Magro Family Distinguished Visitors in International Affairs

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Spencer P. Boyer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy

Spencer P. Boyer is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy. In this role, he is responsible for managing the day-to-day defense relationship between the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and the nations of Europe. He also supports the Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs by developing and implementing key security strategies in Europe and deepening defense cooperation with over 40 countries. He comes to this role with over 25 years of law and policy, foreign relations, and national security experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Mr. Boyer served in senior roles in both terms of the Obama administration. From 2009 – 2011, he was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, where his portfolio included Western Europe, public diplomacy, and public affairs. From 2014 – 2017, he was the National Intelligence Officer (NIO) for Europe in the National Intelligence Council—the center for long-range strategic thinking within the U.S. Intelligence Community. As NIO, he served as the senior European affairs analyst and principal subject matter expert on Europe for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and as the primary bridge between the intelligence and policy communities on European affairs.

Mr. Boyer has been an Adjunct Professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a Director, Senior Fellow, or Visiting Scholar with numerous think tanks, including the Center for American Progress, the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Brookings Institution, the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University (NYU) School of Law. He has also been a Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow at Harvard Law School.

Mr. Boyer began his professional career as an Associate with the international law firm of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, he worked in The Hague as a Law Clerk to the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, in Zurich as a Staff Attorney at the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts in Switzerland, and in Paris as Counsel at the International Court of Arbitration. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and received his J.D. from NYU School of Law, where he specialized in public international law and the work of international organizations. While at NYU, he also obtained a master's degree in French Studies, with a concentration in French politics, history, and economy.

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Ambassador James Swan

James Swan has devoted most of his career to African countries facing complex political transitions in risky security environments.  

Most recently, Swan served as the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia (2019-2022) with broad oversight of more than 20 UN agencies operating in the country.  He led international support for improved relations between the central government and federal member states, for a peaceful conclusion to the 2022 elections, and for increased security operations against the al-Shabaab terrorist group.

Swan joined the UN after a three-decade career with the U.S. State Department.  His final assignment was as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2013-2016).  He guided the Embassy during a period of intense U.S. diplomacy to degrade rebel forces, expand stabilization programs, and promote a political settlement to avert conflict at the end of the DRC President's constitutional mandate.  

As U.S. Special Representative for Somalia (2011-2013) Swan worked with international partners to support Somalis to recapture large areas of the country from al-Shabaab and organize the 2012 elections and a peaceful transfer of power.  This progress led the U.S. to recognize a Somali government for the first time 20 years.  

As Ambassador to Djibouti (2008-2011) Swan led a significant increase in U.S. military cooperation with Djibouti (which hosts the largest U.S. military base in Africa) while also expanding U.S. support to the health, education, and governance sectors.

Swan also held senior headquarters positions at the State Department, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs (2006-2008) with responsibility for U.S. policies and programs in 23 central and east African countries.

Earlier in his career, Swan served in a variety of Foreign Service positions  in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo, Somalia, Cameroon, Nicaragua, and Haiti, and in Washington as Director of African Analysis in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and Desk Officer for Zaire/Congo.  He began his work in the public sector at the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education.

After retiring from the U.S. Government in 2016, Swan formed Cygnet Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in business opportunities in Africa.  In 2018-2019 he also worked as a Senior Advisor on Africa at the Albright Stonebridge Group.

Swan holds a B.Sc. degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, and a Master's in Security Studies from the National War College

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Tina Dooley-Jones, PhD

Tina Dooley-Jones spent more than 30 years in international development as a researcher, private consultant with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She maintains expertise and in-depth knowledge of the role and potential of international assistance to catalyze inclusive democracies, economies and social systems and services that address the needs and aspirations of individuals, households, communities, countries and regions.

Thriving on finding simple, practical solutions to complex challenges, Dooley-Jones capstoned her career with USAID as the first female Mission Director to USAID/Afghanistan. USAID's largest Mission in the world with activities spanning the full array of development activities, including health, education, democracy and governance, agriculture, infrastructure, economic growth, and USAID's only standalone Office of Gender. USAID/Afghanistan underwent a tumultuous period during her tenure, characterized by the prospect of peace, the devastating impacts of COVID-19 and aggressive Taliban insurgency. Dooley-Jones utilized her strong leadership, vision and problem-solving acumen to lead a staff of 250 development and humanitarian professionals and more than 100 implementing partners, to support a country attempting to overcome 40 years of conflict, natural disaster and war.

Prior to her retirement from USAID, Dooley-Jones served as USAID's senior representative on the Department of State-led Afghanistan Coordination Task Force (ACTF). The ACTF, made up of several hundred State Department, USAID, and Department of Defense personnel coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for the evacuation and on-going efforts to assist more than 70,000 individuals to depart Afghanistan, and gain entry into and resettle in the United States.

Dooley-Jones served as the Deputy Mission Director in Afghanistan from 2019 to mid-2020. Prior to assuming her positions in Afghanistan, she served as Mission Director for USAID/Kenya and East Africa, overseeing a mission that provides bilateral assistance to Kenya and Somalia, assistance to East African regional institutions, and humanitarian assistance throughout the region. She also served on two separate occasions in Zimbabwe, and for multiple years in the South Africa/Southern African Regional Mission, Namibia and Morocco. Dooley-Jones began her career with USAID in 1994 as a Regional Housing and Urban Development Officer in Zimbabwe.

Working in difficult, conflict-affected countries such as Zimbabwe, Somalia and Afghanistan, she oversaw programs that support major macro-economic reforms; provide for the critical needs and well-being of people in war torn environments; seek to enhance the private sector's role in growth and job creation; and improve democratic institutions, governance and policies. The recipient of several Distinguished, Superior and Meritorious Achievement awards, Dooley-Jones was nominated for a 2023 Presidential Rank Award, the highest federal civilian award for "sustained extraordinary accomplishment."

Prior to joining USAID, Dr. Dooley-Jones worked as an architect in Philadelphia and for a number of non-profit organizations in Harare, Zimbabwe.

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Jake Sullivan

United States National Security Advisor, reporting directly to President Joe Biden. He previously served as Director of Policy to President Barack Obama, National Security Advisor to then Vice President Biden and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Hillary Clinton at the U.S. Department of State. Sullivan also served as senior advisor to the U.S. federal government at the Iran nuclear negotiations and senior policy advisor to Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, as well as visiting professor at Yale Law School.

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Philip Short

Philip Short is a British journalist and author. He was born in Bristol. He studied at Queens' College, Cambridge. After graduation, he spent from 1967 to 1973 as a freelance journalist, first in Malawi, then in Uganda. He then joined the BBC as a foreign correspondent. He worked there for 25 years. He is the author of several definitive biographies including Mao: A Life, Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare, Mitterrand: A Study in Ambiguity, and Putin. 

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Johnnie Carson

Ambassador Johnnie Carson was sworn in as assistant secretary of state for the bureau of African affairs, on May 7, 2009. Prior to this he was the national intelligence officer for Africa at the National Intelligence Council, after serving as the senior vice president of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. (2003-2006).

Ambassador Carson's 37-year foreign service career includes ambassadorships to Kenya (1999-2003), Zimbabwe (1995-1997), and Uganda (1991-1994); and principal deputy assistant secretary for the bureau of African Affairs (1997-1999). Earlier in his career he had assignments in Portugal (1982-1986), Botswana (1986-1990), Mozambique (1975-1978), and Nigeria (1969-1971). He has also served as desk officer in the Africa section at State's bureau of intelligence and research (1971-1974); staff officer for the secretary of state (1978-1979), and staff director for the Africa Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives (1979-1982).

Before joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Carson was a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania from 1965-1968. He has a bachelor's in history and political science from Drake University and a master's in international relations from the School of Oriental and Africa Studies at the University of London.

Ambassador Carson is the recipient of several Superior Honor Awards from the Department of State and a Meritorious Service Award from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The Centers for Disease Control presented him with its highest award, "Champion of Prevention Award," for his leadership in directing the U.S. Government's HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Kenya.