Speaker biographies

Dan Blumenthal joined AEI in November 2004 as a resident fellow in Asian studies. Previously, he was senior director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for international security affairs during the first George W. Bush administration. In that capacity, he led a team that formulated and implemented defense policies and programs toward, and for, these portfolio countries. Before his service at the Department of Defense, Mr. Blumenthal practiced law in New York and was a research assistant at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Mr. Blumenthal was appointed by Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) as a commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in February 2006.

Rob Simmons was elected to represent Connecticut’s Second District for a third term in Congress in 2004, where he serves on the Armed Services, Transportation and Homeland Security Committees. Previously, Rep. Simmons was a member of the Connecticut General Assembly for ten years. Before running for state office, he was a member of the staff of Senator John H. Chafee (R-R.I.) and served as both a staff member and staff director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Simmons served as an operations officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for over a decade. He also had a distinguished career in the U.S. Army and retired at the rank of colonel after thirty-seven years of service. Rep. Simmons is a recipient of the CIA Seal Medallion, the agency’s highest civilian award.

Mark A. Stokes is founder and president of Quantum Pacific Enterprises, Ltd., an international consulting firm that specializes in strategic business development, risk assessment, policy studies and analysis, and international trade services. Mr. Stokes also is a senior associate for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mr. Stokes retired from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel after twenty years of duty and subsequently served as a civilian Department of Defense official, spending seven years as senior country director for the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. He is the author of numerous publications, including China's Strategic Modernization: Implications for U.S. National Security (Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College, 1999). 

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