National Security Series

The WACC’s National Security Series features engaging conversations with top military leaders, intelligence experts, policy analysts, and global security specialists. This signature program explores the critical issues shaping national and international security—from military strategy and intelligence operations to cybersecurity, defense innovation, and the global impact of emerging technologies.

Through timely discussions and expert-led sessions, the series provides the Charlotte community with unique insights into today’s most pressing security challenges and diplomatic efforts to maintain global stability.

Designed for business leaders, policymakers, educators, students, and globally minded citizens, the National Security Series deepens public understanding of complex security dynamics, fosters informed dialogue, and promotes greater awareness of the challenges shaping our interconnected world.

Past speakers include:

  • General David Petraeus, former Commander, US CENTCOM
  • Secretary Chuck Hagel, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
  • Fiona Hill, former Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs on the National Security Council and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
  • Major General Shane Buzza, Chief of Staff of U.S. Army Forces Command
  • Major General (Ret.) Garrett Yee, Vice President and General Manager of the Army and Defense Agencies Sector at General Dynamics Information Technology and former Assistant to the Director of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
  • Marc Polymeropoulos, former CIA Head of Clandestine Operations in Europe and Eurasia “Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA”
  • Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis
  • Lieutenant General (Ret.) Michael Nagata, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center
  • Major General Michael J. Kingsley, Chief of Staff, AFRICOM

Distinguished Speaker Series (Virtual)

March 12th, 2026: WACC National Security Series with General (Ret.) Paul Nakasone, U.S. Army Four-Star General, Founding Director of Vanderbilt University’s Institute of National Security, Former Commander of the United States Cyber Command and Director of the NSA

The World Affairs Council of Charlotte is honored to welcome General Paul M. Nakasone, a retired U.S. Army four-star general and one of the nation’s foremost leaders in cybersecurity and national defense, as a featured speaker in the WACC National Security Series on March 12, 2026. From 2018 to 2024, he led U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, overseeing national cyber defense, global intelligence operations, and the protection of critical infrastructure during a period of escalating cyber threats. Drawing on more than 30 years of military leadership, including combat deployments, General Nakasone will examine the global cyber threat landscape, the role of artificial intelligence and state-sponsored attacks, vulnerabilities facing governments and the private sector, and how cyber operations are reshaping modern conflict and national security. Now the Founding Director of Vanderbilt University’s Institute of National Security, he brings unparalleled insight into the future of cyber defense and global security.

November 12: WACC National Security Luncheon with Major General Windsor “Shane” Buzza, Chief of Staff U.S. Army Forces Command and Major General (Ret.) Garrett Yee, Vice President and General Manager at General Dynamics Information Technology. 

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte for an exclusive lunch discussion with MG Shane Buzza and MG (Ret) Garrett Yee as they take us around the world where the United States has forces deployed to support of our national security, discussing challenges that we face regionally and globally. They will discuss how technology impacts the battlefield and some of what the United States Military is doing to maintain a competitive advantage against the adversary.

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December 14, 2023: WACC National Security Series with Dr. Fiona Hill, Senior Fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution

Step into the world of international affairs and gain invaluable insights at the World Affairs Council of Charlotte's highly anticipated event on Thursday, December 14, 2023. Join us for a captivating WACC Speaker Series luncheon featuring the esteemed Dr. Fiona Hill, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Former Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs on the National Security Council. Dr. Fiona Hill's expertise in U.S. foreign policy, Russia, national security, and ongoing geopolitical challenges from Russia's invasion into Ukraine makes her an exceptional voice to guide us through the complexities of international affairs. Her unique insights and experiences shed light on the intricate dynamics shaping the global landscape.

May 19, 2022: WACC National Security Series with Marc Polymeropoulos, Former CIA Head of Clandestine Operations in Europe and Eurasia (In-Person Program)

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte on Thursday, May 19, 2022 with Marc Polymeropoulos, highly decorated, recently retired 26-year operations officer and former head of counterintelligence in Europe and Eurasia for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for this unique conversation on the importance of the intelligence community to our global efforts to combat threats worldwide.