Part 1 of 4 in the 2026 International Perspectives Series.

Once overshadowed by U.S. strategic focus on Europe and Asia, Latin America is now center stage in debates over American influence, economic opportunity, and supply-chain resilience. Join us to examine how recent developments have brought renewed attention to Latin America’s political, economic, and security significance.

We’ll explore key issues shaping today’s policy landscape, including U.S. actions toward Venezuela, the strategic importance of critical minerals across the region, and how longstanding ideas about hemispheric security continue to influence U.S. decision-making.

This conversation will offer perspective on where U.S.–Latin America relations stand now, what challenges and opportunities lie ahead, and why the Western Hemisphere continues to matter for U.S. priorities and global stability.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Dr. Benjamin N. Gedan is a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Stimson Center Latin America program. He is an Adjunct Lecturer and Foreign Policy Fellow at the Latin America Studies Initiative at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the former Director of Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Previously, he served as the South America Director on the National Security Council staff at the White House, managed Honduras and Argentina at the U.S. Department of State and had responsibility for Central America and the Caribbean as an international economist at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Kevin O’Reilly assumed his duties as Chief of Mission at U.S. Embassy Managua on June 26, 2023. He previously served as the U.S. National Coordinator for the 2023 Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver, Colorado, and for the 2022 Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California. From 2018 to 2022 he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South America and Western Hemisphere Economic Policy.

A career member of the United States Senior Foreign Service, he has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Panama City, Panama, and as the embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires from June 2015 to February 2016; Director of the Office of Mexican Affairs in Washington, DC; and Senior Director for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq. Mr. O’Reilly also served as the Director for Latin American Affairs in the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of International Affairs and later as the White House’s National Security Council Director for North American Affairs. He was a Pearson Fellow in the Office of Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and served in the Pentagon in the Joint Staff’s Western European and NATO Affairs Division.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Marc Stanley most recently served as the United States Ambassador to Argentina from 2021 to 2025. He is an American trial lawyer, political activist, Jewish community leader, and philanthropist.

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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

Join us for breakfast and a timely and wide-ranging conversation with Glen Linder, Assistant Deputy Minister of Global Affairs Canada, as we explore the evolving relationship between the United States and its closest neighbor. Against the backdrop of a rapidly shifting global landscape, this discussion will address current issues shaping Canada’s role on the world stage, including trade dynamics, cross-border relations, and the broader economic and strategic ties that bind our two countries. From regional cooperation to global challenges, this program offers an opportunity to gain insight into the priorities, perspectives, and partnerships that continue to define the U.S.–Canada relationship.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

A lawyer by training, Glen Linder began his public service career as a Foreign Service officer. Over his career, he has worked at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Department of Justice, Public Safety Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada. Early in his career, he completed a posting to the Canadian Embassy in Guatemala. Glen returned to Global Affairs Canada in 2023, where he served as Director General for North America and as Director General of the Sanctions Bureau. He was Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas from July 2023 to September 2024, and again since August 2025.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

As the Vice President of Lockheed Martin International Government Affairs, Nancy Ziuzin Schlegel leads the corporation’s diplomatic and senior executive customer engagements for the company’s growing international business portfolio. Nancy has over 30 years of experience as an industry leader in the international trade, global defense, and aerospace sectors, with expertise in political advocacy, exports, and trade policy.

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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

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in global infrastructure, questions of data ownership, privacy, and control are emerging as defining issues of the 21st century. In this second program of our AI Series, we turn our focus to the new information order taking shape in a hyperconnected world.

How will governments balance national security with individual rights? What responsibilities do technology companies bear as the stewards of unprecedented amounts of personal data? And how can democracies safeguard transparency and trust in an era where information can be both weapon and commodity?

Join us for a conversation on how innovation, regulation, and ethical governance are reshaping the global contest over information – and the future of digital freedom.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Beth Sanner, former Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration and longtime CIA analyst, as she reflects on the national security landscape one year into the second Trump administration.

Drawing on her decades of experience briefing presidents and shaping intelligence assessments, Sanner will offer a candid, nonpartisan look at how U.S. foreign policy, intelligence priorities, and global alliances have evolved over the past year – and what challenges lie ahead.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Beth Sanner is the former Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Presidential Daily Briefer, and CNN National Security Contributor. Currently, she is a trusted commentator, lecturer, and strategist for businesses

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Jess Koloini is the President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth.

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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: www.dfwworld.org/donate

As Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv became a major target at the outset of the Russian invasion in 2022. As of April 2024, reports suggest that almost a quarter of the city has been damaged or destroyed. For the duration of the war, Mayor Ihor Terekhov has led his city through heavy fighting, shelling and missile strikes, and repeated attempts at advancement by Russian troops. For its people’s bravery in repelling Russian forces, the city was designated a Hero City of Ukraine by the Ukrainian government in 2022. The Council welcomes Mayor Terekhov to share his city’s story of resistance.

Members with questions should reach out to Jenny Villatoro at [email protected].

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Ihor Terekhov has served as the mayor of Kharkiv in Ukraine since November 2021. In 2007, he was appointed the Deputy Head Governor of Kharkiv Oblast by Arsen Avakov. He became deputy mayor of Kharkiv in 2010 and first deputy mayor in 2015. He was granted the title of Honored Economist of Ukraine. Terekhov graduated from the Kharkiv Engineering and Construction Institute in 1990 and worked as a research intern for the institute. He then worked in the private sector from 1994 to 1997 before joining the economic department of the Kharkiv City Council as a civil servant in 1999. He graduated in 2006 from the National Academy for Public Administration.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Krys Boyd is host and managing editor of Think from KERA in Dallas – a position she’s held since 2006. To date, the national program can be heard on more than 200 stations across the country. A graduate of Texas Christian University’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication, Krys began her career as a journalist along the U.S./Mexico border and returned to North Texas in 1999 to serve as News Director for Broadcast.com, and later Senior Producer of Broadcast News at Yahoo. Krys joined KERA in 2001, hosting the nightly radio talk show Conversations. Later, she wrote and produced documentary and educational television programs, including the critically-acclaimed, nationally broadcast JFK: Breaking the News in 2003, and served as producer and co-host of the Emmy Award-winning public affairs program On The Record. She also hosted a weekly television version of Think from 2007-2011. Think has been honored with numerous local, state, and national awards. Krys and her husband Matt live in Dallas and have four children.

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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

HONOREE – Emily Ramirez

Emily Ramirez is a distinguished educator with 13 years of experience cultivating global awareness and academic excellence as a teacher and a Junior World Affairs Council sponsor. She currently teaches AP World History and Mexican American Studies at Lake Highlands High School in the Richardson Independent School District, where she is recognized for her innovative and culturally relevant teaching methods.

As the sponsor of Junior World Affairs Council (JWAC) clubs at Lake Highlands High School and previously at Uplift Williams Preparatory, Ramirez has expanded her impact beyond the classroom by fostering global citizenship and leadership among her students. She co-sponsored the creation of the “Global Awareness Speaker Series,” which has brought experts to her campus from fields such as global health, international business, diplomacy, and human rights. Ramirez has also organized a variety of community service initiatives, including drives for refugee families and hands-on events like building water filters for disaster relief. Additionally, she has mentored hundreds of teenagers through her weekly after-school discussions of current events.

Ramirez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Center for Nonprofit Management. She has received numerous accolades, including being selected for the WACDFW Travel Fellowship to Morocco in 2019 and being honored as the Lake Highlands High School Teacher of the Year in 2022. Seven of her students have been selected as 20 Under 20 recipients and Lake Highlands has been named among the Top 10 JWACs for the past five consecutive years.

KEYNOTE – David Rohde

David Rohde is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the author of Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, the FBI and the War on Democracy and four other books. He is the national security and law editor at NBC News and a former executive editor of The New Yorker website, where he wrote about the Justice Department, democracy, and disinformation. He is also a former New York Times, Reuters, and Christian Science Monitor reporter.

About The International Educator of the Year Award

In working directly with high schools, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth has encountered numerous educators devoted to enriching their students’ knowledge of world affairs and expanding international learning opportunities for their students. These teachers and administrators demonstrate leadership by going above and beyond their normal responsibilities.

Just as these teachers feel it is important to help their students develop a better understanding of the world, we at the Council feel it is equally important to recognize the efforts of these dedicated individuals.

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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 3 of 3 of the Inspiring Success Stories: An American Journey.

Elaine Agather’s career in the banking industry took off like a rocket. From her entry into banking in Sherman, TX to her dynamic engagement in banking in New York and the global economy, her charisma and willingness to adapt and show up earned her opportunity after opportunity. Her journey is the epitome of the inspired American journey. Today, she is the chairwoman of the Dallas Region, CEO of the central region, and managing director of The Private Bank for JP Morgan Chase & Co. She joins us in 2025 to discuss her career from New York, London, and San Francisco, Elaine’s Eight (i.e. Saddle Your Own Horse), and what it means to be a woman CEO. Agather will close out the CEO series with President & CEO of Hillwood Aviation Matt Byrd.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Elaine Agather is Chairman of the Dallas Region for JPMorgan Chase & Co. She also serves as the Central Region Head and Managing Director of The Private Bank at J.P. Morgan.

Elaine joined Chemical Bank of New York in 1979, working in London, San Francisco, and New York until she relocated to Dallas in 1984. After the 1986 merger of Chemical Bank and Texas Commerce Bank, Elaine was promoted to Chairman of Texas Commerce Bank in Fort Worth in 1992 and joined the Private Bank to manage client advisory groups across the state in 1997. In 1999, she was elected Chairman and CEO of Dallas.

Elaine is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Performing Arts Fort Worth, serves as a Board Member for the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and is the Secretary of the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Dallas Citizens Council and serves on the University of Texas McCombs School of Business Advisory Council.

A native of Sherman, Texas, Elaine graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in history and economics and received her MBA from The University of Texas. She and her husband, Neils, have two daughters, Bradley and Lorene, her son-in-law, Coley Means, and two grandsons, George and Hunter.

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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

Join us for a conversation with Ken Hersh – renowned investor, business leader, philanthropist, and president and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Ken will share his insights into the art and practice of leadership, drawing on decades of experience at the helm of both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He will explore how effective leadership transcends industries, how mission alignment drives both financial success and social impact, and how he has cultivated a legacy of truly welcoming and resilient workplace cultures. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leader who has made his name in the business world without compromising himself or his people.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Since 2016, Ken Hersh has served as president and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which houses the George W. Bush Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute. In 1988, he co-founded NGP Energy Capital Management, one of the nation’s largest natural resources private equity firms which pioneered private capital investing in the sector. Until 2016, he served as CEO, investing over $12 billion, earning a 27-year 30% annualized rate of return, making it one of the nation’s leading private investors. In 2023, the Oil and Gas Investor magazine inducted Ken into its Hart Energy Hall of Fame as one of the top 50 “pioneering men and women who have shaped energy over the last half century.”

Additionally, Ken manages his family office that invests across multiple industries. He sits on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. He sits on the Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Hersh is an active philanthropist through the efforts of The Hersh Foundation both in his community and around the country.

In 2023, he released his book, The Fastest Tortoise: Winning in Industries I Knew Nothing About, which chronicles lessons evolving from his business and personal experiences. He received his undergraduate degree in politics from Princeton and his MBA from Stanford University. In 2023, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth honored Hersh with the H. Neil Mallon Award.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Christine Perez is editor of D CEO, the business title of D Magazine Partners in Dallas—consistently recognized as the nation’s best regional business magazine. She leads the brand’s editorial operations, overseeing its digital news site, nonprofit, real estate, and healthcare platforms, the signature Dallas 500 publication, and City of Champions, a special edition that focuses on the business of sports. A national award–winning journalist, Christine has been a trusted voice in North Texas business media since 2000.

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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

The Federal Reserve bank cut to interest rates in October, but officials cautioned about lowering the rates too quickly in recent meetings. Uncertainty with China, the Ukraine-Russia war, and the unrest in the Middle East all impact not only foreign policy but also the domestic economy. The Trump Administration has committed to immediately implement policies impacting tariffs and trade, business and regulations, the national debt, and taxes. What will that impact be and how quickly can we expect to feel it? What are the short and long-term implications to the U.S. economy and consumers? Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs Robert Kaplan will speak to these questions, discuss the current state of the economy, and offer his 2025 economic forecast on January 29.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Robert Kaplan is vice chairman of Goldman Sachs and a member of the management committee. Kaplan initially joined the firm in 1983 and became a partner in 1990. In 2002, he became vice chairman of the firm with global responsibility for the investment banking and investment management divisions. He also served as co-chair of the partnership committee and chair of the Goldman Sachs Pine Street Leadership Program. In 1998, Kaplan became global co-head of Investment Banking and a member of the management committee. His previous roles included serving as head of Asia Pacific investment banking, co-chief operating officer of global investment banking and head of the Americas Corporate Finance department. He retired from the firm in 2006 to join Harvard Business School, becoming a senior director at that time.

Previously, Kaplan served as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas from 2015 to 2021. Before joining the Fed, he was the Martin Marshall Professor of Management Practice and senior associate dean at Harvard Business School.

Kaplan is chairman of Project ALS and co-chairman of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. He is a board member of Harvard Medical School and St. Mark’s School of Texas and is also a member of the George W. Bush Institute’s advisory council. He is also an advisory board member of the Baker Institute. He serves on the Bipartisan Policy Center President’s Council and on the board of directors at The Holdsworth Center.

Robert Kaplan is the author of three books on leadership: What You Really Need to Lead, What You’re Really Meant To Do, and What to Ask the Person in the Mirror.

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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

2025 Sumners Civics Lecture featuring former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John J. Sullivan; moderated by the Bradford M. Freeman Managing Director of Global Policy, the George W. Bush Institute Igor Khrestin.

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. James Sullivan, U.S. Ambassador to Russia, recalls being awakened in the middle of the night to a prearranged code when Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine. He had been warning others that this was a possibility. Why had no one taken the whispers seriously? Could this war have been stopped? The geopolitical atmosphere has since shifted; democracies around the world have clamored, reliant on Ukraine successfully keeping Russia at bay. On March 20, join the Council to hear Ambassador Sullivan’s insider perspective.

Ambassador John J. Sullivan, former U.S. deputy secretary of state and former U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation, is a partner in Mayer Brown’s DC and New York offices. His career spans four decades in public service under five U.S. presidents and in private law practice at Mayer Brown. Before rejoining the firm in January 2023, he was the U.S. ambassador to Russia from December 2019 to October 2022.

Prior to his post in Moscow, Ambassador Sullivan served for almost three years as the deputy secretary of state following a bipartisan Senate confirmation in 2017. He was responsible for both the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy and the management of the State Department’s global operations.

Ambassador Sullivan has been a member of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice and was a co-founder of the National Security practice. From 2010 to 2016, he served by appointment of the Obama Administration as chair of the U.S.-Iraq Business Dialogue. He previously held senior positions in the Departments of Justice, Defense, and Commerce in two prior administrations; until January 2009, he was the deputy secretary of commerce under President George W. Bush, following his service from 2005 to 2007 as the general counsel of the department. In President Bush’s first term, he was appointed deputy general counsel of the Defense Department by Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. In the George H.W. Bush Administration, Ambassador Sullivan was counselor to Assistant Attorney General J. Michael Luttig in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.

Ambassador Sullivan received his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law, where he was Book Reviews Editor of the Columbia Law Review. Additionally, he is a Distinguished Scholar at the school of Foreign Service of Georgetown University and a Distinguished Fellow at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University. He serves as a Contributor to CBS News, is quoted frequently in international media as a leading authority on foreign affairs, and has written a book on his experiences as ambassador, Midnight in Moscow, published in August 2024.

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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