Global Tennessee

Moderated by Chinese journalism expert Jeremy Goldkorn, this in-depth discussion with James Siebens (Fellow, Stimson Center's Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy program) explored how China leverages armed coercion to achieve its goals without direct conflict.

This session is essential for anyone interested in global security, international relations, and current geopolitical dynamics.

The Middle East is at a hinge moment. The old order is collapsing, and a new one has yet to emerge. While the region’s tectonic shifts predate Hamas’s terror attack on Oct. 7, the ensuing conflict in Gaza and its reverberations across the region are the crucible in which the new contours of the Middle East will take shape. USIP's Mona Yacoubian will provide insights on the regional flashpoints that have erupted in the wake of the Gaza conflict as well as the broader implications for a region in a state of enormous flux.

Do you wonder what jobs and careers there are in international affairs?  There’s more than you think.  Every Fall and Spring the World Affairs Council assembles diplomats, business people, NGO officials, returned Peace Corps volunteers and more to talk about their experiences and insights and to answer your questions at this very popular panel. 

The ICP will feature four panelists from different professions sharing hard to come by information on working in multicultural societies. This is a special opportunity to listen to distinguished professionals’ experiences and insights and to discuss: preparation and transition from colleges to careers including the tools; skills and competencies needed to enter the profession; the upsides and downsides of working in those jobs and internship opportunities in their organizations. The panel is aimed for college students, high school students and young professionals but they're open to everyone including TNWAC members and partner institutions around Tennessee.

This discussion will focus on Chinese engagements in Africa and Latin America, and the implications for US strategic relations and interests. Tugendhat will give opening remarks based on the view from Washington, the view from Beijing, and common views among many Global South capitals around these significant engagements. This will then lead into a series of questions and answers with the moderator and audience.

ARCHIVE - Global Nashville with Karl Dean - Dr. Sarah Gardial - Dean Massey College of Business by Tennessee World Affairs Council

Hard to come by insights and perspectives from Distinguished Professor of History Thomas Schwartz and moderator, Dr. Breck Walker.

At the beginning of the Cold War, Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg announced his support for Democratic President Harry Truman’s Marshall Plan for Europe by proclaiming that “Politics stops at the water’s edge.” In more recent times, however, American domestic politics appears to have had a strong effect on foreign policy, particularly in election years. In this webinar, we will discuss the potential impact of America’s election year politics on the important issues of foreign policy, including the Middle East, Ukraine, and China.

Ambassador William Taylor, former US Ambassador to Ukraine, talked to a TNWAC Global Town Hall in Nashville on November 29, 2023 about the war in Ukraine. The session was moderated by Vanderbilt University Distinguished History Dr. Thomas Schwartz. They covered the background and context of the fight over Ukraine as well as the current situations and issues and the role of the United States and the West.

Ambassador William B. Taylor is vice president, Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace. In 2019, he served as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv and as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009. During the Arab Spring, he oversaw U.S. assistance and support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria. He served in Jerusalem as the U.S. government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet. He served in Kabul in 2002 and in Baghdad in 2004.

In the 1990s, Ambassador Taylor coordinated U.S. assistance to the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He earlier served on the staff of Senator Bill Bradley.

Ambassador Taylor is a graduate of West Point and Harvard’s Kennedy School and served as an infantry platoon leader and combat company commander in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Germany.

On the anniversary of the launch of ChatGPT, TNWAC's Global Dialogue featured Paul Maguire, co-founder and CEO of Knowmadics and entrepreneur and technical innovator. TNWAC President Emeritus Patrick Ryan and Maguire talked about the evolution of AI leading to the current boom in AI technologies; democratization of data access through Open AI models and the warnings about damage that can be caused by malicious use of AI. Is the emergence of AI into mainstream technological uses another "Oppenheimer moment", where technologies that provide great benefit can also pose great risks. They discussed the global competition for AI dominance coupled with great power competition between the United States and China and other American adversaries. They concluded with comments on industry developments like the CEO shakeup at ChatGPT.

Paul Maguire is CEO and Co-Founder of Knowmadics, Inc, an innovative solutions provider. A serial entrepreneur, Mr. Maguire co-founded Knowmadics with Claire Ostrum in 2013, where he continues his track record of growing small businesses to successful acquisition. Prior to Knowmadics, Mr. Maguire served as President of Ultra Electronics ProLogic, where he managed the integration of small government IT contractor ProLogic following its 2008 acquisition by Ultra Electronics, as well as two other acquisitions worth a combined $128M. He had earlier served as ProLogic’s Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, driving the company’s growth from $1.7 million to $50 million+ over seven years, and ultimately leading to its acquisition.

Mr. Maguire previously worked at Autometric as a project, program, and product line manager with both P&L management and sales target responsibilities. His product led Autometric’s 33% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over seven years, which led to Autometric being acquired by the Boeing Company in 2000. Mr. Maguire has more than 12 years of Board experience, and currently sits on the Boards of Knowmadics and professional services firm Markon Solutions. He frequently speaks as a subject matter expert on the uses of commercial technology at the United States Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security events, and at international conferences on Security and Counter Terrorism. Mr. Maguire holds multiple patents and is the principal author of two U.S. Military Remote Sensing User Guides for Multi-spectral Imagery. He also served for eight years in the U.S. Navy, including as an Iraqi Analyst during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Oct 3, 2023 | Watch this important Town Hall conversation from the Tennessee World Affairs Council's distinguished visiting speaker program. Daniel Runde talks about the competition with China and disruption from Russia in shaping American influence in the world and who gets to set global rules.

“We’re at a moment in this period of great power competition, whether or not you want to call it a second Cold War, where the national security imperatives of dealing with a resurgent China and a disruptor in Russia require us to go back to the drawing board on our soft power instruments to respond to this new challenge.” — Daniel F. Runde

DANIEL RUNDE. Center for Strategic and International Studies Senior Vice President; William A. Schreyer Chair; Director, Project on Prosperity and Development and Author of “American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership Through Soft Power”

DR. AMY SAYWARD. Moderator. Executive Director, The Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR)

Professor of History, Middle Tennessee State University

GNKD host, former Nashville Mayor and TNWAC Board Chair Karl Dean talks with Andy Moats, Executive Vice-President, Director of Music, Sports, & Entertainment Pinnacle Financial Partners. The wide ranging conversation covered Andy's professional experiences in music -- from touring with a rock band to leadership in music banking; to directing financial services for entertainers and sports figures. His passions and pursuits include fast cars and his role in bringing Grand Prix racing to Nashville. There's much more to this story.

You won't want to miss this story about a Nashville native who has been key to many of the special aspects that make Nashville a global city.

TNWAC wishes to thank Pinnacle Financial Partners for support to the Council and the goal of bringing global affairs awareness programs to the community.

Recorded: Sep 25, 2023 | RT 30:10

Bio

Andy Moats, 46, is a Nashville native whose background combines restaurants, music, racing, and creating a bank.

After graduating from Vanderbilt University (Economics, 1999) Andy took time to pursue his passion for music, touring and supporting a multi-platinum rock band during the year 2000. Having played in various bands from an early age, his days performing may be over but his passion for music has helped to grow one of the largest music and entertainment focused banks in the country.

In 2001, Andy began his banking career at Union Planters Bank then-turned Regions Bank, rising to the role of Commercial Real Estate Credit Manager with credit responsibility for all real estate loan activity in the Southeast.

While pursuing his career path in banking, Andy was also heavily involved in his family’s NASCAR business – Brewco Motorsports (#27, #37, #66) – and various family restaurant companies.

In 2006, Andy co-founded what would become Avenue Bank. While at Avenue, as a member of the Bank’s Executive Team Andy served the dual roles of Chief Credit Officer – managing all aspects of lending and credit - and Bank Group Director, which included leadership of Avenue's retail branch network, business banking division, private banking division, and music & entertainment division.

In February of 2015, Andy and team embarked on their first public company ‘road show’ and successfully took Avenue Bank public on the Nasdaq Exchange (ticker symbol: AVNU).

In July of 2016, Avenue Bank merged with Nashville based Pinnacle Financial Partners to form one of the Top 50 largest Banks in the United States. Andy joined the leadership team of Pinnacle following the merger and currently serves in the role of Executive Vice President, Director of Music, Sports, & Entertainment. In this role, Andy develops and manages $2B in entertainment related accounts with clients including artists, songwriters, international label and publishing businesses, touring, athletes, and professional sports franchises, among others.

Outside of Banking, Andy is a founder and partner of the Music City Grand Prix, an IndyCar race televised in over 180 countries attracting over 100,000 fans each year. Other pursuits include film (Executive Producer - Murder at Yellowstone City) and early-stage company development and investment.

Andy’s community involvement and accolades include: Exchange Club Family Center, former Chairman of the Board; founding member of Nashville Emerging Leaders; Montgomery Bell Academy Alumni Board; M Street Entertainment Advisory Board; Leadership Music Class of 2014; Nashville Film Festival Music Committee; The Tennessean’s “Next Up”; Nashville Business Journal’s “40 under 40”; Billboard Magazine’s 2020, 2021, and 2022 Nashville “Power Players”, Music Publishing “Dealmakers”, and 2022/2023 all-industry “Power 100” ranking the music industries 100 most powerful players; Tennessee Entertainment Commission Board (Governor Appointed); Pet Community Center Board; Nashville Entrepreneur Center Board.