With over twenty years of experience in foreign policy, Ms. Soderberg has served on four presidential campaigns, in the United States Senate, in the White House and at the United Nations. Ms. Soderberg has a deep understanding of policy-making and negotiations at the highest levels of government and the United Nations. She has promoted democracy and conflict resolution worldwide. Ms. 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.
Since July 2009, Ms. Soderberg has served as President of Connect U.S. Fund, a Washington, DC based foundation that promotes responsible global engagement. She is also a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of N. Florida in Jacksonville and President and CEO of Soderberg Global Solutions, an international consulting firm. In 2012, President Barack Obama appointed Ambassador Soderberg as Chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board, an advisory committee established by Congress to promote public access to U.S. national security decisions. In 2011, Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown appointed Ambassador Soderberg to the Jacksonville International Business Coalition. In 2008, she was elected Precinct Committeewoman, Duval County Democratic Executive Committee, Jacksonville, Florida and currently serves as the chair of Florida’s National Security Network.
From 2001-2005, Ms. Soderberg 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. In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Ms. Soderberg 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. She 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.
From 1993-97, Ms. Soderberg 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. 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.
Prior to serving at the White House, Ms. Soderberg served as the Foreign Policy Director for the Clinton/Gore 1992 Campaign and worked as the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Edward M. Kennedy. She has been active in national Democratic politics since the early 1980’s, serving in a variety of capacities in national presidential campaigns since 1984. She is chair of the National Security Network of Florida, an organization which invites prominent speakers on foreign policy to state and was elected Precinct Committeewoman, Duval County Democratic Executive Committee, Jacksonville, Florida. She is on the board of the Jacksonville World Affairs Council.
Ms. 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, including NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, BBC, Fox, National Public Radio, the Lehrer News Hour, CNN Crossfire, and The Daily Show. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She also served as President of the Sister Cities Program of the City of New York from 2002-2006. She earned a Masters of Science Degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Vanderbilt University. She speaks fluent French.
My Speaker List
