Johns Hopkins SAIS to host "The Challenge of Security and Development in Africa," with U.S. Africa Command’s Deputy Commander for Military Operations on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017
MEDIA ADVISORY
“The Challenge of Security and Development in Africa,” will be hosted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Vice Admiral Michael T. Franken, U.S. Africa Command’s Deputy Commander for Military Operations, will discuss African security and development issues with the Johns Hopkins SAIS community.
Franken is responsible for promoting U.S. security interests by strengthening the security capabilities of Africa nations, including military operations that create an environment for development and responsible governance.
This event is off the record; attendees should adhere to the Chatham House Rule.
Speaker
Vice Admiral Michael T. Franken
Deputy Commander for Military Operations, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)
Time and Date
2 - 4 p.m.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Location
Johns Hopkins SAIS
Bernstein-Offit Building, Room 500
1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Register
The event is open to the public and media, with registration. Members of the working press can send email RSVPs to [email protected]. Camera setup will only be permitted from 1:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Media Contact
Stacy A. Anderson
Communications Manager
Johns Hopkins SAIS
202.663.5620 office
202.853.7983 mobile
[email protected]
About the Speaker
Vice Admiral Michael T. Franken is U.S. Africa Command’s Deputy for Military Operations. He is responsible to the Commander for promoting the national security interests of the United States by strengthening the security capabilities of Africa nations, to include the conduct of military operations that create an environment conducive to development and responsible governance.
Franken’s flag assignments include service as the first interim director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in 2015, the acting chief of staff for the Joint Staff J5 in 2014, the chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of the Navy from 2012 to 2014, command of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HoA) from 2011 to 2012, and vice director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5) at U.S. Central Command from 2008 to 2011.
His formative operational assignments consisted of postings on guided missile destroyers. He was the first commanding officer of USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), and served in USS King (DDG 41), USS Dahlgren (DDG 43), and USS Barry (DDG 52). He commanded Destroyer Squadron 28 and Task Group 152.0 for the Eisenhower Strike Group from 2005 to 2007.
Ashore, Franken served in operational staffs ranging from a readiness squadron to a four-star fleet command. He served multiple times in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, on the Navy Staff, and in the Joint Staff. He presented the worldwide orders book to the Secretary of Defense from 2003 to 2005, and worked on the personal staff of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Jr.
Franken was raised in rural Iowa. He is a 1981 ROTC graduate from the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska and obtained a Master of Science from the College of Physics at the Naval Postgraduate School. Franken is a legislative affairs graduate of the Brookings Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI program, and various other executive education courses.
About Johns Hopkins SAIS
A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For more than 70 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school’s interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.
For more information, visit sais-jhu.edu or @SAISHopkins