About this Event
The Pacific Forum Annual Dinner brings together senior leaders from government, the military, industry, and academia for an evening of conversation, connection, and reflection on the most pressing security challenges shaping the Indo-Pacific.
The 2026 Annual Dinner will feature a moderated discussion with two distinguished national security leaders, followed by a hosted reception and seated dinner.
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🎓 Student Attendance
Currently enrolled students interested in attending the Annual Dinner may submit a request through our student interest form.
Selected students will be matched with sponsored seats and notified directly.
Featured Speakers
Experts in National Security and Diplomacy
Kelly Magsamen
Former Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (2021-2024) and a Senior Advisor at The Asia Group (TAG).Â
Kelly Magsamen is a distinguished national security leader who most recently served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In that role, she was the Secretary’s principal strategic advisor, leading implementation of Department of Defense priorities across defense policy, operations, intelligence, personnel, and readiness. During her tenure, she advanced enduring initiatives including the National Defense Strategy, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and the institutionalization of AUKUS.
With more than two decades of experience across Republican and Democratic administrations, Kelly previously served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia-Pacific Security Affairs and held senior roles on the National Security Council staff at the White House.
David R. Stillwell
Former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian
and Pacific Affairs
David R. Stilwell served as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2019-2021. Prior to that he served in the Air Force for 35 years, beginning as an enlisted Korean linguist in 1980, and retiring in 2015 in the rank of Brigadier General as the Asia advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He served multiple tours of duty in Japan and Korea as a linguist, a fighter pilot, and a commander.Â
He also served as the Defense Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 2011-2013. He earned a B.S. in History from the U.S. Air Force Academy (1987), a Master’s Degree in Asian Studies and Chinese language from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (1988) as an East West Center participant.