Local Leaders Join Former Homeland Security Secretary and Governor Tom Ridge, Andrea Koppel, Former Senator Richard Bryan and Starbucks Senior Vice President Sandra Taylor

January 9, 2008 (Las Vegas, NV) – The Center for U.S. Global Engagement and its state partners, the Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations and World Market Center, joined more than 400 Nevada business, civic, political, academic and faith leaders today in the countdown to the Nevada caucuses to launch Impact ’08 in Nevada: Building a Better, Safer World, a campaign urging the Presidential candidates to elevate and strengthen America’s non-military tools for global engagement.

This bipartisan group of Nevada leaders joins a growing campaign of leaders in other early voting states and nationally who are calling on the Presidential candidates to chart a new path for America’s role in the world, with greater investments in global development, health and diplomacy to promote America’s national security, economic prosperity, and moral leadership.

The impressive and unusually diverse group of Nevada leaders launching the Impact ’08 in Nevada campaign include: Governor Jim Gibbons; Lt. Governor Brian K. Krolicki; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley; Dina Titus, Minority Leader of the Nevada State Senate; former Governor and U.S. Senator Richard Bryan; William P. Weidner, President and COO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation; Milton D. Glick, President of the University of Nevada, Reno; Dr. Carol Harter, President Emerita of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Dr. Yvonne Stedman, President of the Nevada World Trade Council; Hon. Ruben Kihuen, Nevada State Assembly Member; and Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn. See attached full list of leaders on the Impact ’08 in Nevada host committee.

“With our nation’s security and our economy at stake, the next President must not only strengthen our military capabilities, but also our non-military capacity to address global political, economic, and humanitarian challenges,” said Governor Ridge.

“Investing in a more secure, prosperous world through foreign assistance means a better, safer Nevada,” said Senator Bryan, who served as Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Lt. Governor Krolicki said, “The United States should not sit back and tolerate suffering anywhere in the world, just as we should not tolerate it here at home. As part of a global society, Nevadans believe America can and should play a leadership role in helping promote economic development and advancement. Assisting developing countries in ways that focus on improving humankind, economics and security will positively impact future generations in impoverished countries that need our help.”

“Nevada depends on international tourism. Utilizing development to project a positive image of America to the world is important to us remaining the world’s ‘favorite playground,'” said Las Vegas Sands President and COO Weidner.

“Nevadans care about helping the world’s poorest citizens. By greater investment in foreign assistance, we can save lives and reinvigorate our moral leadership in the world,” said Nevada Senate Minority Leader Titus.

“Foreign assistance and trade promotion programs help Americans by growing the world’s economy, creating jobs for Americans, and also helping coffee farmers in poor regions of the world attain fair prices to improve the quality of their lives,” said Taylor, who as Starbucks’ Senior Vice President oversees the company’s global partnerships in corporate social responsibility.

The Center for U.S. Global Engagement unites business, civic, political, military and faith leaders in Nevada and around the country in support of greater investments in development and diplomacy to strengthen America’s role in the world. Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Reagan Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci are co-chairing the national Impact ’08 effort, with support from more than 30 former Cabinet officials, Congressional leaders and other foreign policy and national security experts. The Center is tracking statements and positions by the presidential candidates on various foreign policy topics. To view quotes by candidates, and for more information on the Center, the Impact ’08 campaign and its supporters, go to www.usglobalengagement.org.

The Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations was established in 2001 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public dialogue on foreign relations. See www.ncfr.us/

World Market Center in Las Vegas is set to be the largest and most comprehensive home and hospitality furnishings complex in the world. See www.lasvegasmarket.com

Impact ’08: Building a Better, Safer World
Partners: Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations (NCFR) &
The World Market Center
Nevada Host Committee

Hon. Jim Gibbons                   Governor, Nevada

Hon. Brian Krolicki                 Lt. Governor, Nevada

Hon. Ross Miller                     Secretary of State, Nevada

Hon. Kate Marshall                 State Treasurer, Nevada

Hon. Harry Reid                      Majority Leader, United States Senate

Hon. Shelley Berkley               U.S. House of Representatives

Hon. James B. Gibson             Mayor, City of Henderson

Hon. Oscar B. Goodman        Mayor, City of Las Vegas

Hon. Susan Holecheck          Mayor, City of Mesquite

Hon. Dina Titus                      Minority Leader, Nevada Senate

Hon. Mo Denis                        Nevada Assembly

Hon. Ruben Kihuen                Nevada Assembly

Hon. Steve Wolfson                Councilman, City of Las Vegas

Andreas Adrian                       Honorary Consul of Germany

Aldo Aguirre                            Honorary Vice Consul of Guatemala

Gayle Anderson                       Chief of Protocol, Nevada; President, NCFR

June Beland                             Founder, President & CEO, Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada

Hon. Stewart L. Bell

Bill Bible                                 President, Nevada Resort Association

Hon. James H. Bilbray             U.S. House of Representatives (1987-1995)

Dr. Carina Black                      Executive Director, Northern Nevada International Center

Kathleen Blakely                     President, Japan America Society of Nevada

Carlos Blumberg, Esq.             Partner, Sullivan, Brown, Krolikowski & Blumberg

Hon. Lorraine T. Hunt Bono   Lt. Governor, Nevada (1999-2007)

Hon. Richard H. Bryan            Governor, Nevada (1983-1989); United States Senate (1989-2001)

Patrick C. Clary                       President/Chairman Emeritus, Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations

Tyrus Cobb, Ph.D.                  CEO, Northern Nevada Network

Mike Darley                             Vice President & General Manager, Fitzgeralds Casino & Hotel

Jackie DeLaney                       President and CEO, Sun West Bank

Jill Derby                                 Chairperson, Nevada Democratic Party

Alan Di Stefano                       Director of Global Trade and Investment, Nevada Commission on Economic Development

Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr.           President & CEO, American Gaming Association

Milton D. Glick                       President, University of Nevada, Reno

Robert Gomez                         Chairman, Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Ted Robert Gurr               Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, Founder & Consultant,                                                           Minorties at Risk Project, University of Maryland

Dr. Lonnie Hammargren         Honorary Consul of Belize

Dr. Barbara Harff                    Professor of Political Science Emerita, U.S. Naval Academy

Dr. Carol Harter                      President Emerita, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Executive Director,                                         Black Mountain Institute

David C. Henley                      Second Vice Dean, Nevada Consular Corps; Honorary Consul of Uruguay

Mel Kalagian                           Partner, James D. Klote and Associates

Mariano Lemus                        Dean, Nevada Consular Corps; Consul of Mexico

Alice Martz                              CEO, Henderson Chamber of Commerce

Dr. John A. McDonald            Dean, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno

Otto Merida                            President & CEO, Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce

Astra J. Michels                       Honorary Consul of Lithuania

Fafie Moore                             President, International Women’s Forum

Paul Murad                              President, METROPLEX Group

Dr. Michael A. Nasiak             Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine; Vice President, NCFR

Tim O’Callaghan                     Co-Publisher, Henderson Home News

Aracelica Paredes                    Honorary Consul of Guatemala

Karla J. Perez                          Group Director, The Valley Health System

Andre Yves Portal                   Honorary Consul of France

M. Edwin Prud’homme           Treasurer, Nevada Consular Corps; Honorary Consul of Austria

Lia Roberts                              First Vice Dean, Nevada Consular Corps; Honorary Consul General of                                             Romania

Gayle Rogers                           Government Affairs Liaison, Henderson Chamber of Commerce

Michael A. Saltman                 President, The Vista Group

Sonja Saltman                          Co-Founder, The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at UNLV Boyd                                        School of Law

Hon. Miriam Shearing             Senior Justice, Nevada Supreme Court (1992-2005)

Dr. Richard Siegel                   President, American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada; Chairman, NCFR

Dr. Upinder Singh                   Southwest Medical Associates

Jerome Snyder                         Honorary Consul of United Kingdom

Carolyn M. Sparks                   Owner & President, International Insurance Services, LTD.

Paulina Biggs Sparkuhl                        Honorary Consul of Chile

Dr. Yvonne Stedham               President, Nevada World Trade Council

Larry Struve                             Legislative Advocate, Religious Alliance in Nevada (RAIN),                         President/Chairman Emeritus, Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations

Dr. Barnett Sturm                    Chairman, Las Vegas World Affairs Council

Wayne N. Tanaka                    Honorary Consul General of Japan

Dr. Geoffrey VanderPal          Honorary Consul of Slovak Republic

Mike Vaswani                          President, Asian American Group

Rita Vaswani                           Vice President, Business Development Officer, Bank of Nevada

Angie Wallin                            Executive Director, Nevada Arts Advocates

Lena Walther                           Honorary Consul of Sweden

William P. Weidner                 President & COO, Las Vegas Sands Corporation

Gerald M. Welt, Esq.              Board of Directors, Nevada Justice Association; Co-Chair, Citizens for                                             Justice

Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn        Midbar Kodesh

Dr. Richard Wiley                    Associate Director, Black Mountain Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Barbara L. Wood                     Director of University Relations, University of Southern Nevada

Richard S. Worthington           President, The Molasky Group of Companies

Dr. Allison Wren                     President, Northern Nevada International Center

Dr. Thomas C. Wright             Professor of Latin American History, UNLV; American Israel Public Affairs Committee