NATO official to address North Georgia College graduates

By U.S. ArmyJuly 30, 2012

Dr. Richard Hooker, dean of the NATO Defense College
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Fort Knox, Ky. (July 30, 2012) -- An advisor to three U.S. presidents, who is the dean of the NATO Defense College, will address the graduates of North Georgia and State University.

Dr. Richard Hooker will be the keynote speaker at the commencement exercises Aug. 3 in Memorial Hall Gymnasium on the campus in Dahlonega, Ga.

The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. More than 200 associate, bachelor's, and post-graduate degrees will be awarded. The graduating class includes 27 cadets who will commission as officers in the U.S. Army upon graduation.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Hooker served in the U.S. Army for 30 years as a parachute infantry officer and participated in military operations around the world. His military service also included tours in the offices of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary of the Army and the chief of staff of the Army.

A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute of Strategic Studies, and the Foreign Policy Research Council, he has been dean of the NATO Defense College since October 2010.

The NATO Defense College, established in Paris, France in 1951, concentrates on high-level political and military issues faced by both civilian and military leaders around the world and seeks to help them master the skills needed to succeed in a global environment. Since 1966 the institution has been located in Rome, Italy.

Hooker also holds master's and doctoral degrees in international relations from the University of Virginia. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Army War College, where he earned a Master of Science in National Security Studies and also served as a post-doctoral research fellow. His publications include more than 30 articles and two books.

A former White House fellow, Hooker taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Army War College in Washington, D.C. He also worked for the White House's Office for National Service under President George H.W. Bush, and the National Security Council (NSC) under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

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