Former U.S. Ambassador Jim Smith Headlines NASF Washington Forum

Surface technology industry leaders will welcome former U.S. Ambassador James Smith for remarks at the upcoming NASF Washington Forum, scheduled for April 19–20 at the Ritz Carlton—Pentagon City.

Smith, who will speak on U.S. and international trade issues, now serves as President of C&M International (CMI), the international policy consulting firm affiliated with Crowell & Moring LLP. A seasoned diplomat with international business experience, Smith is a former U.S. Air Force brigadier general and F-15 fighter pilot who served in Operation Desert Storm.

“NASF is truly pleased to host Ambassador Smith for this year’s Forum. The trade landscape presents opportunities as well as challenges to the value chains we operate in, wherever we are in the surface technology world,” says Erik Weyls, NASF President. “Being better informed on policy to make strategic business decisions is what this event is all about, and we’re looking forward to hearing more on the outlook ahead in this election year.”

Smith served as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2013. While in the Air Force, Smith commanded the 94th Fighter Squadron, the 325th Operations Group, and the 18th Fighter Wing in Okinawa, Japan, where he led the largest fighter wing in the U.S. Air Force. In this role, he worked to expand relations with the local communities through a campaign called “Bases Without Fences.” In senior leadership positions for multinational corporations, Smith spearheaded efforts involving strategic planning, manufacturing, international business development, and political risk analysis.

Smith is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. In addition, he earned an M.A. from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and is a graduate of the Naval War College and the National War College, where he served as a professor of national security strategy.

This year's Conference highlights include:

James Smith, Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and President of C&M International
Stuart Rothenberg, Founding Editor and Publisher of the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, a political columnist for Roll Call and one of the nation's most popular political analysts
Peter Morici, Economist and Professor of Business at the Smith School of Business, University of Maryland
Edwin Foulke, Jr. Partner in the Atlanta and Washington, D.C. offices of Fisher & Phillips, LLP. He co-chairs the firm's Workplace Safety and Catastrophe Management Practice Group
Andrew (Andy) Friedman, political affairs expert
Representative Adam Schiff, Ranking Member, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence