On December 20, The Hon. Deborah Lee James, Secretary of the US Air Force returned to the Atlantic Council for a special roundtable discussion with junior staff members on “Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in National Security: A conversation with the Hon. Deborah Lee James.” The session featured a keynote address by the Secretary, and a moderated discussion and Q&A led by Lauren Speranza, Assistant Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security.

Secretary James has been a vocal champion for issues relating to diversity and inclusion during her tenure as the Secretary of the Air Force, introducing various initiatives to increase opportunities for women and minorities in service. She joined junior staff members to speak on an array of lessons for female foreign policy professionals, sharing her own career story, answering questions, and discussing approaches and innovative ways to deal with challenges women face in the industry.