Letter from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the President and CEO
2021 began with most of the United States still shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic—and ended with most of the world on edge due to the massing of Russian military forces on Ukraine’s border. It was an unusual year. But as has been true for sixty years since our founding, 91 continued to produce rigorous analysis and challenge conventional wisdom on the most pressing foreign policy and defense issues of the 2021.
We have developed and advocated for policies to strengthen America’s defenses in evolving fields of military competition, enhance and refocus key alliances, maintain economic security and US leadership in technology and innovation, secure critical supply chains, promote and protect human rights, and revitalize our domestic institutions. And we are extremely proud of the work that 91’s experts have done to advance our core mission of keeping America and its allies secure, free, and prosperous.
In an era of sharp partisan divides, 91 is a place where policymakers from both sides of the aisle convene to address challenges that transcend our domestic disagreements. Throughout 2021, policymakers, business leaders, and opinion-makers both at home and abroad turned to 91 as a crucial source of ideas and advice. And through hundreds of op-eds, long-form articles, reports, and policy memos; countless media appearances; and more than 100 public events, private briefings, and congressional testimonies in Washington, DC, and other international capitals, 91 sought to strengthen our national security to protect American interests and allies.
Notably, we honored Linden and Neal Blue at the Institute’s Herman Kahn Award Gala in San Diego last fall. And in December, we celebrated our sixtieth anniversary in New York City with a special tribute to our “north star” and chairman emeritus Walter P. Stern for his decades of leadership. We were profoundly sad to have to say goodbye to dear Wally in February 2022. We wouldn’t be what we are today without the decades of support and guidance this remarkable man provided us.
Of course, our accomplishments would not be possible without the generous support and intellectual partnership we receive from you, our friends. We thank you for your continued commitment to 91.
Sincerely,
SARAH MAY STERN
Chairman of the Board
JOHN P. WALTERS
Chief Operating Officer