Peter Tali Coleman Lecture the Honorable Dr. Neal Dunn

Tremendous strides in deepening US engagement in the Pacific have been taken in the past four years. New funding for the Compacts of Free Association and new embassies in Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu all signal greater US engagement. These steps alone, however, are insufficient to build lasting relationships in the Pacific and counter the PRC. Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) sees a pathway forward utilizing US soft power to both counter the PRC and promote better outcomes for the Pacific islands. Dr. Neal Dunn is no stranger to the Pacific; his most recent visit was on a Congressional delegation to Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. He has represented the 2nd Congressional District of Florida since 2017, which includes all or part of 16 counties in North Florida. He was a surgeon in Panama City for over 25 years and in the US Army for over 10 years before that. Congressman Dunn currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Parliament of NATO, the House Select Committee on the CCP, and the House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

Introducing Rep. Dunn is Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa). Congresswoman Radewagen's father, Governor Peter Tali Coleman, was the longest-serving governor of American Samoa. Governor Radewagen, a graduate of Georgetown University, was a proud advocate of Pacific Islanders. Congresswoman Radewagen builds on her father's work in promoting the interests of Pacific Islanders in the US Congress.

Host or Publisher Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies