We are hosting a discussion on Thursday, April 3 at 8 AM PT on the topic of Arctic security, Greenland’s strategic and economic importance, and implications for U.S. relationships with Russia, China, Denmark, and Canada. Members will hear from Marc Nathanson, Former Ambassador to Norway under Joe Biden, and Rufus Gifford, Former Ambassador to Denmark under Barack Obama. 

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:

• In January, Denmark announced it plans to spend 14.6 billion kroner ($2.05bn) on security initiatives in the Arctic region. Similarly, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, announced a Can$6 billion ($4.19bn) deal with Australia to develop an Arctic radar system, citing changing U.S. priorities as a driver for increased Canadian defense spending. 
• Greenland’s location on the shortest route between North America and Europe makes it strategically significant for the U.S. Global warming may create additional Arctic trade routes and has led to an increased interest in Greenland's rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron as natural resources are being uncovered by melting ice sheets.  
• Approximately 90% of Greenland’s population is comprised of Indigenous Inuit people. Some credit the revival of Indigenous identity within the country as a factor in Greenland’s independence movement, contributing to the recent legislative election of Jens-Frederik Nielsen, a member of Greenland’s center-right Demokraatik party. 
• The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected Russian military aircraft in the Arctic earlier this year. In response, NORAD deployed air patrols from both Canada and Alaska. 

This event will be recorded/on-the-record. Please feel free to send in questions in advance to events@pacificcouncil.org.

To register for this webinar, visit the Zoom registration page.

Guest Speaker

Rufus Gifford is a former U.S. Ambassador, senior aide to Presidents Obama, Biden and Vice President Haris, civic leader, public speaker, an advocate for Democratic causes.

Most recently Gifford served as Finance Chair of the Biden-Harris and Harris-Walz Campaigns amassing a record 2.2 billion dollars for the effort. Prior to that he was the Chief of Protocol of the United States with the rank of Ambassador and Deputy Campaign Manager for Biden for President in 2020 with a focus on finance, external outreach and coalition building. Aside from Presidential politics, he is focused on promoting civic engagement, particularly among youth and issue areas ranging from U.S. public diplomacy to renewable energy. 

From 2013 to 2017, Rufus served as the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark where he led efforts to address the effects of climate change, build international coalitions, and invest in clean energy. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark for his meritorious service. 

His pioneering tenure as Ambassador has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, CNN, and Vice News, among many other national and international outlets, and he has spoken extensively across Europe and the United States about his efforts to break down walls and humanize the work of government.

Prior to Government service, Rufus was the National Finance Director for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. During Obama’s first term, Rufus was the National Finance Director at the Democratic National Committee and supported passage of a number of Obama policy initiatives. Before that, he was an aide on Obama’s historic 2008 presidential campaign. 

A native of Massachusetts, Rufus holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. He is married to veterinarian Dr. Stephen DeVincent and they live in Concord, Massachusetts with their Golden Retrievers, Svend and Odin.

Guest Speaker

Marc B. Nathanson was the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway from 2022-2024. Prior to government service, he was a communications entrepreneur. In 1975, Mr. Nathanson founded and was CEO of Falcon Cable TV, one of the largest multiple cable system operators in the United States. In 1999, Mr. Nathanson sold Falcon Cable TV and became Vice Chairman of Charter Communications, the nation’s second-largest cable operator.

Today, Mr. Nathanson is Chairman of Mapleton Investments, a diversified investment holding company, specializing in real estate investments and other investments including fixed income, private equity, and direct investments. Mr. Nathanson was Vice Chair of the  National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and past Co-Chair of the  Pacific Council on International Policy. 

In 2012, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, appointed Mr. Nathanson as her representative to the Board of the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Nathanson was also appointed in 1998 by President William Clinton and confirmed by the Senate as the  Chairman of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which runs Voice of America,  Radio Free Europe/Liberty, and all other non-military international communications of the  United States. President George W. Bush asked him to stay as Chairman until his successor was confirmed by the Senate (18 months later).

Mr. Nathanson was also on the board of the Aspen Institute prior to his Senate confirmation as Ambassador. Mr. Nathanson was also on the Advisory Board for the USC Annenberg  School’s Center on Public Diplomacy and The Center for the Digital Future. He is a member of the International Advisory Council for the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Los  Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs and on the Board of Project Mend at UCLA. He is also a former board member of the Skirball Cultural Center, USC Annenberg School, and the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and the Council of American Ambassadors.

Mr. Nathanson received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver and Master’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a National Science  Foundation Fellow. He is a member of YPO Gold. He was on the board of the UCSB  Foundation and named “Alumni of the Year” in 1977. Nathanson and his wife received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from the University of Denver in June 2024, where he was the Commencement speaker. 

In addition, he has received numerous other honors and awards including the 2009 Global  Green Millennium Award and the 2011 Environmental Media Association (EMA) “Lifetime  Achievement Award.” He and his wife, Jane received the “Service to the Arts” Award from the Anderson Ranch Art Center in 2014 and the Aspen Institute “Socrates Award” in 2018,  and the 2019 “Humanitarian Award” from Cedars-Sinai Hospital and the “Guardians  Award” from American Friends of Hebrew University (2010). Marc Nathanson was named  “Man of the Year” in 2019 by the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity (ZBT). He is also a member of the  ZBT Hall of Fame, the Cable TV Hall of Fame, and “Cable Pioneers”. In 1994, INC.  Magazine named him “Entrepreneur of the Year.” He lives in Los Angeles, Montecito, and Aspen with his wife Jane. They have three children and eight grandchildren. 

Mr. Nathanson has lectured on the Arctic, NATO, Nordic economic miracles, sovereign funds, trade, and public diplomacy.

Moderator

Dr. Rebecca Pincus is Director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC. Previously, she was on the faculty at the US Naval War College, in the Center for Naval Warfare Studies, where her research focused on Arctic security and geopolitics. She also worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, as Arctic and Climate Strategy Advisor. In 2015, she was a Fulbright Fellow in Iceland, conducting research on Arctic small states and security. She also worked on polar strategy and policy issues for the US Coast Guard, at its Center for Arctic Study and Policy, and served on the faculty at the US Coast Guard Academy. She is currently a contributing author for the 5th National Climate Assessment. She has testified before Congress and the US-China Commission on security and defense in the polar regions, and her research has been published widely in peer-reviewed and popular outlets.

To register for this webinar, visit the Zoom registration page.