With over 50 years of distinguished service in government and the private sector, Barry Blechman was an expert on nuclear policy, the defense budget, and the role of the armed forces in supporting the nation’s foreign policy. He advocated for and helped implement measures to reduce the risk of nuclear war, eventually leading the the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency during the Carter administration.“A brilliant, energetic, and kind man with a tenacious commitment to achieving American security while honoring its values,” former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recalled about Blechman, her colleague and friend.
As co-founder of the Stimson Center, Blechman created a platform for pragmatic, nonpartisan solutions to urgent global issues. He also served as chairman of Stimson’s Board from 1989 to 2007 and returned to the Board in 2014. Blechman’s leadership advanced the work of many defense and nuclear experts at the Stimson Center and far beyond, and his legacy will continue to inform research and policy in these critical areas.
Featured Speakers
The Hon. Condoleezza Rice, Former U.S. Secretary of State; Director, Hoover Institution, Stanford University (Video Remarks)
Secretary Christine Wormuth, Former Secretary of the Army; Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group
Russell Rumbaugh, Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy; Nonresident Senior Fellow, Forward Defense initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council
Amb. (ret.) Yael Lempert, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Vice President for Outreach, Middle East Institute
Ellen Laipson, Distinguished Fellow & President Emeritus, Stimson Center; Director, International Security Program, George Mason University
Brett B. Lambert, Board of Directors, Stimson Center; Managing Director, The Densmore Group, LLC
Melanie W. Sisson, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings Institute
Rachel Stohl, Senior Vice President of Research Programs & Director, Conventional Defense Program, Stimson Center (Moderator)
Schedule
3:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Door Opens
3:30 – 5:00 PM ET
Event Begins
5:00 – 6:00 PM ET
Reception