Today, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) hosted U.S. Representative French Hill (R-AR-02), Eddy Acevedo, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President & CEO at The Wilson Center, Sarah Thorn, Group Director of Global Government Affairs at Walmart, and other local leaders, on what America’s global leadership is worth to Arkansas, specifically the importance of U.S. engagement on the world stage for Arkansas’s economic security and stability.

The event featured remarks from Mayor Terry Hartwick of North Little Rock, Clint O’Neal, Executive Director of Arkansas Inc. (AR Economic Development Commission), and Rush Deacon, Former CEO of Arkansas Capital Corporation.

On stage, Rep. Hill, Sarah Thorn, and Eddy Acevedo, shared examples of how our tools of development and diplomacy advance America’s peace and prosperity — from securing stability in our hemisphere, to simply making bananas available to American consumers.

Last year, Arkansas exported $6.5 billion in goods, helping support more than 313,000 jobs across the state. Home to the headquarters of Walmart Stores, Inc., Arkansas has seen firsthand how engagement in the global economy can drive growth and create jobs.

“To those Americans that continue to resist NATO, the United Nations and are cool to our allies in Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine, my message is that these institutions and alliances are critical to that fundamental tenet that we’ve had for decades of peace through strength,” said Representative French Hill in his remarks on the main stage. “America is less prosperous when we abdicate leadership.”

“The more dollars we put into prevention and traditional development, the more we can contain and mitigate these crises,” said Eddy Acevedo, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President & CEO at The Wilson Center during the panel discussion. “That’s where the three components, military, diplomacy, and development need to work together…the more focus we can put in some of these crises to help solve the problem itself, the better it is for us long term.”

“What [U.S.] global leadership means is economic prosperity and security,” said Sarah Thorn, Group Director of Global Government Affairs at Walmart during the panel discussion. “Which is pretty much what most people want for their families and communities.”

“Our coalition represents a rich spectrum of backgrounds and experiences, and we bring together a diverse network of leaders who all come together around the importance of our civilian tools of national power – development and diplomacy,” said Carey Campbell, USGLC South Outreach Director in her opening remarks. “It’s why we talk about how a tiny 1% of the federal budget – called the International Affairs Budget – is one of the most cost-effective and powerful investments America makes.”