Johnson announces successful first meeting of the Ohio First Caucus
State Senator Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) announced the successful inaugural meeting of the Ohio First Caucus on Tuesday at the Statehouse.
Johnson is a creator of the caucus and helped lead the first meeting.
“The term 'America First' does not suggest an isolationist policy, just the opposite. It is a policy that productively engages the world while promoting and protecting our nation's interests first and foremost," said Johnson. "By the same token, the Ohio First Caucus seeks to promote our state's interests with an informed and intelligent understanding of our role in global affairs, especially as we confront declared foreign adversaries who seek to do us harm.”
The first meeting of the Ohio First Caucus included presentations by these national security experts:
• Michael Lucci, Founder, State Armor. Lucci is the founder, CEO and Chairman of State Armor, which he created to develop and enact state solutions to global security threats. Mr. Lucci believes that a whole-of-government American response is needed to counter unprecedented global threats and ensure a free and peaceful 21st century.
• The Honorable Steve Yates, Senior Fellow and Chair, China Policy Initiative, America First Policy Institute. Yates is from St. Petersburg, Fla. and serves as a Senior Fellow and Chair of the China Policy Initiative. He is an analyst and practitioner with experience at various levels of politics, policy, media and national security affairs. A veteran commentator and trainer for television, radio and print media opportunities, Yates has navigated policy decision-making processes across agencies, foreign and domestic. Since 2006, he has been a senior adviser to presidential campaigns, a frequent media commentator and CEO of D.C. International Advisory.
• Anthony J. Ruggiero, Senior Vice President, American Global Strategies. Ruggiero is an expert in sanctions, illicit finance, export controls, counterproliferation and nonproliferation. Ruggiero served in the United States Government for more than 19 years in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
• Jacqueline Deal, American Academy for Strategic Education. Deal has been running the Long Term Strategy Group (LTSG) since 2006. LTSG provides research and analysis on defense issues and future trends to government sponsors and other clients. Founded in Cambridge, Mass., the firm moved to Washington, DC, in 2012. Deal’s own research focuses on trends in Chinese military strategy, nationalism and defense capabilities.
Senator Johnson represents the 14th District in the Ohio Senate, which encompasses all of Adams, Brown, Clermont and Scioto counties. Learn more at www.OhioSenate.gov/Johnson.
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