On September 28th, the IWP community celebrated its Gala and seventh annual Chancellor’s Council Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City.
This event was part of the annual Chancellor’s Council Meeting, a stewardship event for the school’s top supporters. The Chancellor’s Council Meeting began on September 27th with a reception and toast offered by Board of Advisors and Gala Committee member Jasjeet Sood.
On September 28th, Chancellor’s Council members gathered for a day of talks from faculty members and alumni. Prof. Rebeccah Heinrichs discussed “The U.S. Nuclear Deterrent and the Military Buildup of our Adversaries,” John Russo (’06) discussed “Counterintelligence and Chinese Espionage,” former IWP student Dr. David Charney spoke about “Countering the Threat of Insider Spies,” and professor Amb. G. Philip Hughes discussed “The Foreign Policy of the Biden Administration.”
Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin gave the luncheon keynote address, which was followed by a discussion on the future of IWP with President Amb. Aldona Z. Woś, M.D., Chancellor Dr. John Lenczowski, and Dean of Academics Dr. James Robbins.
The Gala took place that evening, with Master of Ceremonies Sonya Gavankar, Senior Director of Digital Media for the U.S. Space Force, and keynote speaker Walter Russell Mead, who discussed “The World Crisis and American Grand Strategy.”
Lt. Timothy Field (’21) sang the National Anthem to begin the event, and IWP Executive Vice President Captain Chris Glass, USN (Ret.) gave the invocation.
John Lovewell was awarded the Outstanding Service to IWP Award. Mr. Lovewell has been a trustee since 2006, Vice Chairman since 2010, and Chairman since October 2019. He is an incredible leader for our Board of Trustees, he guided us through the purchase of our campus building in 2016, and he has created a dynamic chapter of the Chancellor’s Council in the San Francisco Bay area.
Moises Benhabib (’15) was awarded the inaugural General Raymond Odierno Leadership Award, which was presented by Chris Glass. Moises was recognized for his service at the State Department and to IWP, including helping the school form a strategic partnership and mentoring our students.
Before his passing last October, General Odierno had served on IWP’s Board of Trustees for over five years. General Odierno truly understood the importance of education, and he put this understanding into practice when he served as the commander of the coalition forces in Iraq and as the 38th Chief of Staff of the Army. IWP was very pleased to dedicate this award to his memory.
At the end of the dinner, Chairman John Lovewell offered a matching grant of $100,000, which was matched enthusiastically by supporters in the room.
The Gala concluded with a dessert reception and dancing to music by the Alex Donner Band.
The Chancellor’s Council Meeting continued on September 29th with a visit to the Victims of Communism Museum and a talk by Dr. Adrian Zenz on the Xinjiang Police Files. In his talk, Dr. Zenz discussed his groundbreaking research on the persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China. Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, Founding Director of the Victims of Communism Museum, then led the group through the museum’s exhibits.
To join the Chancellor’s Council, please visit: www.iwp.edu/chancellors