdish history\, culture\, human rights\, and democratic aspirations while fostering constructive U.S.–Kurdish relations. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured Panelist: LT COL Michael Trotter (CENTCOM Theater Engagement and Regional Expertise Instructor\, 5th Special Forces Group Airborne)\nLieutenant Colonel Michael Trotter retired in 2016 after 24 years of service with the US Army as a Special Forces Officer. His Army assignments included more than seven years of deployments to the CENTCOM AOR and eight combat tours. Since retirement\, he has served as an Instructor for the CENTCOM Special Operations Forces Theater Engagement Course at the US Air Force Special Operations School at Hurlburt Field\, Florida\, and as an Instructor with the NATO Special Operations School at Chievres Air Base in Belgium. He currently serves as the CENTCOM Theater Engagement and Regional Expertise Instructor for the 5 th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell\, Kentucky. He is married to RuthAnn Trotter\, and they have two children\, Jack (23) and Annaleigh (19). \n  \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured Panelist: Karl Dean\n \nKarl Dean served as the sixth Mayor of Nashville and Davidson County. He was elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. Dean first held public office when he was elected as Nashville’s Public Defender in 1990. He was re-elected in 1994 and 1998. He served as Metro Law Director from 1999 to January 2007\, when he resigned to run for the office of mayor. Karl Dean has taught at Vanderbilt Law School\, Belmont University\, and Boston University. \n \n  \n_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-kurds-and-the-kurdish-american-experience/
LOCATION:First Bank\, 1221 Broadway\, Suite 1300\, Nashville\, 37203\, United States
CATEGORIES:Distinguished Speaker Series
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261105T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261105T130000
DTSTAMP:20261016T173412Z
CREATED:20261015T210126Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261016T173412Z
UID:81068-1793880000-1793883600@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:Investing in an Uncertain World: Identifying Geopolitical Dependencies (Webinar)
DESCRIPTION: \n\nAn investment can clear every financial and regulatory hurdle and still depend on decisions its owner cannot control. A foreign export license\, a maintenance provider\, access to finance\, or a critical transport route can determine whether an asset keeps operating. As geopolitical competition reaches into everyday business\, ownership alone tells us less than we might expect about who holds the power to interrupt production\, restrict access\, or delay recovery. \nDrawing on his experience in government and the defense industry\, Shay Gal will explore how businesses can identify these dependencies before committing capital. Through a practical case and moderated discussion\, participants will examine who can stop an essential function\, what alternatives exist\, and how long they would take to activate. The conversation will connect international affairs to concrete decisions facing boards\, investors\, and communities\, with time for audience questions. \n  \nThursday\, November 5 I 12:00pm – 1:00pm\n  \n    \n    \n    \n        Register Now    \n    \n  \n\n \nFeatured Speaker: Shay Gal (Founder and Principal\, Line of State)\n \nShay Gal is Founder and Principal of Line of State\, an international strategic practice advising governments\, institutions and businesses on strategy\, security and political risk. He previously served as Vice President of External Relations at Israel Aerospace Industries\, following senior advisory roles in Israeli government. His work connects geopolitics with practical decisions about investment\, infrastructure and industrial capacity\, examining how states and companies preserve their freedom to act when suppliers\, partners or governments control something they cannot readily replace. \n  \nFeatured Moderator: Bill Hirschman (Portfolio Manager & Head of Nashville Office\, Brown Advisory)\n \nBill is a Portfolio Manager and Head of Brown Advisory’s Nashville office. With more than 30 years in the capital markets\, he has advised families\, foundations\, and businesses on investment strategy\, portfolio management\, and long-term wealth stewardship. He spent the first half of his career in investment banking with Equitable Securities and Avondale Partners\, advising companies on strategic and capital markets matters. \nHe subsequently transitioned to private banking and wealth management\, holding senior roles with J.P. Morgan and Bank of America before joining Brown Advisory. This breadth of experience—spanning corporate finance\, capital markets\, and private wealth—continues to inform his approach to investing and advising clients today. Known for combining disciplined investment thinking with a client-focused approach\, Bill works closely with clients to help them achieve their financial objectives across generations. \nBill is passionate about advancing environmental\, educational\, and community-focused organizations through board service and volunteer leadership. \nEducationWashington and Lee University\, B.A.\, Economics \nCommunity InvolvementBoard Member\, Friends of the EvergladesAdvisory Board Member\, Friends of Warner ParksVolunteer Coach\, Montgomery Bell Academy RowingPrior Community InvolvementBoard Member & Treasurer\, Nashville Conflict Resolution CenterMember\, Alive Hospice Ethics Committee \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/investing-in-an-uncertain-world/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinar
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261110T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261110T130000
DTSTAMP:20260921T155152Z
CREATED:20260914T212535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T155152Z
UID:80895-1794308400-1794315600@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:The Best and the Worst: 250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy
DESCRIPTION:For two and a half centuries\, the United States has faced a challenging world. Some of its responses have advanced U.S. interests and values. Others have not. The Council on Foreign Relations asked members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations\, the world’s foremost organization dedicated to the scholarly study of the history of American foreign relations\, to identify and rank what in their judgment were the ten best and ten worst U.S. foreign policy decisions since the writing of the Declaration of Independence. The Marshall Plan\, the creation of the United Nations\, and the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France topped the list of the ten best U.S. foreign policy decisions. The invasion of Iraq and the deployment of combat forces to Vietnam led the list of the top ten worst decisions. As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding\, the survey results provide an opportunity to learn more about the foreign policy choices past generations made\, to assess what has and has not worked with America’s engagement with the world\, and to consider how the United States can best meet the challenges of today. \nTuesday\, November 10  I 11:00 am – 1:00 pm\n* Luncheon Event *\nVenue:\nBass\, Berry & Sims \n21 Platform Way S.\, Suite 3500\, Nashville\, TN 37203 \n    \n    \n    \n        Register Now    \n    \n  \n\nModerator: Karl Dean\n \nKarl Dean served as the sixth Mayor of Nashville and Davidson County. He was elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. Dean first held public office when he was elected as Nashville’s Public Defender in 1990. He was re-elected in 1994 and 1998. He served as Metro Law Director from 1999 to January 2007\, when he resigned to run for the office of mayor. Karl Dean has taught at Vanderbilt Law School\, Belmont University\, and Boston University. \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured Speaker: Dr. James Lindsay (Senior Fellow\, Council on Foreign Relations)\n \nJames M. Lindsay is the Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). His scholarly work examines U.S. national security policy\, the U.S. foreign policymaking process\, and the domestic politics of U.S. foreign policy. From 2009 to 2024\, Lindsay served as senior vice president\, director of studies\, and Maurice R. Greenberg chair at CFR\, where he oversaw more than six dozen fellows in CFR’s David Rockefeller Studies Program. From 2024 to 2025\, he also served as director of Fellowship Affairs\, where he supervised CFR’s fourteen external fellowship programs. Before returning to CFR in 2009\, Lindsay was the inaugural director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin\, where he held the Tom Slick chair for international affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. From 2003 to 2006\, he was vice president\, director of studies\, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair at CFR. He previously served as deputy director and senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. From 1987 until 1999\, he was a professor of political science at the University of Iowa. From 1996 to 1997\, Lindsay served as director for global issues and multilateral affairs on the National Security Council staff. He has also served as a consultant to the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century (Hart-Rudman Commission) and as a staff expert for the United States Institute of Peace’s congressionally mandated Task Force on the United Nations. Lindsay has written and edited more than a dozen books on U.S. politics\, foreign policy\, and international relations. His most recent book\, co-authored with Ivo H. Daalder\, is The Empty Throne: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership. His previous book with Ambassador Daalder\, America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy\, won the 2003 Lionel Gelber Prize\, was named a finalist for the Arthur S. Ross Book Award\, and was selected as a top book of 2003 by The Economist. He has also contributed articles to many major newspapers and magazines\, including Foreign Affairs\, the New York Times\, the Washington Post\, and the Los Angeles Times. He hosts the weekly podcast The President’s Inbox. Lindsay holds an AB in economics and political science with highest distinction and highest honors from the University of Michigan and an MA\, MPhil\, and PhD from Yale University. \n______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-best-and-the-worst/
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:20261203T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261203T120000
DTSTAMP:20261012T212256Z
CREATED:20261012T212256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261012T212256Z
UID:81047-1796295600-1796299200@www.tnwac.org
SUMMARY:The World Ahead: 2027 (Webinar)
DESCRIPTION:  \n  \nEach year\, The Economist‘s The World Ahead series examines the forces expected to shape the year ahead. Covering politics\, technology\, society\, and beyond\, this series\, edited by Tom Standage\, offers an ambitious and wide-ranging look at what’s next. \nOn December 3\, Standage returns to WorldNow with Jim Falk to unpack his predictions for the trends that will define 2027. \nThursday\, December 3 I 11:00am – 12:00pm CT\nRegister now\n \n\n \nFeatured Speaker:  Tom Standage (Deputy Director\, The Economist)\n \nTom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual\, “The World Ahead.” Standage directs the newspaper’s digital strategy and the development of new digital products and is the author of seven history books\, including Writing on the Wall (2013)\, The Victorian Internet (1998)\, and A History of the World in 6 Glasses (2005). He studied engineering and computing at Oxford University and has written for other publications\, including the New York Times\, Daily Telegraph\, The Guardian\, and Wired. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured Moderator: Jim Falk\n \nJim Falk is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe\, a member organization of the World Affairs Councils of America. He hosts WorldNow with Jim Falk and produces and hosts The Forum\, the weekly public affairs program on KSFR-FM\, Santa Fe Community Radio (KSFR.org). A member of the Council on Foreign Relations\, Falk led the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as President and CEO from 2001 to 2021\, helping expand the organization’s role as one of the nation’s leading forums for international affairs and public policy. His guests have included diplomats\, senior intelligence officials\, policymakers\, military leaders\, scholars\, journalists\, and bestselling authors from around the world. Through WorldNow and The Forum\, he continues his commitment to fostering informed\, civil dialogue on the international\, political\, social\, and cultural issues shaping our world. \n \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.tnwac.org/event/the-world-ahead-2027/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinar
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