WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) is pleased to announce former Governor George Allen as an incoming National Advisory Council member, which is chaired by Colin Powell and includes former Secretaries of State Clinton, Albright, Baker, Kissinger, Rice, and Gates among other foreign policy leaders.

Governor Allen serves in the bipartisan coalition to bring attention to the critical importance of America’s civilian-led tools of diplomacy and development in advancing U.S. relations on the global stage.

“A primary ‎Constitutional responsibility of the federal government is to ‘provide for a common defense,’ said George Allen. “Along with a strong defense, America must be engaged and informed in our relations with people around our challenge-filled world. It would be perilous for our security and economy to withdraw our leadership for freedom and equality of opportunity for all people.”

“Governor Allen has a distinguished career of public service, and we are pleased to have his support and expertise as we continue to promote why U.S. engagement in the world is critical to our national security, economic prosperity, and finest values as a nation,” said President & CEO Liz Schrayer.

Following his time as Governor, Allen served in the U.S. Senate from 2001-07.  In addition to his National Advisory Council position with USGLC, Allen is co-chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative, and is the Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar for the Young America’s Foundation.

Known as the “coalition of strange bedfellows,” the USGLC brings together corporations and non-governmental organizations from Caterpillar to CARE, Walmart to World Vision, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Save the Children, along with a distinguished group of bipartisan leaders, all dedicated to enhancing America’s civilian-led tools of development and diplomacy in promoting our nation’s interests in the world.

A complete list of the USGLC Advisory Council can be found here.

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

###