The OAB is pleased to be a Satellite Partner for the International Affairs Forum, a program of Northwestern Michigan College. For the fourth year, we will be live streaming IAF's regular programming and providing a wine reception prior to each event. This is an exclusive opportunity to bring important conversations to members of the OAB community for whom traveling to Traverse City may pose a barrier.

The OAB will have a host on site to share any questions from the audience through a direct chat with IAF. This is a FREE EVENT.

Back Again! Soup + Bread in partnership with Peninsula Provisions.
$10 per person

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About this month's event

Modern national security is at a critical inflection point. As the U.S. Intelligence Community shifts focus from counterterrorism to great-power competition, rapid technological advancements—from artificial intelligence and synthetic media to pervasive digital surveillance—are fundamentally reshaping statecraft and spycraft. At the same time, debate surrounding the structure of America’s 17 intelligence agencies, the reach of Director of National Intelligence authorities, and key legal frameworks like FISA Section 702 raises urgent questions about how the nation assesses risk and protects public trust. Navigating this volatile landscape requires balancing cutting-edge technology with human judgment while fostering a renewed commitment to civic service.

For the inaugural Segal Diplomacy Series, join the conversation with Paul Hollingsworth, President of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and former CIA senior executive. Drawing on decades of leadership spanning government operations and private-sector threat analysis, Hollingsworth will examine the structural reforms and technological forces disrupting American intelligence today. Grounded in Jack Segal and Karen Puschel Segal’s legacy of public service and civil discourse, this discussion will highlight the changing skill sets needed for national security careers and explore AFIO scholarship opportunities designed to inspire and support the next generation of our country's Intelligence Community.

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About the Speaker

Paul Hollingsworth retired in 2014 as a senior executive from the CIA after a 27-year career in analysis and operations, including three overseas tours and rotational assignments at the FBI and the NSC. He subsequently served in the private sector for ten years as the senior intelligence advisor on Europe and Eurasia for the energy company BP. Prior to joining the U.S government, he worked as a managing editor for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. Paul has served on the Board of Trustees of Hollins University since 2020 and AFIO since 2023. He holds a B.A. degree in theology from Georgetown University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in medieval Slavic and Byzantine history from the University of California (Berkeley).

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About the Moderator

Major General Mike Lehnert, USMC Ret. is the chair of the International Affairs Forum Advisory Board. He retired from the Marine Corps after 37 years of service in 2010. During that time he held thirteen separate commands and participated in military operations in Panama, Kuwait and Iraq where he led 5,000 Marines and sailors during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. He ran the Cuban and Haitian migrant camps during Operation Sea Signal in Guantanamo and returned there in 2002 as the Joint Task Force Commander responsible for securing the detainees transferred from the Afghan conflict. In 2010 he was honored with the Peacemaker award by the National Conflict Resolution Center for his work defending human rights at the Guantanamo Detention Facility where his experience was documented in Karen Greenberg’s book, The Least Worst Place. He holds a Masters degree in International Relations from the University of Maryland earned while he attended the Naval War College.

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About The Segal Diplomacy Series

This annual series is supported in part by a gift to IAF from Laura Stein Goldfeder & Leigh Stein Macnamara in memory of Jack Segal and in recognition of his wife, Karen Puschel Segal. Together, Jack and Karen served our country with distinction in the foreign service and later elevated our community as co-chairs of the International Affairs Forum. Lifetime champions of global understanding, diplomacy, and civic engagement, they exemplified a lifelong commitment to public service, education, and bridging global issues through humility and informed dialogue.

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Interested in supporting the work of the International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College? More details HERE.