John D. (JD) Johnson retired as a Lieutenant General following a 38-year career in the U.S. Army. While serving in the Army, he held numerous senior command and staff positions. He served as the Deputy Commanding General for the U.S.…
LtGen Richard F. Natonski, USMC (ret.) is the former Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, which he held from August 2008 until his retirement on September 8, 2010, after more than 37 years of service. From 2006-2008, he served…
Charles Wax serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board for WAXIE Sanitary Supply. Charles began working at the family owned business as a 12-year old sweeping floors and stacking products in the warehouse. He worked after school, during the…
Gen. Mike Hostage is Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. As the commander, he was responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready…
John Hannah is the Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy. John served in senior foreign policy positions for both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s National Security…
Simcha G. Lyons is the Founder and Chairman of the John C. Danforth Society. He has been a member of the board of directors of Maiden Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda Reinsurance Co., since June 2007. Mr. Lyons currently serves as Chairman…
Lidia Bernd serves as a Senior Program & Development Associate at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), supporting the organization’s national security programs and institutional development initiatives. She earned her Master’s in Security Studies with a focus…
Giran Ozcan joined JINSA in December 2025 as Fellow for Kurdish Affairs. Prior to JINSA, Giran was the founding Executive Director of the Kurdish Peace Institute. He has previously worked with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in its overseas representative…
Eric Zalcman is a Government Affairs Associate at JINSA. Eric is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, where he earned an MPhil in Politics and International Studies with distinction. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics and Government from…
