Inaugural International State of the State Summit

Maj. Gen. Kerry L. Muehlenbeck is the Adjutant General of Arizona and Director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, at Joint Force Headquarters, Papago Park Military Reservation, Phoenix, Arizona. She is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of Arizona's Army and Air National Guard, Joint Programs, and the Division of Emergency Management. She leads an 8,300-member department, of which 2,400 are fulltime federal military and civilian personnel, and 600 are fulltime state employees. General Muehlenbeck received her commission by direct appointment in 1992. She remained on active duty for four years where she served as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona until her separation in 1997. General Muehlenbeck then joined the Arizona Air National Guard in 1997 and served as both a wing-level and headquarters staff judge advocate. In addition, she held various national level judge advocate billets, to include Director of the Contemporary Base Issues Course, State Headquarters Liaison to The Judge Advocate General's Air National Guard Council, and Air National Guard Assistant to the Command Staff Judge Advocate, Pacific Air Forces. She has contributed articles for the Air National Guard Commander's Legal Deskbook and lectured at various Air Force and Air National Guard courses. Prior to her current position, the General was the Deputy Adjutant General and Director of Administrative Services, Joint Force Headquarters, Papago Park Military Reservation, Phoenix, Arizona.

Martine Biron holds a master’s degree in political science (Université Laval, 2022) and a bachelor’s degree in the same field from the Université du Québec à Montréal. She worked for 30 years as a journalist and political analyst. In 1993, she joined the Société Radio-Canada, where she distinguished herself as a relevant and credible female figure. She was a national reporter in Western Canada and the United States and has a keen interest in politics. She covered two federal election campaigns and five provincial campaigns and was also assigned several mandates as journalist in Washington. Since 2016, she has best been known as a political analyst in Québec City across Radio-Canada’s platforms. Effective and rigorous, she is eager to serve Québec and contribute to its economic development. It is that desire that inspired her to enter politics in 2022. Currently, she serves as Québec's Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Representative David Cook has been a member of the Arizona State Legislature since 2017. Originally from Ponca City, Oklahoma, he moved to Arizona in 1985 and graduated from Miami High School. David has attended several community colleges here in Arizona but is most proud to be a graduate of Arizona State Universities’ Certified Public Manager Program. In 2000, he and his wife started their own ranching company called DC Cattle Company, located in his hometown of Globe, AZ. Prior to starting his own ranching company, David has also served as a Sergeant in the Department of Corrections. David has served on many different associations as a board member and past president and is still involved in them to this day. He is a strong advocate for the availability of dual enrollment programs for all rural students and on many other issues affecting rural AZ.

Brett Johnson represents businesses and individuals in government relations matters. His practice includes State and federal Constitutional law, government regulatory compliance, export, government contracting, political and election law, and health care matters, including professional liability defense and commercial litigation. Brett regularly represents parties and witnesses involved with governmental investigations, including election law, governmental ethics, export control, False Claims Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and government procurement compliance laws and regulations. He has experience handling internal investigations and compliance audits for clients on a wide range of matters. Brett also provides training to businesses and governmental agencies concerning compliance matters and the drafting of related corporate policies. In addition to representing large and small businesses, individuals and pro bono clients, he is the co-chair of the firm's International Industry Group and one of the editors of the firm's International Industry Group's Global Connection newsletter. Brett also serves on the firm's Hiring Committee. Prior to joining the firm, Brett was a judge advocate with the United States Navy, regularly appearing in state and federal courts throughout the nation on behalf of the Department of the Navy. Brett also was assigned as the Civil Law Attorney to the Commander, Navy Region Southwest, handling civil law matters for the Department of the Navy in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Brett received his J.D. in 1999 from the Santa Clara University School of Law.

As Science & Technology Counselor, Wim Sohier is based in San Francisco Bay. He was appointed in 2014 by Flanders Investment & Trade to stimulate strategic relations between Belgium and the Americas. In addition to heading the diplomatic representation on Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto, his specific focus area's include Information Technology, Semiconductors and Aerospace. In the 10 years leading up to 2014, Wim held management roles in tech. A particular fun challenge was P&L responsibility while managing remote R&D teams spread across Asia. He is equally proud having been a system engineer for the first Eurofighter Flight Simulator at Barco, technical product manager for DSL Broadband Gateways at Technicolor, technical marketing manager for Philips' first Android TV. Wim, Dutch for William, graduated as Electrical Engineer at University Ghent in 2005. After pursuing a PhD in the field of Image Processing, he left Europe to establish a strategic relations office in Hsinchu, Taiwan for IMEC, a leading research institute in nanotechnology. Wim is a Laureate of the Prince Albert Fund Fellowship, where he met his wife Sophie. He chairs the Ghent University Alumni chapter - US West. Wim is an investor in 2 promising scale ups : his daughter and son.

Born in West Texas to a family involved in farming and the oil industry, Justin developed a passion for conservative principles during the Reagan era. His upbringing instilled values of commitment, loyalty, and understanding. Working on the family farm taught him the significance of pro-business, low-regulatory policies for economic prosperity. Justin's political journey began in 2004 when he assisted a friend's campaign. Over the years, he served in various grassroots and policy roles in Oklahoma before becoming a policy advisor for the Republican Caucus in the Arizona House of Representatives after moving to Phoenix. With a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's in Public Administration from Arizona State University, Justin brings a well-rounded background to his work as a state legislator. Since winning election to the House in 2020, Justin's impact has been remarkable. In just one term, he sponsored 18 bills signed into law. In the 2021 legislative session, he achieved a first-year freshman record with eight of his bills becoming law. Proud to call Arizona home due to its freedom and opportunity, Justin is running for re-election to preserve the state's values and prosperity in the Deer Valley area.

Michael Link, born on February 6, 1963, in Heilbronn, serves as the Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation at the Federal Foreign Office since March 2022. He pursued studies in Russian and French at the universities of Augsburg, Lausanne, and Heidelberg following his higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) and military service. From 1995 to 2005, he worked as a parliamentary adviser and assistant in the German Bundestag for the FDP parliamentary group and Dr. Klaus Kinkel. He represented the Heilbronn constituency in the German Bundestag from 2005 to 2013 and again since 2017. Additionally, he served as a member of the Heilbronn City Council from 2009 to 2011 and from 2014 to 2023. From 2012 to 2013, he held the position of Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, with responsibilities including NATO, the OSCE, transatlantic issues, and Franco-German cooperation. From 2014 to 2017, he served as the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw. In 2020, he led the OSCE observer mission during the US general elections. Alongside his current role as Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation, he has been Deputy Chairman of the Free Democratic Party parliamentary group in the German Bundestag since September 2023, where he focuses on international policy matters.

Caroline Lynch is the founder and owner of Copper Hill Strategies, LLC, With over two decades of legal and policy-making experience, Caroline successfully advocates for her clients with federal and state lawmakers on a variety of issues and guides clients through complex regulatory compliance. Caroline launched Copper Hill Strategies in 2017 following an extensive career on Capitol Hill, including a decade with the House Judiciary Committee, where she served for eight years as the Chief Counsel of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Caroline was at the forefront of developing some of the most high-profile privacy, cybersecurity, national security, and criminal laws of the 21st Century, including updates to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act and FISA Amendments Act. Caroline has been actively engaged in cybersecurity policy for over a decade, Caroline has also advised clients on federal legislation addressing encryption, facial recognition, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and immigration and border security. Caroline previously served as Chief Counsel of the House Republican Policy Committee, Deputy County Attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and Clerk for the Arizona Court of Appeals. She served in the personal office of former Congressman John Shadegg from 1996 to 2000. Caroline is Vice Chair of the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation Board, Vice President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations Board, and a member of the Arizona Advisory Committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and the Arizona Technology Council. She has guest-lectured at the ASU, Texas A & M, and George Mason law schools, and is a Visiting Fellow at the George Mason Law National Security Institute. Caroline is a Distinguished Fellow at the ASU Masters in International Affairs and Leadership program and a 2003 graduate of the ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

Jack McCain is the CEO of Blue Sky, where he leads a team that connects governments and business to strategic American industries. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (BS) and Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service (MA), as well as a reserve aviator for the United States Navy. Prior to joining Blue Sky he worked as a Search and Rescue pilot, senior instructor of leadership at the United States Naval Academy, and an Afghan Hand, flying Blackhawk helicopters alongside Afghan pilots in Kandahar and Helmand. After leaving the military, he joined American Airlines as their Director of Government Affairs, serving in the role for four years until joining Blue Sky. He is also a serving member of the Board of Trustees at the McCain Institute and the Naval Academy Board of Visitors.

Ryan Shaw is a Professor of Practice in History and Strategy, Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Senior Advisor to Arizona State University President Michael Crow. His work focuses on organizational strategy and leadership, as well as enhancing the university’s contribution to national defense by spearheading projects such as the Competitive Statecraft Initiative at ASU, and Security & Defence PLuS, which combines ASU’s defense-focused programs with those of King’s College London and the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Prior to joining ASU, Ryan was an officer in the U.S. Army. He earned his commission from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he majored in American Politics. After early service as an armor officer—including commanding a cavalry troop in the Anbar Province of Iraq—he did graduate studies in American History at Yale University and returned to West Point as an Assistant Professor of American History. For the remainder of his uniformed service, Ryan was an Army Strategist, leading strategic planning and assessment efforts and providing strategic advice to leaders at the highest levels of U.S. and multi-national military organizations. Key assignments included serving as civil support planner and Strategic Advisor to the Commander of NORAD & U.S. Northern Command; Director of Plans and Assessments and Strategic Advisor in the Office of the U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authorities; and Special Advisor to the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A graduate of strategic education programs at Yale and the U.S. Army War College, Ryan is a doctoral candidate at Yale and has published in the fields of grand strategy, strategic theory, and western & frontier history. He is an International Security Fellow at New America and an Expert-in-Residence for the University Design Institute.

Paul Marsh is an Arizona Native, a United States Marine Corps Veteran, and a Miner with nearly 30 years’ experience in the mining and construction industry. Paul’s career started as a laborer and heavy equipment operator, but thru hard work, Paul has held several key positions, such as Safety Manager, Director of Safety, and Operations Manager. He is our current Arizona State Mine Inspector, appointed in November 2021. Paul has over 15 years working in mining and construction safety, is a Certified MSHA Blue Card Instructor and a Certified Mine Safety Professional. Paul has earned numerous awards from the industry including the Arizona Rock Products Safety Professional of the Year, the Arizona Mining Association Copper Pot Award, and the Arizona State Mine Inspector’s Office Safety Professional of the Year, and as the Arizona State Mine Inspector, he continues to work to improve safety throughout the mining industry in Arizona. In his off time, Paul enjoys exploring the state in his jeep and spending time with his wife, 3 kids and 4 grandchildren.

Keith Brown is Director of the Melikian Center, ASU's Department of Education National Resource Center for Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies. He is also a Professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies. An anthropologist, Brown's research interests include nation and empire, post-conflict transition, democratic activism, and labor migration, with a primary focus on the 19th and 20th century Western Balkans. In 2021-22 he was a core fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies.

Dr. Glen Goodman is Senior Director for Latin America with ASU's International Development Initiative and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Brazilian Studies in ASU’s School of International Letters and Cultures (SILC). Dr. Goodman and the Latin America team work to harness ASU’s considerable expertise and capabilities to pursue funded projects in the region across development sectors. In SILC, Goodman teaches a variety of courses on Brazilian and Latin American culture and history. He also helps to coordinate research funding opportunities for SILC faculty. Dr. Goodman’s historical research focuses on German migration and ethnicity in Brazil and has been published in journals such as German History, The Americas, and Global Food History. Prior to joining ASU, he was an Assistant Professor of Brazilian Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as a Fulbright Visiting Professor of History at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. He has secured research support from a number of top funding sources including the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Fulbright, and Fulbright-Hays.

Sharon B. Megdal, Ph.D. is Director of The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, Professor of Environmental Science, C.W. & Modene Neely Endowed Professor, and Distinguished Outreach Professor. Sharon Megdal aims to bridge the academic, practitioner, and civil society communities through water policy and management research, education, and engagement programs. The geographic scope of Dr. Megdal’s work ranges from local to international. Research projects include analysis of water management, policy, and governance in water-scarce regions and transboundary aquifer assessment. She is the lead editor of Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges and has guest edited several special journal issues. Dr. Megdal teaches the graduate course “Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions”. In 2020, she was awarded the Warren A. Hall Medal for lifetime achievement in water resources research and education by the Universities Council on Water Resources. Sharon Megdal is a member of the Governor’s Water Policy Council, the Board of Governors for the Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water, and Energy Security, and the Leadership Team for the Colorado River Basin Water & Tribes Initiative. In May 2023, she was appointed to Governor Hobbs’ Water Policy Council. She was a member of the University of Arizona Presidential Advisory Commission on the Future of Agriculture and Food Production in a Drying Climate,. Past professional service includes serving for 12 years as a popularly elected Director for the Central Arizona Project, the Board of Directors for the American Water Resources Association, and Board President for the International Arid Lands Consortium. Dr. Megdal has served on numerous Arizona boards and commissions, including the Arizona Corporation Commission. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University.

Steven J. Lester, M.D., is a consultant in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Lester serves as the medical director of the Mayo Clinic Discovery Oasis project, associated medical director for Contract and Payer Relations and medical director for the Complex Care Program. He served over 8 years as the associate medical director for the Mayo Clinic Department of Business Development. He is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University MedTech Accelerator program. He joined the staff of Mayo Clinic in 1999 and holds the academic rank of professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Lester is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. His additional professional memberships include the American Society of Echocardiography where he has served on the Board of Directors and on a number of committees and task forces, holding several leadership roles. He is a member of the prestigious Prix Galien USA awards committee, a board member of the Az Bioindustry Association and to serves as a member of the Publications Steering Committee for the Bristol Myers Squibb study drug Mavacamten (Camzyos) Dr. Lester earned his B.S. at the University of Western Ontario and his M.D. at the University of Toronto School of Medicine, and he completed his residency in internal medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital and The Toronto Hospital. He continued his training at the University of British Columbia, completing a cardiology fellowship, serving as chief cardiology fellow and went on to complete a 2-year cardiovascular imaging fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Lester is interested in the development of new care delivery models. He served as the director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He also evolved the Echocardiography practice during his term as the laboratory director, initiating the use of image-enhancing agents, myocardial imaging, 3D quantification of the left ventricular and the tricuspid valve and the use of emerging AI tools. His research focuses on the echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac function using novel imaging techniques, and he is conducting a clinical study to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Mavacamten in adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He is actively involved in creating digital AI based assets to support opportunistic cardiovascular screening with multiple imaging modalities. Along with colleagues, he is the holder of three patents. He is frequently invited to give presentations on his work to both national and international audiences, and he has authored numerous journal articles, abstracts and other written publications. In recognition of his work, Dr. Lester has received many awards and honors, including the 2019 Richard Popp Excellence in Teaching Award, conferred by the American Society of Echocardiography. In addition to his clinical and research activities, Dr. Lester is active in education. He organized and initiated the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Echocardiography Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, as well as the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Echocardiography. He provides mentorship to multiple fellows, master’s students and other learners.