Presented to
Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.)

Admiral James Stavridis is Partner and Vice Chair, Global Affairs of Carlyle and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation, following five years as the 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.  A retired 4-star officer in the U.S. Navy, he led the NATO Alliance in global operations from 2009 to 2013 as Supreme Allied Commander with responsibility for Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans, Syria, counter-piracy, and cyber security.  He also served as Commander of U.S. Southern Command, with responsibility for all military operations in Latin America from 2006-2009. He earned more than 50 medals, including 28 from foreign nations in his 37-year military career.

Earlier in his military career he commanded the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet, winning the Battenberg Cup, as well as a squadron of destroyers and a carrier strike group – all in combat.

Admiral Stavridis earned a PhD in international relations and has published fourteen books and hundreds of articles in leading journals around the world, including the recent novel “2034: A Novel of the Next World War,” which was a New York Times bestseller, and “To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and The Crucible of Decision.” His most recent book, “The Restless Wave: A Novel of the United States Navy,” was published in October 2024. His 2012 TED talk on global security has close to one million views. Admiral Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and Chief International Security Analyst for NBC News.

Program Participants

Lawrence “Larry” Di Rita
Master of Ceremonies

Larry Di Rita leads Bank of America’s global public policy team, which includes federal, state, and international government relations, as well as the policy analysis and insights team. He also leads the environmental strategy team, working with the lines of businesses and other partners to help meet Bank of America’s sustainable finance and related objectives. Larry also serves as President, Greater Washington DC of Bank of America, leading a team of 2,600 from across the company’s lines of business and support functions.

Before joining Bank of America in 2006, Larry was in public service. His last government assignment was as Counselor to the Department of Defense. Other positions included special assistant to the Secretary of Defense, head of the Pentagon’s Office of Legislative Affairs and of the Office of Public Affairs, and chief spokesman for the Department of Defense. Prior to the Pentagon, Larry served as legislative director, then chief of staff, for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. Earlier roles included deputy director of foreign policy and defense studies at The Heritage Foundation, and policy director of the Phil Gramm for President Campaign.

A U.S. naval officer prior to his civilian public service, Larry had seagoing and shore-based assignments in the United States and abroad, completing active duty in the Directorate of Strategic Plans and Policy, The Joint Staff. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Arts from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Larry is a director of The Rumsfeld Foundation and of the U.S. Navy Memorial, and the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council. He also serves on the boards of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., and Greater Washington Board of Trade.

David M. Rubenstein
Fireside Chat Moderator

David Rubenstein is Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Board of Carlyle. Previously, he served as Co-Chief Executive Officer. Rubenstein is a Baltimore native and is the Chairman, CEO, and principal owner of Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles.

Prior to forming Carlyle in 1987, Rubenstein practiced law in Washington, D.C. with Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge LLP (now Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP). From 1977 to 1981, Rubenstein was Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. From 1975 to 1976, he served as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments. From 1973 to 1975, Rubenstein practiced law in New York with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

Among other philanthropic endeavors, Rubenstein is Chairman of the Boards of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Gallery of Art, the Economic Club of Washington, and the University of Chicago; a Trustee of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Institute for Advanced Study, the National Constitution Center, the Brookings Institution, and the World Economic Forum; and a Director of Moderna, Inc., the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Rubenstein is a member of the American Philosophical Society, Business Council, Harvard Global Advisory Council, Madison Council of the Library of Congress, Board of Dean’s Advisors of the Business School at Harvard, Advisory Board of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, and Board of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community.

Rubenstein is a magna cum laude graduate of Duke University, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa. Following Duke, he graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review.

Event Details

Friday, November 8, 2024
6 p.m.: Cocktail Reception
7:30 p.m.: Dinner

Attire: Black tie (optional) or service equivalent

Location

New York Yacht Club
37 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

For event information, please contact:

Shawna McGeown
Director of Special Events
shawna.mcgeown@nwcfoundation.org

2024 Sponsors

Commander in Chief

William Conway and Daniel D’Aniello

Flag Officer

Trustee James Metcalf and Mrs. Renee Metcalf

Commodore

Ankura
NWCF Chairman Emeritus and Managing Partner, Shield Capital, Philip M. Bilden
and Dr. Patricia Bilden
Carlyle
Trustee James Eagan and Mrs. Deborah Eagan, Eagan Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kiernan
The Analysis and Resilience Center for Systemic Risk
Trustee Archbold van Beuren and Mrs. Helene van Beuren

Captain

Trustee Gregory J. Annick and Mrs. Nancy Annick
Bank of America

Commanding Officer

Trustee Duncan A. Chapman and Mrs. Barbara Chapman
Trustee Paul A. Dimitruk and Mrs. Ingrid Dimitruk
Trustee Nancy Cushing Evans and Mr. Robert B. Evans
Sandra Horbach and Steven Skoler
Trustee Ralph Isham and Mrs. Ala Isham
The Rockefeller Foundation

Executive Officer

American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier
Regional Director John Crawford and Mrs. Karen Crawford
Daniel Meyers
The Roosevelt Group

Department Head

RADM Julius S. Caesar, USN (Ret.), NWCF Treasurer
RDML A.B. Cruz III, USN (Ret.), NWCF Vice Chairman, and Dr. Jill Cruz
Trustee Dominic A. Dannessa, Ph.D., and Mrs. Josette Dannessa
Jeffrey L. Gordon
CAPT George E. Lang, Jr., USN (Ret.), NWCF President & CEO, and Dr. Wendy Lang
The Honorable Mitchell B. Waldman, NWCF Secretary, and Mrs. Debbie Waldman
The Honorable Ellen Winsor

About the Sentinel of the Sea Award

The Sentinel of the Sea Award is the highest honor presented by the Naval War College Foundation to distinguished American citizens representing the traditions and values of the U.S. Naval War College. Recipients of the award exemplify the U.S. Navy motto, Non Sibi Sed Patriae / Not Self but Country. Awardees have demonstrated a sustained commitment to maintaining our Nation’s security, liberty, and strength.

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