Meridian Council Salon Dinner Series Entree to Dialogue: A Sustainable and Equitable Planet
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Summary: Meridian, in partnership with the Embassy of Monaco, will host a fireside chat about global environmental challenges and the significance of international collaboration, education, and technology. This discussion, moderated by The Honorable Jane Harman, Chair of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy, connects Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian, Dr. Ellen Stofan, and Monaco’s Ambassador to the USA & Canada Her Excellency Maguy Maccario Doyle to explore life on a planet that can sustain itself, using research conducted in oceans, on land, and even in space. We will also discuss Monaco's historical and current role in environmental stewardship, while exploring Monaco’s remarkable journey in the “space race”.
Speaker Biographies
Her Excellency Maguy Maccario Doyle, Ambassador of Monaco to the United States and Canada
Long-time Consul General in New York, Maguy Maccario Doyle was appointed Ambassador of the Principality of Monaco by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco on November 12, 2013 and presented her letters of credence to President Barack Obama at the White House on December 3, 2013. Ambassador Maccario Doyle started her U.S. career at the Monaco Government Tourist Office in New York in 1976. In 1995, Prince Rainier III appointed her as Consul, then Consul General in 1997, making her the first Monégasque woman world-wide to hold the position of career consul. Her mission as Consul was to reorganize Monaco’s consular representation in the USA and to foster synergy between North American and Monégasque cultural and tourism interests. Since 2006, Ambassador Maccario Doyle has served as the vice president of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation-USA (www.fpa2.org) for the environment. She is also the president of the US chapter of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation (www.pcmfusa.org) which was established in May 2016 in California. In 2016, she initiated a successful series of events (www.MonacoEventsUSA.com) to support and promote Monaco’s interest in space travel and exploration, earth sciences and new technology. The recent creation of a Bureau of Space Affairs in Monaco will help the Principality build relationships in the space sector with international organizations and businesses, and strengthen space collaboration between the United States and Canada.
A committed advocate for children and women’s issues, she is a long-standing member of both the Professional Advisory Board and the International Professional Advisory Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Dr. Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian
Ellen Stofan is the Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian. She oversees its science research centers and the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, and the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Smithsonian Scholarly Press and Scientific Diving Program also report to Stofan. Her focus is on the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: Life on a Sustainable Planet” initiative and collective research, especially in areas of biodiversity, climate change, global health, sustainable communities and environmental justice. Previously, Stofan was the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (2018–2021) where she was the first woman to hold that position. Under her leadership, the museum began its seven-year renovation of its flagship building in Washington, D.C., in 2018. Stofan also oversaw the momentous celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing in July 2019 at the museum and on the National Mall. Before joining the Smithsonian, Stofan had more than 25 years’ experience in space-related organizations and a deep research background in planetary geology. She was chief scientist at NASA (2013–2016), serving as the principal advisor to former Administrator Charles Bolden on NASA’s strategic planning and programs. She helped guide the development of a long-range plan to get humans to Mars and worked on strategies for NASA to support commercial activity in low Earth orbit as it transitions from the International Space Station to sending humans to the moon and Mars in the mid-2020s.
The Honorable Jane Harman, Chair of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy
Jane Harman resigned from Congress February 28, 2011 to join the Woodrow Wilson Center as its first female Director, President, and CEO. Representing the aerospace center of California during nine terms in Congress, she served on all the major security committees: six years on Armed Services, eight years on Intelligence, and eight on Homeland Security. During her long public career, Harman has been recognized as a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for distinguished service. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission and the Advisory Board of the Munich Security Conference. She also co-chairs the Homeland Security Experts Group with former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Harman is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and an Honorary Trustee at the University of Southern California. She serves on the board of Iridium Communication Inc, a NASDAQ traded satellite communications company, and is a member of the Presidential Debates Commission and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. A product of Los Angeles public schools, Harman is a magna cum laude graduate of Smith College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Harvard Law School. Prior to serving in Congress, she was Staff Director of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, Deputy Cabinet Secretary to President Jimmy Carter, Special Counsel to the Department of Defense, and in private law practice.