Former U.S. NATO ambassadors to headline Hauenstein Center summit

“The goal of this year’s Progressive/Conservative Summit is to highlight the different ways leaders view foreign policy and model good faith dialogue and debate about how the country should approach the issue moving forward,” said Megan Rydecki, director of the Hauenstein Center. “It’s not necessarily about whose policy stances are right or wrong, but rather, about working together to determine what’s best for the country at this moment in time.”

With more than two decades of experience in U.S. and European defense policy, Smith has held senior leadership positions in the White House, the Department of Defense and the Department of State. 

As U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, she helped shape the alliance’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, coordinated intelligence sharing and oversaw Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO.

Like Smith, Hutchison also served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, where she oversaw U.S. strategic planning. A former U.S. senator for 20 years, Hutchison was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where she gained extensive experience in international relations and defense policy. 

“It's not often that you get to hear from recent diplomats on a subject as critical as NATO, but it’s especially rare when they served back-to-back administrations that represented different political parties,” Rydecki said. “We are extremely privileged to have ambassadors Smith and Hutchison join us to share their insights and experience.”

Visit the Hauenstein Center’s website to learn more and register for the event.