Wednesday, January 27 @ 2pm est
Ambassador Tom Miller
Former U.S. Ambassador to Greece
Ambassador Tom Miller is presently the Chair of the Board of the US subsidiary of Intralot, Inc., a corporation headquartered in Greece, that runs lotteries in 11 US states and the District of Columbia. From 2010 through 2018, Tom Miller served as President/CEO of International Executive Service Corps, a non-profit that provides expertise to developing countries to train in best business practices.
Since 2011, Tom has served as Chair of the Board of the International Commission on Missing Persons, an internationally acclaimed organization that identifies missing persons by using DNA-matching techniques. He also serves on the boards of Partnership for a Secure America (promoting bipartisanship in US foreign policy), The People’s Trust (supporting young entrepreneurs in Greece), the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board, and Lampsa (a Greek hotel company). The latter affords the Millers the opportunity to visit Greece twice annually. From 2005 through 2008, he served as CEO of Plan International, a nongovernmental organization that works in 66 countries to improve the lives of children in developing countries.
A 29-year career diplomat, Tom's experience in the Foreign Service spanned many continents. From 2001-04, he served as U.S. ambassador to Greece, where he focused on security concerns of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. From 1999-2001, as U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, he worked on helping the country recover after a devastating war. From 1997-99, he was Special Coordinator for the Cyprus negotiations (rank of ambassador). Tom also served two earlier terms in Greece: as Deputy Chief of Mission 1994-97 and Political Officer 1985-87. He was also posted to Thailand as well as the State Department in Washington, where he focused on North Africa, the Middle East, and counter-terrorism issues.
A native of the Chicago area, Ambassador Miller holds five degrees, including a Ph.D., from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Michael Rubin
Resident Scholar, The American Enterprise Institute
Dr. Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in Iran, Turkey, and the broader Middle East. He also regularly teaches classes at sea about Middle East conflicts, culture, terrorism, and the Horn of Africa to deployed US Navy and Marine units.
A former Pentagon official, Dr. Rubin has lived in post-revolution Iran, Yemen, and both pre- and postwar Iraq, and he spent time with the Taliban before 9/11. He is the author, coauthor, and coeditor of several books exploring diplomacy, Iranian history, Arab culture, Kurdish studies, and Shi’ite politics, including “Seven Pillars: What Really Causes Instability in the Middle East?” (AEI Press, 2019); “Kurdistan Rising” (AEI Press, 2016); “Dancing with the Devil: The Perils of Engaging Rogue Regimes” (Encounter Books, 2014); and “Eternal Iran: Continuity and Chaos” (Palgrave, 2005).
Dr. Rubin has a PhD and an MA in history from Yale University, where he also obtained a BS in biology.
Please see more on Dr. Rubin’s professional work here.
PIERO A. TOZZI
SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR AND COUNSEL TO REP. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH (R-NJ)
Piero A. Tozzi is Republican Staff Director for the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in addition to serving as Senior Foreign Policy Adviser & Counsel to Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ). He previously held the position of Staff Director and Counsel for the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations. He received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and his B.A. from Columbia University.
In his various roles, Piero has conducted oversight of US global health and food security programs, as well as monitored human rights issues in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. He also has been tasked with overview of international organizations, in particular the United Nations. Piero meets with political and opposition leaders on a regular basis, engages with civil society organizations and other stakeholders, and negotiates the advancement of legislation within the Foreign Affairs Committee, other House Committees with overlapping jurisdiction and with the Senate, in particular the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Piero previously practiced commercial litigation for Winston & Strawn LLP before spending time in the non-profit field. He has authored numerous articles on international law, constitutional law and comparative constitutional law, and his work has been cited by the United States Supreme Court. In addition, he has submitted friend of the court briefs to the Supreme Courts of Mexico and Argentina, as well as the Interamerican Court of Human Rights.