Nancy Soderberg

Nancy Soderberg (born 1958) is an American foreign policy strategist. She served President Bill Clinton as Deputy National Security Advisor and as an Ambassador at the United Nations. She is currently President and CEO of Soderberg Global Solutions and Director of the Public Service Leadership Program at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL. She was appointed by President Obama to serve as Chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board (2011-2014). She has also previously served as President of Connect U.S. Fund, as Vice President of the International Crisis Group, and on the Board of the Jacksonville Port Authority. She was a senior advisor to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and worked on four presidential campaigns. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a regular commentator on national and international television and radio, having appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, BBC, Fox, National Public Radio, the Lehrer News Hour, CNN Crossfire, and The Daily Show. She is the author of numerous articles on American foreign policy and two books: “The Prosperity Agends” (2008) written with Brian Katulis, and the Superpower Myth (2005). In 1984, Soderberg received a Master of Science Degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, concentrating on development economics and political risk analysis. She received her Bachelor of Arts in 1980 from Vanderbilt University.

Life

Soderberg has served on four presidential campaigns, in the United States Senate, in the White House and at the United Nations. Soderberg achieved international recognition for her efforts to promote peace in Northern Ireland and also advised the president on policies toward China, Japan, Russia, Angola, the Balkans, Haiti, as well as on a variety of conflicts in Africa.^[1]

She is currently President and CEO of Soderberg Global Solutions, an international consulting firm. She is also Director of the Public Service Leadership Program at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL. The program propels students, often first generation and refugees, to pursue careers in public service, including government and non profits. She also teaches two courses in American foreign policy.^[1]

From 1993-97, she served as the third ranking official of the National Security Council at the White House, as Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, following her role as Staff Director of the National Security Council. She is the first woman to serve as Deputy National Security Advisor. She was responsible for day-to-day crisis management, briefing the President, developing U.S. national security policy at the highest levels of government, and handling issues regarding the press and Congress. In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed her to serve as Alternate Representative to the United Nations as a Presidential Appointee, with the rank of Ambassador. Her responsibilities included representing the United States at the Security Council on a wide range of current national security issues, including conflict resolution, promotion of democracy abroad, trade policy, and arms control. Soderberg represented the United States in negotiations at the Security Council, participated in missions to key conflict areas, and promoted U.S. national security policy at the United Nations and with the leadership of other nations.^[1]

From 2009-2013, Soderberg served as President of Connect U.S. Fund, a Washington, D.C. based foundation that promotes responsible global engagement. From 2001-2005, she ran the New York office of the International Crisis Group as Vice President. In that capacity, she advocated conflict prevention at the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. She also served as President of the Sister Cities Program of the City of New York from 2002-2006.^[1]

Soderberg publishes and speaks regularly on national security policy. Her second book, The Prosperity Agenda What the World Wants from America—and What We Need in Return, written with Brian Katulis, was published in July 2008. It argues for American leadership in tackling the world’s challenges in exchange for the world assisting us with our threat. Her 2005 book, The Superpower Myth: The Use and Misuse of American Might, analyzes the use of force and diplomacy over the last decade. She is a regular commentator on national and international television and radio, having appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, BBC, Fox, National Public Radio, the Lehrer News Hour, CNN Crossfire, and The Daily Show. Her articles have been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, the Financial Times and other national and international publications.^[1]

Current positions

Soderberg is President and CEO of Soderberg Global Solutions, an international consulting firm. She is also the Director of the Public Service Leadership Program at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville where she teaches two courses on American foreign policy. In January 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama named Soderberg as Chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board.,^[2] an advisory committee established by Congress to promote public access to U.S. national security decisions. She served on the Board of the Jacksonville Port Authority 2013-2015 and is on the Board of Advisors to the President of the Naval Postgraduate School and Naval War College. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Soderberg was a candidate for Florida Senate District 4 in the 2012 elections. She ran against Aaron Bean, former Florida State house representative in a new open district. She ultimately lost but outperformed traditional voting patterns in a gerrymandered district by an impressive 6 points.

Authorship

• The Superpower Myth: The Use and Misuse of American Might, Wiley, 2005, ISBN 9780471656838.^[3]
• with Brian Katulis, The Prosperity Agenda: What the World Wants from America--and What We Need in Return, Wiley, 2008, ISBN 9780470105290 ^[4]

References

External links

• Ambassador Nancy Soderberg
• University of North Florida Department of Political Science and Public Administration
• Appearances on C-SPAN