Ian Kahn
Ian Kahn
Actor
Ian Kahn recently starred as General George Washington in AMC’s critically acclaimed series Turn: Washington’s Spies, which recently completed its fourth and final season. Prior to landing the role of the nation’s first president, Kahn appeared in numerous high-profile television series, including Sex and the City, Suits, Law & Order, Castle, The Unusuals and Shameless. Kahn has been speaking about his experience playing General Washington and the role’s connection to our current political challenges in venues across the country.
Kahn was hosted by The Common Good in 2018: Defending Democracy: John Avlon, Philip Bobbitt, Ian Kahn, Garry Kasparov, and Bret Stephens.
Twitter: @IanKahn
Philip Bobbitt
Philip Bobbitt
Director for the Center for National Security at Columbia Law School
Philip C. Bobbitt is the Herbert Wechsler Professor of Federal Jurisprudence and director for the Center for National Security at Columbia Law School. He is one of the nation’s leading constitutional theorists. Bobbitt’s interests include not only constitutional law but also international security and the history of strategy. He has served as a law clerk to the Honorable Henry J. Friendly, associate counsel to the president, the Counselor on International Law at the State Department, legal counsel to the Senate Iran-Contra Committee, and Senior Director for Critical Infrastructure and Senior Director for strategic planning at the National Security Council.
Mr. Bobbitt was hosted by The Common Good in 2018: Defending Democracy: John Avlon, Philip Bobbitt, Ian Kahn, Garry Kasparov, and Bret Stephens - November 29, 2018.
Twitter: @PhilipBobbitt
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Chess Grandmaster
Garry Kasparov, one of the world’s greatest chess champions in history, fled Russia in 2013 after Putin’s crackdown on reform efforts led by Kasparov and others. Kasparov currently serves as chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, and has authored numerous works on the Putin regime and artificial intelligence.
Garry Kasparov joined The Common Good to discuss Russia and the dangers Vladimir Putin and his regime pose to the world in Defending Democracy: John Avlon, Philip Bobbitt, Ian Kahn, Garry Kasparov, and Bret Stephens. Kasparov also spoke at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards 2018.
Twitter: @Kasparov63
John Berman
John Berman
CNN Anchor
John Berman is the co-anchor of New Day on CNN. He was previously an anchor on CNN Newsroom, Early Start, and At This Hour. Prior to working at CNN, Berman worked at ABC News as a contributor to all of ABC’s broadcasts. He reported on the invasion of Iraq and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. He has also worked on Anderson Cooper 360 and Cuomo Prime Time. He has also appeared in Jeopardy as a celebrity contestant.
Mr. Berman was hosted by The Common Good in 2018: Facts and Fears: Hard Truths and Intelligence: James Clapper - November 7, 2018.
Twitter: @JohnBerman
Honorary Advisory Board Member: James Clapper
Director James R. Clapper is rightly considered to be one of the leading security minds of the 21st century. He has served in many key roles in the U.S. intelligence community, most notably as the Director of National Intelligence, In that role, Clapper served as the nation’s top intelligence official and the principal intelligence advisor to the President from 2010 to 2017. As the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper held one of the broadest portfolios in the U.S. government, overseeing 200,000 intelligence employees internationally, a $52 billion budget, and the intelligence units of high-profile organizations like the CIA, NSA, and FBI. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
While many of his accomplishments remain classified, Clapper was in the Situation Room during the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden. He also played a pivotal role in uncovering the likely parties at work behind the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee. Among his other notable public achievements, Clapper worked to improve communication between domestic agencies, building partnerships with foreign governments, and sweeping IT upgrades. Prior to becoming the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper served in two Administrations as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He was the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on intelligence, counterintelligence, and security matters for the Department. In this capacity, he also acted as the Director of Defense Intelligence for the DNI.
James Clapper on flying mission during the Vietnam War, June 1971
Clapper in 1995, a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
Clapper retired in 1995 after a distinguished career in the U.S. Armed Forces. His career began in 1961 when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and culminated as a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Clapper’s intelligence-related positions over his 32 years in uniform include Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and Director of Intelligence for three combatant commands: U.S. Forces, Korea, Pacific Command, and Strategic Air Command. He served two combat tours during the Southeast Asia conflict, and flew 73 combat support missions in EC-47’s over Laos and Cambodia.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter presents Clapper with the Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, 2016.
His awards include three National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medals, two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Coast Guard’s Distinguished Public Service Award, three Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Awards, the Presidentially-conferred National Security Medal, and many other U.S. civilian and military, as well as foreign government, awards and decorations. In recognition of his storied career, he was awarded the FBI Director’s Medallion and the title of honorary Special Agent by FBI Director, James Comey.
He is currently a national security analyst for CNN and author of the New York Times best-selling book, Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence.
Clapper earned a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in political science from St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas, and an honorary doctorate in strategic intelligence from the then-Joint Military Intelligence College. He is married to the former Susan Terry, and they have two grown children and four grandchildren.
The Common Good hosted Clapper with moderatorJohn BermaninFacts and Fears: Hard Truths and Intelligence: James Clapper - November 7, 2018. He currently serves as a member ofThe Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.
Selected Media:
Clapper with TCG CEO Patricia Duff, and John Berman in 2018
‘I’d Never Been Involved in Anything as Secret as This’ Politico, featuring Clapper on the effort to locate Osama bin Laden. 2021
Former US intelligence director backs Turnbull and Rudd’s call for Murdoch media inquiry The Guardian, 2021
Former Intelligence Chiefs: Trump’s Removal of Experts is Deeply Destructive to our Nation’s Safety The Washington Post, 2020
The Worries Over US Intelligence Harvard Gazette 2018 interview with Clapper
We've Worked on Stopping Terrorism. Trump's Travel Ban Fuels It Clapper op-ed for CNN, 2018
Clapper on Office Hours Podcast, 2018
Clapper on CNN: This cyber attack is hugely damaging and disturbing
Clapper on CNN: 'Stinging rebuke': Clapper reacts to Biden's sanctions on Russia
Book:
Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence, 2018
Haley Barbour
Governor Haley Barbour
Former governor of Mississippi
Haley Barbour, Founding Partner of BGR Group, returned to BGR in January 2012 after serving two consecutive terms as Governor of Mississippi, including two years as the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. (1)
Governor Haley Barbour began his political career in 1968, dropping out of college to work on Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign. Gov. Barbour later served as Political Director of the Reagan White House. From 1993 to 1997, Gov. Barbour served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, managing the 1994 Republican surge that led to GOP control of both Houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years. (1)
In 2003, he was elected Governor of Mississippi, assuming office in January 2004. After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, he received the Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award for his efforts to rebuild the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Other awards during his tenure as Governor included being named Governor of the Year by Governing Magazine, receiving the Gulf Guardian Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and receiving the Adam Smith Award from BIPAC. (1)
Gov. Barbour participated at The Common Good "On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018" Midterm Elections Power Panel on October 25th, 2018, along with Gerald Seib, David Gergen, Nate Silver, and Ann Lewis, moderated by Gloria Borger.
Twitter: @HaleyBarbour
(1) Material from the BGR Group website.
Nate Silver
Nate Silver
Statistician, journalist
Nate Silver is an American statistician and writer who analyzes baseball and elections. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight and a Special Correspondent for ABC News.
Silver was named one of The World's 100 Most Influential People by Time in 2009 after an election forecasting system he developed successfully predicted the outcomes in 49 of the 50 states in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. In the 2012 United States presidential election, the forecasting system correctly predicted the winner of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
In 2010, the FiveThirtyEight blog was licensed for publication by The New York Times. In 2012 and 2013, FiveThirtyEight won Webby Awards as the "Best Political Blog" from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. In July 2013, Silver sold FiveThirtyEight to ESPN, and Silver became its Editor in Chief. The ESPN-owned FiveThirtyEight launched on March 17, 2014. The site focused on a broad range of subjects under the rubric of "data journalism".
The Common Good hosted Silver on October 25, 2018 on the "On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018" Midterm Elections Power Panel. He spoke alongside Governor Haley Barbour, David Gergen, Ann Lewis and Gerald Seib, moderated by Gloria Borger.
Twitter: @NateSilver538
Gerald Seib
Gerald Seib
Editor, journalist
Gerald Seib is the Washington bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, responsible for the Journal’s news and analysis from the nation’s capitol. he writes a weekly column, “Capital Journal,” which brings an insightful, predictive and original understanding to politics, national affairs and foreign policy. Mr. Seib appears regularly on networks such as CNBC, Fox Business Network, CNN, and the BBC as a commentator on Washington affairs.
Seib participated at The Common Good "On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018" Midterm Elections Power Panel on October 25th, 2018, along with Governor Haley Barbour, David Gergen, Nate Silver, and Ann Lewis, moderated by Gloria Borger.
Twitter: @GeraldFSeib
Gloria Borger
Gloria Borger
Political analyst, correspondent, pundit
Gloria Borger is CNN's chief political analyst, appearing regularly on The Situation Room. Borger plays an instrumental role in the network's daily coverage while reporting on a variety of political and breaking news stories. (1)
Before joining CNN in September 2007, Borger was CBS News' national political correspondent and a contributor to CBS's Face the Nation, 60 Minutes II and the network's special events coverage. From 2002 to 2004, she was the co-anchor of CNBC's Capital Report. Borger began her professional career as a reporter at The Washington Star where she covered politics and co-authored a daily serial. Borger was a political columnist for U.S. News & World Report and chief congressional correspondent for Newsweek. (1)
Borger moderated the "On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018" Midterm Elections Power Panel at The Common Good on October 25th, 2018, with speakers Gerald Seib, David Gergen, Nate Silver, Ann Lewis, and Governor Haley Barbour.
Twitter: @GloriaBorger
(1) Material from the CNN website.
Ann Lewis
Ann Lewis
Democratic Party strategist
Ann Lewis is a Democratic political veteran, serving as the White House Director of Communications for President Bill Clinton from 1997-2000 and Senior Advisor to the campaigns of Hilary Rodham Clinton for Senate in 2000 and 2006, and for President in 2008. In 2016, she was Co-Chair of Jewish Women for Hillary. Lewis was the first female Political Director of the Democratic National Committee (1981-1985), the Vice President for Public Policy of Planned Parenthood (1994-1995) and the Former Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Barbara Mikulski. (1)
Lewis participated at The Common Good "On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018" Midterm Elections Power Panel on October 25th, 2018, along with Gerald Seib, Nate Silver, David Gergen and Governor Haley Barbour, moderated by Gloria Borger.
(1) Material from the Democratic Majority for Israel website.
Paula Stern
The Honorable Paula Stern
Businesswoman, former Chairwoman of the ITC
Paula Stern founded The Stern Group in 1988 and leads its practice, serving national and multi-national companies and organizations on business, political, and tech policy issues that affect their competitiveness in a global economy. (1)
As chairwoman of the ITC, from 1984-1986, and a commissioner for a nine-year term, Dr. Stern analyzed and voted on over 1,000 trade cases involving a broad range of industries and issues. At the time, she was the second highest-ranking woman in the executive branch of the U.S. Government. As both a member and Senior Adviser of the Trade Policy Sub-council of the bipartisan Competitiveness Policy Council, Stern prepared the Council’s proposals for reforming U.S. international economic policy making, delivered to the U.S. Congress and President in 1993, which guided the trade and export policy of the Clinton Administration. Dr. Stern also served as a member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations; co-chaired the International Competition Policy Advisory Committee for the Attorney General and U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division; chaired the Advisory Committee of the U.S. Export-Import Bank; and served as a Senate confirmed Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation. (1)
The Common Good hosted Stern on October 4th, 2018, for a special discussion on “Trump & Global Trade (Dis)Order”, and at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards 2018.
(1) Material from The Stern Group website.
Gordon Chang
Gordon Chang
American columnist, author
Gordon Chang has lived and worked in Shanghai and Hong Kong for almost two decades, and now writes primarily on China, Asia, and nuclear proliferation. He is the author of two Random House books, The Coming Collapse of China and Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Commentary, and The Weekly Standard, among other publications. He blogs at World Affairs Journal. He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg, CNBC, and PBS. He has also served two terms as a trustee of Cornell University.
Chang has spoken at many universities, including Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale, and at The Brookings Institution, The Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, RAND, the American Enterprise Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, and others. He has given briefings at the National Intelligence Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, the State Department, and the Pentagon. He has also spoken before industry and investor groups including Bloomberg, Sanford Bernstein, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia. Chang has appeared before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Gordon Chang spoke at The Common Good in 2018: "North Korea: Progress or Stalemate?" - September 24, 2018.
Twitter: @GordonGChang
Michael Hayden
General Michael Hayden
National security analyst for CNN
General Michael Hayden is a retired four-star general who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Hayden is currently a principal at the Chertoff Group and a distinguished visiting professor at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. (1)
In addition to leading CIA and NSA, General Hayden was the country’s first principal deputy director of national intelligence and the highest-ranking military intelligence officer in the country. Hayden also served as commander of the Air Intelligence Agency and Director of the Joint Command and Control Warfare Center and served in senior staff positions at the Pentagon, at U.S. European Command, at the National Security Council, and the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria. He was also the deputy chief of staff for the United Nations Command and U.S. Forces in South Korea. (1)
General Hayden was hosted by The Common Good in 2018 to discuss his book The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies.
Twitter: @GenMhayden
(1) Material from The Chertoff Group website.
Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria
Thought leader and host of CNN’s Flagship International Affairs Program
Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s flagship international affairs program, Fareed Zakaria GPS, and columnist for the Washington Post, is one of the nation’s most influential thought leaders. He is widely heralded for his ability to pinpoint economic and political trends. Foreign Policy has named Zakaria one of the “Top 100 Global Thinkers,” and Esquire Magazine has called him “the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation.”
The Common Good honored Zakaria at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards 2018.
Twitter: @FareedZakaria
Yascha Mounk
Yascha Mounk
Political scientist, author, associate professor at Johns Hopkins University
Yascha Mounk is a political scientist known for his work on the rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy. His third and most recent book, The People vs Democracy: Why Our Freedom is In Danger and How to Save It, has been translated into 10 languages and recognized as a “Best Book of 2018” by the Financial Times and other publications. Mounk is a contributing editor at The Atlantic, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and host of The Good Fight podcast. He is also a frequent contributor to international newspapers and magazines including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Foreign Affairs. (1)
Yascha participated in The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards on May 21st, 2018, giving a talk entitled “The People vs. Democracy”.
Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk
(1) Material from the Johns Hopkins Stavros Niarchos Foundation SNF Agora Institute website.
Honorary Advisory Board Member: Susan Del Percio
Susan Del Percio is a nationally recognized crisis communication expert and public affairs strategist. She is a political analyst for MSNBC, columnist for OZY media, and a consultant for the award-winning HBO show, The Newsroom.
Del Percio has served as a media spokeswoman on many campaigns, both political and corporate. With nearly 30 years of experience in the political, government, nonprofit, and private sectors, she is a trusted advisor who helps leaders develop, execute, and win purposeful campaigns. Her unique insights on government procedure, regulatory environments and public policy are highly sought after, but her passion for problem solving sets her apart.
Appointed as a Special Advisor to Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2014, she initiated and implemented communication strategies, and advised and developed policy initiatives. Susan also served as Deputy Commissioner in the Giuliani Administration prior to founding her firm, Susan Del Percio Strategies, in 2001. Her client list includes private corporations, Fortune 50 executives, leading elected officials, political organizations and candidates, as well as non-profits.
Born and raised in Northeast politics, Del Percio received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Emerson College, where she has served as a distinguished lecturer.
Del Percio attended The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards on May 21st, 2018, and spoke on the panel “Political Landscape: Future of Elections, Campaigns, & Parties” alongside John Della Volpe, former Congressman David Jolly, and Bill Schneider, with moderator John Harwood. She returned to participate in the Post Vice Presidential Debate Panel on October 8, 2020 and was joined by nationally known strategists from both sides of the aisle: Tara Setmayer, Hilary Rosen, and Stan Greenberg to have an incredible conversation following the debate.
Del Percio with fellow NBC commentator, Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod
Del Percio currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.
Twitter: @DelPercioS
Selected Media:
A Path to Reform: Make McConnell a Teammate, Newsweek Op-ed by Del Percio and fellow TCG Honorary Advisory Board member Tom Rogers, 2020
Liz Cheney-Trump-McCarthy triangle proves Republican Party is nowhere near rock bottom, NBC Op-ed by Del Percio, 2021
The power of connections matters more than ever during Covid-19 – Here's how to revive them, Del Percio for NBC, 2020
Q&A: The Republicans Who Want to Beat Trump Spectrum News interview with Del Percio, 2020
This is what effective leadership looks like in the COVID era NBC News, 2020
What George H.W. Bush Taught Us All About GoverningDel Percio for OZY, 2018
Joanna Coles
Joanna Coles
Author, producer, editor
Joanna Coles is the Executive Producer of ABC Freeform’s The Bold Type. She is the Former Creative Advisor to CBS News, and Former Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines where she oversaw the editorial and brand development for 300 global magazines. She sits on the Board of Directors of Snap, Inc!, Density, Blue Mistrel (Frederic Fekkai’s holding company), and Women Entrepreneurs New York City, an initiative to expand female entrepreneurship, with a focus on underserved women and communities. (1)
The British-born editor moved to the U.S. in 1997 as the New York Bureau Chief for The Guardian, before becoming the New York columnist forThe Times of London. Coles joined Hearst in 2006 as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, where she co-produced the Style Network’s unscripted show Running in Heels. She was named editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, the world’s largest women’s media brand, in 2012. She was the executive producer of the unscripted series So Cosmo on E! in 2017. (1)
Coles participated in The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards on May 21st, 2018, presenting the American Spirit Award for Though Leadership to Fareed Zakaria.
Twitter: @JoannaColes
(1) Material from the Women’s Global Leadership Summit website.
Ana Cabrera
Ana Cabrera
Broadcast journalist, anchor
Ana Cabrera anchors the weekend primetime edition of CNN Newsroom based in New York. Throughout her tenure at CNN, Cabrera has extensively reported on everything from politics, to natural disasters, to mass shootings and more. Cabrera joined CNN as a correspondent in 2013, based in Denver. In 2019 Cabrera was awarded with the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award. Previously she has served on the Board of Directors of Mi Casa Resource Center and on the board of the American Cancer Society. (1)
Cabrera participated at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards on May 21st, 2018, hosting the morning session.
Twitter: @AnaCabrera
(1) Material from the CNN website.
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
American businessman, politician, author, philanthropist
Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder, Bloomberg LP, Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th Mayor of New York City. He is a media mogul, urban visionary, extraordinary philanthropist, and three-time Mayor of New York. He has shaped our city and the world with many forward-thinking efforts from climate change and gun safety reform, expanded green space, and started a worldwide revolution in tobacco control. In late 2019, Michael Bloomberg announced his 2020 Democratic presidential bid.
Mayor Bloomberg presented David Hogg with the American Spirit Award for Citizen Activism at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards – May 21, 2018.
Twitter: @mikebloomberg
Read more:
Brittany De Lea, ‘Michael Bloomberg lists philanthropic priorities, slams Trump, Congress’, Fox Business, 13 June 2019
Michael Bloomberg, ‘Our Next Moonshot: Saving Earth’s Climate’, Bloomberg, 7 June 2019
Lisa Friedman, ‘Michael Bloomberg Promises $500 Million to Help End Coal’, New York Times, 6 June 2019
Antony Blinken
Antony Blinken
Retired Deputy Secretary of State
Antony Blinken is a retired American government official who served as United States Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017 and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama. He previously served as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Democratic Staff Director of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (2002–2008), and a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition, active from November 2008 to January 2009, among other positions. From 2009 to 2013 Blinken served as Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President. From 2002 to 2008 he served as the Democratic Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. From 2001 to 2002, Blinken was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. During the Clinton Administration, Blinken served in the State Department and in senior positions on the National Security Council Staff. On November 7, 2014, President Obama announced that he would nominate Blinken for the Deputy Secretary post, replacing the retiring William Joseph Burns. On December 16, 2014 Blinken was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of State by the Senate by a vote of 55 to 38. He is now a Global Affairs Analyst for CNN and a foreign policy adviser for Joe Biden.
For three decades, Antony Blinken has held senior foreign policy positions and worked closely with two presidents. With greater belligerence from North Korea and Russia, heightened rivalry with China, growing nuclear arsenals, and a rapidly changing Middle East, his expertise is relevant more than ever. Currently, he is the managing director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He is also the Herter/Nitze Distinguished Scholar at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and an Opinion writer for The New York Times.
Mr. Blinken was hosted by the Common Good in 2018: The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards – May 21, 2018.
Twitter: @ABlinken
