Event Details

The Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations is proud to host a lunch on May 23 at 12:00 pm, featuring Senator Mark Kelly as our distinguished guest speaker. Senator Kelly will share updates from his recent travel to Ukraine and highlight how he's working to advance U.S. military innovation in Arizona and across the nation during this period of global competition.


The event will take place at the Virginia G. Piper Auditorium in Downtown Phoenix, and attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch prior to hearing from one of Arizona's most prominent leaders. Senator Mark Kelly serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he leads a bipartisan panel overseeing Army and Air Force combat power. Senator Kelly's expertise and insights on these important topics are sure to be enlightening and engaging, and we encourage all those interested in the future of national defense to attend.


Tickets for this event are limited, so we encourage interested parties to RSVP as soon as possible to secure their spot. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to hear from Senator Mark Kelly and network with other members of the Phoenix community who share your interest in these important international issues.

Speakers

  • Senator Mark Kelly (United States Senator from Arizona)

    Senator Mark Kelly

    United States Senator from Arizona

    https://www.kelly.senate.gov/

    Mark Kelly has served his country as a U.S. Navy combat pilot, a NASA astronaut, and now as a U.S. Senator for Arizona. He is an independent leader who came to the Senate to serve Arizona’s working families, not corporate special interests.

    As the son of police officers, he learned the value of public service from a young age. Senator Kelly earned degrees in marine engineering and aeronautical engineering. In his military career, he flew combat missions and received several awards. He went on to become an astronaut, completing four space missions and spending over 50 days in space.

    Senator Kelly retired from NASA and took on the role of Senator, where he has been instrumental in pandemic relief efforts and infrastructure development. He is committed to fighting corruption and promoting transparency in government. Senator Kelly has worked across party lines to boost job creation, lower taxes, and reduce costs for Arizonans. He serves on various committees and is an advocate for national defense.

    Senator Kelly is married to former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and they live in Tucson. Senator Kelly has two daughters: Claire, a graduate of Arizona State University, and Claudia, who lives in Tucson and is a student at the University of Arizona. His favorite hobbies include spending time with family (especially his baby granddaughter Sage!), going to the gym, riding his bike around Tucson with Gabby, hiking, and exploring Arizona’s outdoors.

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  • Luke Wenz (Vice President at Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations)

    Luke Wenz

    Vice President at Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations

    Luke Wenz serves as Deputy National Outreach Director, Western Region for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), a broad-based bipartisan coalition of over 500 businesses and NGOs that advocates for strong U.S. global leadership through development and diplomacy, alongside defense. In addition to his work with USGLC, Luke is the President of Big Stick Consulting, LLC, an Arizona-based strategic consulting firm, focusing on public relations and government affairs consulting.

    Luke also serves as the Vice President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and sits on the Advisory Boards of Global Ties Arizona and WorldPix, Inc. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Pacific Council on International Policy, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and was previously a fellow at the Shafik Gabr Foundation's "East-West: The Art of Dialogue" initiative and the African Middle Eastern Leadership Project. He also volunteers on numerous other local boards and committees in the nonprofit and business sectors and is a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s 2023 Millennium Leadership Network.

    Earlier in his career, Luke served on Capitol Hill and later as Deputy District Director and Campaign Manager for U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska. He also spent time living and working in Amman, Jordan and with the Kayany Foundation in Lebanon, working in refugee camps whilst studying the geopolitics of the Levant. A native Phoenician, Luke attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, studying political science and religious philosophy.

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Agenda

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Registration & Networking
Check-in for the event, grab some lunch, and connect with your fellow attendees.
12:45 PM - 1:15 PM
1:15 PM - 1:45 PM
Moderated Discussion

Venue

Virginia G. Piper Auditorium

​​600 E. Van Buren Street
Phoenix, Arizona

If you have any questions please contact Samuel Richardson

Contact Organizer

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Parking


We encourage attendees to use street-metered parking or Phoenix Biomedical Campus Garage - 555 E. Fillmore, Phoenix, AZ 85004 - $15


For other parking options, please visit www.phoenixmed.arizona.edu/parking

Tickets

PCFR Members
Member Price $50
General Public
Standard Price $100
PCFR Corporate Member Table
Member Price $750
General Public Table Sponsorship
Standard Price $1,000