SOF Discussion Reception: Protecting the Homeland: A Conversation with Former Secretary Jeh Johnson
Join us for a conversation featuring former Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, in conversation with CNN Newsroom Anchor, Ana Cabrera. The two will discuss current geopolitical trends and their impact on our nation’s homeland security.
This reception is part of our Society of Fellows Discussion Reception Series in New York, which is generously underwritten by Merilee and Roy Bostock and Ilona Nemeth and Alan Quasha.
**If you are not a member of the Society of Fellows, and you would like to join, please contact the SOF Hotline at sof@aspeninstitute.org or at 970-544-7980.
Speaker:
Jeh Johnson served as the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security from December 2013 to January 2017. Johnson now practices law in New York City at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP. Johnson is also currently on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin and the Council on Foreign Relations. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Johnson was the head of the third largest cabinet department of the U.S. government, consisting of 230,000 personnel and 22 components. As Secretary his work spanned from issues of counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, maritime security, protection of our national leaders, the detection of chemical, biological and nuclear threats to the homeland, to natural disaster response. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Johnson served as General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2009-2012). Johnson is regarded as the legal architect for U.S. military counterterrorism efforts in the Obama Administration from his impactful work as General Counsel. In 2010, Johnson co-authored the Defense Department report that paved the way for the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by Congress later that year.
Moderator:
Ana Cabrera anchors the weekend primetime edition of CNN Newsroom. Throughout 2018 Cabrera extensively covered politics and the midterm election, the #MeToo movement and immigration, from interviewing diplomats and lawmakers, legal experts and law enforcement, to conversations with those impacted directly. Cabrera also anchored many of the top breaking news stories of 2017, including Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, the Southerland Springs, Texas church shooting, the London Bridge terror attack — reporting on air for an uninterrupted nine hours — and the deadly Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Va.
Cabrera joined CNN as a correspondent in 2013, based in Denver. Prior to joining CNN, Cabrera was an anchor for the top-ranked daily morning news program for the ABC affiliate in Denver, Cabrera has served on the Board of Directors of Mi Casa Resource Center and she served on the board of the American Cancer Society. Cabrera is a graduate of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University with degrees in Communication, and Foreign Languages and Cultures.