Smart Women, Smart Power

Beverly Kirk says farewell to the Smart Women, Smart Power podcast as she departs CSIS in December after five years as the podcast's host. We are excited to announce the new interim director of Smart Women, Smart Power, Suzanne Spaulding. Suzanne is currently a senior adviser for homeland security and director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). We hope you'll stay tuned as we continue to bring you powerful, in-depth conversations with women leaders from around the globe.

In the ninth episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk spoke with U.S. Air Force Colonel Jenise Carroll who is currently the Commander of the 75th Air Base Wing at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The pair discussed her innovative work with community leadership near the base to provide affordable housing for military families, as well as her work on diversity and inclusion.   

In the eighth episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk spoke with U.S. Army Reserves Major Asha Castleberry-Hernandez who is currently a senior advisor in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department. The pair discussed defending democracy abroad, strategic competition in the Middle East, and how the United States should engage in the region.

In the seventh episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk spoke with retired U.S. Marine Corps LtCol Amy McGrath, who has dedicated her life to public service, from the battlefield to running for public office.  She discussed her new book “Honor Bound,” the lessons she has learned as a military officer turned politician, and her work on leadership development for women with a military or service background.   

In the sixth episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk spoke with two of CSIS’s Military Fellows – Army Colonel Danielle Ngo, who most recently served as Executive Officer for the U.S. Army Office of the Inspector General, and Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michelle Macander, former Battalion Commander of 1st Combat Engineer Battalion. They discussed breaking barriers, the need for reform to retain more women service members, and what they hope to achieve during their time at CSIS.

CSIS Senior Associate Nina Easton spoke with Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen H. Hicks. She is the first Senate-confirmed woman in the position. The pair discussed current global security issues, including Afghanistan and China. In addition, they discuss her prioritization of innovation in defense, where she is focusing on small businesses, climate change, tech, and DEI issues.

In the fifth episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk spoke with Lauren G. Weiner, Ph.D., and Donna S. Huneycutt, J.D., the founders of WWC Global. It’s a woman-owned management consulting firm that has prioritized remote work since 2004, allowing it to hire lots of military spouses and veterans. They discussed how a remote workforce can be successful and why it’s an important option for those who serve.

In the fourth episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk spoke with Brigadier General Paula Lodi, Deputy Commanding General (Support) US Army Medical Command; Colonel Kirsten Aguilar, Commander, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), and the 673d Air Base Wing; Army Reservist Major Asha Castleberry, currently Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department; and Dr. Samantha Weeks, a retired Air Force Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. The group discussed how to lead during a crisis, most recently with the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as their hopes for the next generation of leaders.

In the third episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk is joined by Lt Gen Mary O’Brien, the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations, and retired Marine LtGen Lori Reynolds, the former Deputy Commandant for Information and former Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Strategic Command. They discussed the push to modernize intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, better known as ISR. 

In the second episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk is joined by retired Air Force General Lori Robinson, former Commander USNORTHCOM and NORAD, and Major General DeAnna Burt, Commander, Combined Force Space Component Command, U.S. Space Command and Vice Commander, Space Operations Command, U.S. Space Force. The group discussed the evolution of air and space operations and the warfighting domain. 

CSIS Senior Associate Nina Easton spoke with Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, the UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency, for a Smart Women, Smart Power event. The pair discussed her historic work leading the Hope spacecraft mission to orbit Mars, which took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as international space cooperation, and her role as a leader for women working in science. This event was sponsored by Citi.

Host Beverly Kirk spoke with Dr. Diana Villiers Negroponte, the author of “Master Negotiator,” which covers the career and legacy of former Secretary of State James Baker. We discussed the role he played in maintaining international order at the end of the Cold War and the lessons in diplomacy from that era that apply to today's global issues.

In the first episode of our new Women in the Military series, host Beverly Kirk is joined by retired Air Force Colonel Mo Barrett, Marine Reservist Major Lindsay Rodman, and retired Navy Commander Amanda Stahlschmidt. The group discussed their journey to belonging and thriving in the military as women and some of the challenges they faced.

Host Beverly Kirk talks to former Naval Intelligence Officer Lyla Kohistany and CSIS Senior Fellow Emily Harding about the collapse of the Afghan military, the Taliban takeover, and the impact on Afghan women and girls. 

Ms. Rachel Tecott spoke with the winners of the Kissinger Center’s Janne Nolan Prize competition, Dr. Jane Vaynman, Dr. John Emery, and Ms. Saher Naumaan at the 2021 Future Strategy Forum. The panel discussed their winning essays that covered topics ranging from emerging technology to political-military war gaming, and surveillance issues in the modern era.

CSIS Senior Associate Nina Easton spoke with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) for a Smart Women, Smart Power event. The pair discussed her role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. national security in the Indo-Pacific, as well as the Senator’s recent visit to the region. This event was sponsored by Citi.

Beverly Kirk was joined by Rose Gottemoeller for the closing keynote at the Future Strategy Forum 2021, where they discussed technologies and nuclear weapons. Rose Gottemoller served as the Deputy Secretary General of NATO from 2016 to 2019. Currently, Ms. Gottemoeller is a Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute, as well as a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Host Beverly Kirk is joined by Erin Kocourek, Senior Director of Requirements and Capabilities at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, for a conversation on the United States’ efforts to build up hypersonic offensive and defensive capabilities. Additionally, they discuss the shortage of hypersonic engineering talent in the U.S., and the efforts being made to strengthen the industry.  

Panel Two at the Future Strategy Forum 2021 focused on emerging technologies and statecraft. Camille Stewart, Ginny Badanes, Christie Lawrence, and Sanne Verschuren discussed the ways in which emerging technologies are shaping interstate interactions across the spectrum short of kinetic action, from statecraft and diplomacy to information operations. This panel was moderated by CSIS Senior Adviser Suzanne Spaulding.  

Host Beverly Kirk is joined by Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine for a conversation on the Biden Administration’s vaccine roll-out plan. They discussed vaccine hesitancy, new Covid-19 variants, and vaccine distribution and access. Additionally, they discussed Dr. Levine’s historic appointment as the first Senate-confirmed, openly transgender federal official.