Ambassador David Jameison Smith
President of Global Horizons, Inc.
Following his work as Director of Defense and Foreign Policy at the 1996 Dole for President Campaign, Ambassador David J. Smith returned as President of Global Horizons, Incorporated, consulting on defense, international affairs and overseas business development. Since 1993, his clients have included major aerospace companies, Washington "think tanks," the Department of Defense and a Central Asian political leader. His insight is regularly sought on developments in Western and Central Europe, the former Soviet Union and Asia, as well as on treaty and domestic political aspects of defense programs. This blend of international and domestic expertise has led to Ambassador Smith's involvement in interesting projects -- study of the relationship between strategic offense and defense, NATO missile defense planning, political party development in Central Asia and treaty analysis in support of major defense contracts. Ambassador Smith is also active in developing overseas opportunities for American business. In addition, he is a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In all these endeavors, he builds upon a distinguished career in international affairs.
President George Bush nominated Ambassador Smith to be Chief Negotiator for the U.S. Soviet Defense and Space Talks on September 21, 1989. He was confirmed by the Senate on October 6 and sworn in the following day by Senator Bob Dole. He led the U.S. team seeking to negotiate an agreement to allow deployment of defenses against the growing threat of ballistic missiles until the demise of the Soviet Union in late 199 1. Key to this effort was successfully resisting Soviet attempts to link conclusion of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to concessions on the American Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program.
During 1992, Ambassador Smith joined Arizona Congressman Jon Kyl as Chief of Staff to help reorganize his office in the House of Representatives during the period leading up the Congressman's reelection. From 1987 to 1989, Ambassador Smith was Assistant to Senate Republican Leader Dole for Strategic Policy and Arms Control. In this capacity he also served as Senator Dole's staff member on the Senate Arms Control Observer Group and directed the staff of the Republican Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty Task Force in 1988. In 1985 and 1986, he was Professional Staff Member at the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. There he advised Chairman Richard Lugar on defense and arms control, and was also responsible for treaties on oceans and environment.
In 1984, Ambassador Smith was National Security Consultant to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, preparing Senate candidates in eight states on defense issues. He was also assistant manager of the successful Jim Kolbe for Congress campaign in Arizona's fifth district.
From 1980 to 1984, Ambassador Smith served with the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as International Negotiations Staff Officer. In that position, during 1980 and 1981, he helped develop Soviet and Warsaw Pact conventional forces data for the Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction talks and served on the U.S. MBFR delegation in Vienna, Austria. From 1981 until 1984, he was responsible for information on chemical, biological and toxin weapons and their use. He also served as the representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the U.S. delegation to the negotiations on chemical weapons in Geneva, Switzerland, playing a crucial role in U.S. insistence upon effective verification.
The University of Arizona awarded Ambassador Smith a BA in government with Honors and High Distinction in 1975. He attended the U of A on a four year Air Force ROTC scholarship, receiving his commission upon graduation. His minor subject was Italian literature. Ambassador Smith went on to earn a M.S. with Distinction in West European politics from the London School of Economics and an M.A. in government from Harvard University. Retired as a major in the Air Force Reserve, he has been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service and two Commendation Medals for active and Ready Reserve service. He earned his Airborne Wings at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1973.
Ambassador Smith was inducted into the Kappa Sigma Fraternity's A.L. Slonaker Hall of Fame in 1991, awarded the University of Arizona's Distinguished Citizen Award in 1992 and its Centennial Achievement Award in 1998. He has testified before Congress and his articles and speeches have appeared in Bulletin of Arms Control, Comparative Strategy, The Congressional Record, Defense News, Jane's Defence Weekly, Jane's Intelligence Review, Journal of Space Law, Mondo Economico, NATO Review, Phoenix Gazette and We/Mb-I. He speaks fluent Italian and has appeared on Italian television and radio. He also speaks French and elementary Russian.
The Ambassador is a member of the Air Force Association, Reserve Officers Association, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Defense Industrial Association and the GPS International Association. He was founder and President of the University of Arizona Alumni group in Washington and has served on the U of A Alumni Association national Board of Directors. Personal interests include SCUBA diving, lithographic prints and Hopi Indian Kachina figures. Ambassador Smith lives in Annandale, Virginia with his wife, Elizabeth Hennigan. They have one daughter, Kelly, who is a student at Clemson University. Ambassador Smith and Ms. Hennigan chair the Clemson University Parents Council.