LincInterviews

Magda Khalifa is a first generation American, U.S. Army special operations combat veteran, business owner, speaker, and bestselling author of,  “American DREAM: Discipline, Resilience, Endurance, Adaptability, and Mentorship to Succeed and Win in Life“. With this conversation, she spotlights her two tours in Iraq and her ensuing struggle with transition and health issues. With highlight of her book American Dream, she highlights her success path through her concept Freedom Triangle®, introduced to the world in her memoir. In 2020, she launched the World’s First Modern Luxury Fragrance, Triangle Fragrance, featuring masterpiece eau de parfum for men and women.

Career Ambassador David Satterfield has served as special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Assistant Secretary of State, National Security Staff Director, Ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey, also Charge d’affaires in Iraq and Egypt. He is currently Director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, leading the Institutes Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East. With this conversation, Ambassdor Satterfield highlights his recent article, "The Role of US Diplomacy in a Changing World". At the outset of his article, Ambassador Satterfield says, " There is an enduring critical role for diplomacy—personal and institutional—in a world that is always changing. Today’s diplomacy is facilitated by technology in terms of access to information and communication within Washington, from Washington agencies, between DC and overseas posts, and among our missions to an extent unimaginable when I entered the Foreign Service in 1980. The days of the airgram are long past, of waiting for encrypted teletype messages to be deciphered and printed, of mastering Wang computers and the art of producing documents on daisy wheel printers—and good riddance to all!" The article includes discussion on positive changes, problems and challenges and Diplomacy in action in today’s world.  In conclusion, Ambassador Satterfield says , "The bottom line is that there is a great present and an enduring future in diplomacy and a need for the best diplomatic practitioners possible in today’s world and the world of tomorrow."

With this conversation, we are joined by jazz vocalist Sara Jones.  She is the first place winner of the Billie Holiday Vocal Competition and semi-finalist in the American Traditions Competition. She has toured in 49 states, performing in numerous concert halls across the nation. Starting her career as a pianist, she received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at St. Mary's College of Maryland and a Master of Music in Piano, accompanying at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. With her graduation, she talks about her six years with the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band.  Now maintaining an active performing schedule, she discusses the venues where she performs. She talks about her debut CD, Daydream A Little, published by Petite Musique Records.  Having also performed as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Ravinia Festival Orchestra under the batons of Emil de Cou and Erich Kunzel, she spotlights these performances. She also reflects on her soloist perfomances on the Esplanade with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra, also her work in the Baltimore/Washington area as featured vocalist with the Jazz Ambassadors.  A music educator, Sara discusses her professorship at Towson University in Maryland, where she teaches Jazz and Commercial Voice.  She lists her favorite entertainers and those who have influenced her the most, also highlighting the Great American Songbook and Big Band Era in America. In closing, Sara talks about her favorite songs, along with recommendations for aspiring singers and future projects.

With this conversation, we are joined by former United States Diplomat, Business Executive and Marine Corps Colonel Mr. Grant Newsham. A Senior fellow with the Center for Security Policy and the Yorktown Institute, Mr. Newsham discusses the legacy of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and future of the Indo Pacific Region. Abe’s long serving foreign policy adviser and speechwriter, Mr. Tomohiko Taniguchi, said Abe “understood Japan needed to enhance its economy, reinvested in the alliance with the United States, and expand its diplomatic ties by reaching out to Australia, and India.” How successful was he with each of these objectives? As the longest serving Prime Minister in Japanese history, Mr. Newsham spotlights Abe as a Statesman.  Shinzo Abe realized that without the American Alliance and U.S. presence, Japan’s prospects would be far less. Commensurate with his realization and work for change, Mr. Newsham discusses specific changes to the Japanese Constitution advocated by Abe.  He moves on to discuss Abe's effort to transform Japanese Maritime Defense Force (MDSF) from one of defense to that of power projection.  Abe is said to have coined the phrase, “A Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.  What did he mean by this phrase?  In September of 1954, the United States, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan formed the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, or SEATO, to prevent communism from spreading in the region. With the increasing threat of Communist China, Newsham talks about the Quad transforming into a modern day SEATO.  In 2007, Shinzo Abe initiated the Quad, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. What is the Quad? In closing, Mr. Newsham spotlights the future of the Indo-Pacific Region.

With this conversation, we are joined by Lieutenant General Bob Wood, USA (Ret), Chief Executive Officer for American Veterans Vote, a Veteran based advocacy group focused on encouraging Veterans to understand and use their collective political voice. LTG Wood retired in 2009 with 36 years of service in the United States Army, commanding at all levels in the Army through Division. He served in senior operations and strategy staff positions at the Army, Joint, and Coalition levels, also as a White House fellow during the Reagan Administration.  The American Veterans Vote mission is, “To promote the political voice of Veterans and mission partners in support of Veterans and their families, the defense of the Constitution and a strong national security.”  Bob Wood expands on the mission of American Veterans Vote, to include spotlight on the bottom up versus top down approach philosophy behind America Veterans Vote.  On the front page of the American Veterans Vote Homepage, it is stated, “Our nation struggles to keep our constitutional republic intact, to heal and unite communities, and restore love and respect for our great nation and people.” Bob Wood spotlights how American Veterans Vote is working to address this statement.  He discusses how American Veterans Vote seeks to understand and engage with the otherwise sizable population of Veterans in both Virginia and around America, who feel left behind by the American Voting system, with national, states and local elections. How can one both join and volunteer for American Veterans Vote? What are some of the events and activities of American Veterans Vote? Bob Wood also speaks to the greatest challenges in the founding of American Veterans Vote. In closing, Bob Wood provides his overarching thoughts regarding increasing the the political voice of both our Nations Veterans and their families.

With this conversation, we are joined by world renowned vocalist Elin Kathleen Melgarejo. At an early age, she became enamored with Brazilian music, embarking on a life-long journey to perform Brazilian jazz. Born and raised in Sweden, and the oldest of six children, she grew up in three different cultures and continents: Europe, North and South America. Fluent in five languages, she has lived in New York City, having been an instrumentalist and student of music since the age of seven. She spotlights her performance of the music of the great Brazilian Entertainers, such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gal Costa, João Gilberto, Elis Regina and Leny Andrade.  A key milestone in her career was meeting and working with the voice teacher Miriam Jaskierowicz Arman, author of, The Voice: A Spiritual Approach to Singing, Speaking and Com- municating. Elin shares more about the influence she had on your singing career.  To the Great American Songbook, she lists list Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan as among those singers that have influenced her.   She performs in New York and Washington DC, sharing the venues she prefers and has performed at. She talks about her ongoing close connection to Brazil.  She moves on to talk about which is the most challenging - learning, memorizing, or performing songs? Elin highlights her debut album, Lazy Afternoon, a mix of Brazilian, American classic and original songs, released on September 5th, 2006, also collaborations with Thievery Corporation, with whom she has recorded six songs across three albums since 2014.  In closing, she provides recommendations and advice tp aspiring singers, also albums and projects now in progress.

Ambassador Roman Popadiuk is the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. A retired member of the career Senior Foreign Service, he served on the National Security Councils of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush.  With this conversation, Ambassador Popadiuk discusses the Ukrainian Invasion. Starting with why Mr. Putin invaded the Ukraine, Ambassador Popadiuk spotlights some aspects and unintended consequences of the invasion for which Mr. Putin may not have anticipated.   He discusses how changing the overall global security map may well be one of Mr. Putin’s desires. Amidst a long history of oppression, starvation and war, the Ukrainian people also have a history of resilience and survival. With the current invasion, Ambassdor Popaduik further discusses Ukrainian resilience and survival.  He moves on to discusses what he believes the view of the Russian people to be of Ukraine today in 2022 and how they are reacting to the current invasion.  Could the Russian Ukrainian Invasion could escalate into a conflict, even war, between NATO, perhaps the United States and Russia, or not? With a potential threat of the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Mr. Putin, might the Ukrainian Invasion be considered a novel situation, perhaps not?  Ambassador Popadiuk also spotlights his thoughts on whether the Ukrainian Invasion be solved diplomatically or not.     Is China President Xi a cohort of Mr. Putin with the invasion of Ukraine? In the months ahead, will the Russian invasion of Ukraine become too much for Putin to Control? In closing, with Russia having ancestral roots common to Ukraine, Ambassador Popadiuk discusses whether Mr. Putin and his actions are a reflection of his and the traditional Russian view of Ukraine.

With this conversation, we are joined by Mr. Wick Rowland, President & CEO Emeritus of PBS12 (formerly Colorado Public Television and KBDI) in Denver, and Dean and Professor Emeritus of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado Boulder.  Mr. Rowland details his time at Stanford University, where he earned an MA in communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, also his Ph.D. from the Institute for Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He spotlights his Presidency at Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) Channel 12, where he refocused station strategy and management, resulting in increased community partnerships and revenues. He also discusses his oversight of the station from transition to digital, multi-channel, and interactive television.  With his award as a Fulbright Specialist for broadcasting, Mr. Rowland talks about his work in media policy development and communication and journalism education in Ethiopia. He also reflects on his service in the Peace Corps in Jamaica, where he specialized in both instructional broadcasting and adult literacy, which included a more critical and culturally conscious approach to media history and policy issues, particularly with regard to public service questions.  Mr. Rowland compares and contrasts the American media today in 2021 with that of the pre internet age.    In closing, Mr. Rowland highlights his recommendations for aspiring broadcast journalists.

Alana DeJoseph has worked in video and film production for nearly 40 years as producer, director, videographer, and editor.  With this conversation, Ms. DeJoseph highlights her own career, spotlighting her most recent film production entitled, “A Towering Task,” a documentary which chronicles the Peace Corps from inception in the 1960s to today in 2021. Of her most recent documentary, she says: "In a time when the American public either has a very antiquated notion of the Peace Corps, informed by an almost mythological awe of the 60s, or is not even aware that the agency still exists, at a time when global problems such as climate change and pandemics are highlighting the need for international cooperation, it is high time to bring this unique organization back into the public discourse, to raise the level of the discussion from quaint to crucial."  She discusses the original and timeless Peace Corps mission, also how the Peace Corps evolved since inception. She closes with her thoughts on the relevance of the Peace Corps today in 2021, now 60 years on from founding.

James T. L. Dandridge II is a retired career senior Foreign Service officer with the rank of Minister Counselor, now President of the Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired Organization (DACOR). Originally from Selma, Alabama, he served as a U.S. Army Special Operations Officer. His final assignment was as Special Operations Branch Chief, Joint Chiefs of Staff, retiring in 1979. He moved on to serve with the United States Information Agency (USIA) and the United States Department of State, retiring with 65 years of federal service. With this conversation, he highlights his time with USIA and the State Department. He also spotlights his work with the National Museum of American Diplomacy (NMAD), the first museum in the world dedicated to diplomacy, for which he is vice chairman of the Diplomacy Center Foundation. He reviews the DACOR Bacon House Conference 2021, entitled  “Rebuilding Diplomacy." The three focus areas of the conference were, "Strengthening the Foreign Service, The State Department Within the Foreign Affairs and Strengthening U.S. Diplomacy Abroad.” In follow on, he discusses what he considers the greatest challenges of the Department of State today in 2021.  To the emergence of China as a world superpower, he discusses Chinese President Xi’s intentions, along with what he believes American Foreign Policy should be toward those intentions.  In closing, Jim Dandridge reflects on the U.S. led Afghan War, considered the longest war in American History.