Pacific Forum is accepting applications for our non-resident James A. Kelly Korean Studies Fellowship, WSD-Handa Fellowship and Vasey Fellowship. The deadline to apply is May 5.

Applications are currently open for:

• Non-resident Vasey Fellowship
• Non-resident Kelly Fellowship
• Non-resident WSD-Handa Fellowship

Since 2002, Pacific Forum has hosted over 100 resident fellows from 21 countries. Pacific Forum’s fellowship programs offer promising scholars and young professionals the opportunity to serve as researchers with Pacific Forum and develop hands-on expertise on Indo-Pacific policy issues.

Non-resident fellows conduct research from their home country under the mentorship of Pacific Forum staff and affiliates. Learn more about the Pacific Forum’s fellowships here: https://pacforum.org/program/fellowships.

The James A. Kelly Korean Studies Fellowship promotes academic study, research, and professional career paths focused on Korean Peninsula studies. It recognizes the exemplary efforts of Jim Kelly to improve US-ROK relations and encourage the DPRK to denuclearize and join the international community of nations. The overall objective of the fellowship is to promote stronger US-ROK, US-DPRK, and inter-Korean relations. To apply for the Kelly Fellowship, please complete the Non-resident Kelly Fellowship online application form.

The WSD-Handa Fellowship Program was established through the generosity of the Worldwide Support for Development and Dr. Handa Haruhisha to increase East Asian, US, and European participation in Pacific Forum programs. WSD-Handa Fellows should already have some knowledge of East Asian security and economic developments and should use this fellowship as an opportunity to take a more in-depth look into these issues and offer solutions for improvement. To apply for the WSD-Handa Fellowship, please complete the Non-resident WSD-Handa Fellowship online application form.

The Lloyd and Lilian Vasey Fellowship program is named after Pacific Forum founder, the late Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey and his wife Lilian. The Vasey Fellowship affords promising scholars from outside the US the opportunity to serve as researchers at the Pacific Forum and to develop hands-on expertise on US-Asia policy issues and gain an appreciation of Indo-Pacific economic and security affairs and policymaking challenges. To apply for the Vasey Fellowship, please complete the Non-resident Vasey Fellowship online application form.

The deadline to apply is May 5, 2023.  For any questions or concerns about Pacific Forum fellowship programs, please contact: [email protected].

As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality analysis and programming across the Indo-Pacific region, Pacific Forum is delighted to announce three new adjunct fellows: Elizabeth Freund Larus, Alexander Neill, and Michael Walsh.

Each of these three adjunct fellows greatly expand our expertise on subjects crucial to the future of the region as a whole, including cross-straits relations, China’s foreign relations, and the Pacific Islands.

Elizabeth Freund Larus

Adjunct Fellow

Elizabeth Freund Larus, Ph.D., joins Pacific Forum International as Adjunct Fellow. She is Founder and President of E Larus Consulting LLC, and Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A Fulbright Scholar and Taiwan Fellow, she specializes in East Asian political, economic, and security dynamics. Dr. Larus draws on more than 30 years of experience with the Asia-Pacific. She is author of the books Politics and Society in Contemporary China and Economic Reform in China, as well as dozens of book chapters, articles and online commentary on Chinese politics, Taiwan politics, China-Taiwan relations, US in Asia, and security dynamics in the Asia-Pacific. She regularly contributes her insight to international media outlets, such as the Financial Times, Fortune magazine, CNBC, BBC, WION (India), Channel NewsAsia, and Indus News.

Alexander Neill

Adjunct Fellow

Alexander Neill joins Pacific Forum International as Adjunct Fellow. He has devoted his career to examining the impact of China on the global stage. Through his work for government agencies and think-tanks, he has fostered deep links with the strategic community across the Indo-Pacific region. After graduating from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Alexander Neill worked for the British and US governments in his early career. As a Chinese linguist and expert, he has published on Asian security issues and developed a keen grasp of geopolitics and security concerns in Asia. In 2005, he joined the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London as Head of the Asia Programme. There, his focus was to develop research on British security policy in Asia, including by coordinating “track two” projects in Asia and high-level dialogues in Beijing, Delhi, Pyongyang, Taipei, and Tokyo. He joined the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore in 2013 as Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia Pacific Security. He was responsible for delivering the summit agenda and research projects focusing on Asia-Pacific security issues, particularly on China and its relationships in the region.

Michael Walsh

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Michael Walsh joins Pacific Forum International as Adjunct Senior Fellow. He also is the President of the Islands Society and an Affiliate of the Center for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Prior to these roles, he served as the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Security Affairs Subcommittee on the Biden Defense Working Group during the 2020 Presidential Campaign. He is a subject matter expert on: Asia-Pacific Security Affairs; Democracy-Security Dilemmas; Strategies, Policies, Plans, and Concepts. His research tends to focus on the following regions: East Asia; Pacific Islands; Southeast Asia; Subsaharan Africa. And, his current research makes use of the following frameworks and methodologies: Delphi Method; Dotmocracy; Logic Models; Policy Analysis; Social Facts; Strategic Planning; Thematic Analysis. He regularly advises government, bureaucracy, and think tanks on defense, democracy, development, and diplomacy. He also is an opinion contributor to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Marianas Variety, Pacific Island Times, Taipei Times, and The Hill newspapers.

Pacific Forum thanks all its supporters in the United States, in Asia and the Pacific, and around the world as 2022 comes to a close.

After nearly three years of challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic Pacific Forum’s staff and leadership continued their work, hosting more than 20 events locally, virtually, and internationally, continuing in the implementation of Track 1.5/Track 2 dialogues, and publishing timely original research, edited volumes, and commentary. In 2022, as the Indo-Pacific security community was rocked by events with little recent precedent—Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the assassination of long-serving Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit—Pacific Forum’s extensive network demonstrated its value, providing timely, prompt commentary on these events from angles that challenged conventional narratives.

Furthermore, Pacific Forum remains committed to mentoring emerging voices in foreisgn policy professionals through the Young Leaders Program, Hawaii Asia-Pacific Affairs Leadership (APAL) Program, and our fellowship opportunities. Through these programs, we continue to provide the next generation of diplomats, policymakers, academics, and other professionals with the analytical skills, research perspectives, and guidance needed to contribute to the development of practical policy solutions.

We remain heartened by the support of our international network who share in our goals of promoting innovation, dialogue, and security across the Indo-Pacific.

Below you will find examples of our timely research and commentary from the past year. Links to more than 80 online publications have been included for your reference, and recordings from a host of timely webinars conducted in partnership with institutions across the Indo-Pacific can be accessed on our YouTube channel. More detail on our programs in 2022 may be accessed via our calendar of events.

Looking ahead to 2023, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and to subscribe to our mailing list, to receive the latest updates from the organization in the coming year.

We look forward to engaging with you and continuing our work. Happy New Year and Mahalo!

PacNets

1. The limits of a securitized Japanese FOIP Vision by Stephen Nagy
2. Balancing accessibility and quality in Blue Dot Network infrastructure finance by John Taishu Pitt
3. Abe was key to the Indo-Pacific’s evolution by Brad Glosserman
4. Comparative Connections Summary: January 2022
5. AUKUS’ opportunities and risks for India by Manpreet Sethi
6. What happens in Ukraine will not stay in Ukraine by Sergiy Korsunsky
7. China’s growing confidence in drone warfare by Loro Horta
8. Back to the past: The significance of Russia and China’s joint statement by Yu Bin
9. Biden struggles as China advances in Southeast Asia by Robert Sutter
10. Is the US capable of shaping a rules-based international order?’ by Robert A. Manning
11. Nuclear submarines for our Pacific allies: When to say yes by Henry Sokolski
12. Ukraine: China’s latest strategic blunder by Ralph A. Cossa
13. What the Indo-Pacific sees in Ukraine by Stephen Nagy
14. What the war in Ukraine means for Taiwan by Denny Roy
15. Ukraine: A turning point in Japanese foreign policy? by Kristi Govella
16. South Korea’s presidential election aftermath: Ukraine as test for a “global pivotal state” by Mason Richey
17. Ukraine: After invasion, what? by David Santoro
18. Ukraine and the decoupling of space cooperation with Russia by Philip Citowicki
19. Myanmar: Words like “genocide” have consequences by David I. Steinberg
20. After Ukraine – Enacting a realistic Japanese diplomatic security policy by Hideshi Futori
21. India’s strategic autonomy: A lesson for Japan by Tomoko Kiyota
22. Feminist foreign policy and Ukraine: For now, Japan leads the way by Hannah Cole, Maryruth Belsey-Priebe and Tevvi Bullock
23. May is a major opportunity for US relations with Asia—especially economically by James A. Kelly
24. Why it’s so hard to quit Chinese steel by Akash Sahu
25. A Black Sea humanitarian food corridor to Odessa by Charles E. Morrison
26. Why South Koreans see little difference in Biden’s North Korea policy by Timothy S. Rich, Ian Milden and Mallory Hardesty
27. What Yoon Suk Yeol’s election means for minority rights in South Korea by Eun A Jo
28. Comparative Connections Summary: May 2022
29. Hints of a new North Korea nuclear strategy by Brad Glosserman
30. Australia’s election: Quad continuity and climate alignment, with nuclear disagreements by Graeme Dobell
31. Should the United States acknowledge mutual vulnerability with China? by David Santoro
32. Scholarships in the Pacific Islands are an urgent US national security issue by Kimery Lynch
33. China cannot hinder international navigation through Taiwan Strait by Tran Đinh Hoanh
34. Why ASEAN should heed the distant tolling of bells by Patrick O’Connor
35. Abe Shinzo and the Japan-South Korea relationship: Near- and long-term legacies by Jada Fraser
36. Post-Abe Indo-Pacific regional dynamics: A legacy beyond the man by Stephen Nagy
37. Abe’s death creates a void in Japan by Brad Glosserman
38. China’s “containment” policy against America by Denny Roy
39. Abe Shinzo’s legacy in Southeast Asia by Kei Koga
40. Abe Shinzo: How to handle an unpredictable America by Rob York
41. Another “hotline” with China isn’t the answer by Lyle J. Morris and Colonel Kyle Macrum
42. Their money our way: Influencing highly capable allies and partners by Lieutenant Colonel Jason Kim
43. Post-Abe India-Japan ties: Does Kishida have what it takes? by Jagannath Panda
44. “Hybrid multilateralism” and the Yoon pursuit of middle power strategy by Shin-wha Lee
45. The prescience of Abe’s vision for Taiwan by Shihoko Goto
46. Correcting the Narrative on China’s “New Era-gance”: Taipei, Washington, and many are angry at Beijing’s bullying by Shirley Kan
47. Time for difficult choices on Myanmar by Gregory B. Poling
48. Are small modular reactors the solution to growing energy and climate problems? by David Santoro
49. Continued evolutions in the regional architecture of the Indo-Pacific by Thomas Wilkins
50. China’s new (old) Taiwan white paper: What’s the point? by Jake Steiner
51. Five years after the Rohingya exodus, no significant development by Mufassir Rashid
52. The first year of Japan’s Digital Agency: In pursuit of coherence and identity by Raymond Yamamoto
53. How the United States can build a chip alliance in Northeast Asia without decoupling by Major Jessica Taylor and Jonathan Corrado
54. Comparative Connections Summary: September 2022
55. Understanding Japan’s defense debate by Brad Glosserman
56. Employing “smart power” to counter PRC efforts in Oceania by Peter C. Oleson
57. What Indo-Pacific countries should do about Taiwan by Huynh Tam Sang
58. The strategic importance of the Pacific Islands to Taiwan by Michael Walsh and John Hemmings
59. How the new National Security Strategy transforms US China policy by Brad Glosserman
60. The Myth of Taiwan as a Pacific Nation by Michael Walsh, Wen-Chi Yang, Adam Morrow
61. The new National Security Strategy in the context of an unstated “cold war” by John Hemmings
62. Myanmar’s emerging national identity could change everything by Wayland Blue
63. AUKUS: Stepping boldly into space by Philip Citowicki
64. The Biden-Xi summit: Not revolutionary, but still necessary by Daniel R. DePetris
65. To change Taiwan’s conscription system, change the culture by Claire Tiunn (Chang)
66. Finally at the table, not on the menu: Canada launches its Indo-Pacific strategy by Stephen Nagy
67. After Ukraine, the need for a collectively framed new order by Ron Huisken
68. South Korea’s role in a Taiwan contingency: Indirect but essential by Sungmin Cho

Issues & Insights

1. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, WP1 — Progress and Challenges to Implementing Women, Peace and Security in Southeast Asia by Jennifer Howe
2. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, WP2 — Compound Gender-Climate-Security Threats and Vulnerabilities within the Indo-Pacific by Maryruth Belsey Priebe
3. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, WP3 — Feminist Peace and Security and The Other ASEAN Way by Maria Tanyag
4. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, WP4 — Trouble on the Rocks: US Policy in East China Sea and South China Sea Disputes by Akhil Ramesh
5. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR1 — Resilient Alliance: Moving the US-Philippines Security Relations Forward Edited by Jeffrey Ordaniel and Carl Baker
6. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR2 — US-China Mutual Vulnerability: Perspectives on the Debate Edited by David Santoro
7. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR 3 — South Korea’s Place in the Indo-Pacific: A Research Showcase for Pacific Forum’s Korea Foundation Fellows Edited by Rob York
8. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR4 — Small Modular Reactors: The Next Phase for Nuclear Power in the Indo-Pacific? Edited by David Santoro and Carl Baker
9. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR5 — US-Singapore: Advancing Technological Collaboration and Innovation in Southeast Asia Edited by Mark Bryan Manantan
10. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, WP6 — Chinese Cyber Nationalism During the Pandemic: A Discourse Analysis of Zhihu by Talkeetna Saiget
11. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR6 — AUKUS: A Look Back at The First Analyses Edited by David Santoro and Rob York
12. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR7 — Abe Shinzo: In Memoriam Edited by Rob York
13. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR8 — Next Steps for the US-China Strategic Nuclear Relationship Edited by David Santoro
14. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, SR9 — An Alliance Renewed? Future-proofing US-Japan Security Relations Edited by Christopher Lamont and Jeffrey Ordaniel
15. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, WP7 — Rising from the Ashes: The Future of Arms Control by Victor Mizin and Yue Yuan
16. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, CR1 – Getting Past Constraints: Deepening US Security Relations with Vietnam and Indonesia by Jeffrey Ordaniel and Carl Baker
17. Issues & Insights Vol. 22, CR2 – US-Taiwan Deterrence and Defense Dialogue: Responding to Increased Chinese Aggressiveness by Ralph Cossa

Comparative Connections

1. Volume 23, Issue 3
2. Volume 24, Issue 1
3. Volume 24, Issue 2

Applications are currently open for:

• Resident and Non-resident Vasey Fellowship
• Non-resident Kelly Fellowship
• Resident and Non-resident WSD-Handa Fellowship

Since 2002, Pacific Forum has hosted over 100 resident fellows from 21 countries. Pacific Forum’s fellowship programs offer promising scholars and young professionals the opportunity to serve as researchers with Pacific Forum and develop hands-on expertise on Indo-Pacific policy issues.

Resident fellows are based in Hawaii to conduct research under the mentorship of Pacific Forum staff and to help with ongoing projects and programs. Pacific Forum is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and following the latest guidance from the Office of the Mayor, City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii emergency order currently in effect.

Non-resident fellows conduct research from their home country under the mentorship of Pacific Forum staff and affiliates. Learn more about the Pacific Forum’s fellowships here: https://pacforum.org/program/fellowships.

The James A. Kelly Korean Studies Fellowship promotes academic study, research, and professional career paths focused on Korean Peninsula studies. It recognizes the exemplary efforts of Jim Kelly to improve US-ROK relations and encourage the DPRK to denuclearize and join the international community of nations. The overall objective of the fellowship is to promote stronger US-ROK, US-DPRK, and inter-Korean relations. To apply for the Kelly Fellowship, please complete the Non-resident Kelly Fellowship online application form.

The WSD-Handa Fellowship Program was established through the generosity of the Worldwide Support for Development and Dr. Handa Haruhisha to increase East Asian, US, and European participation in Pacific Forum programs. WSD-Handa Fellows should already have some knowledge of East Asian security and economic developments and should use this fellowship as an opportunity to take a more in-depth look into these issues and offer solutions for improvement. To apply for the WSD-Handa Fellowship, please complete the Resident or Non-resident WSD-Handa Fellowship online application form.

The Lloyd and Lilian Vasey Fellowship program is named after Pacific Forum founder, the late Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey and his wife Lilian. The Vasey Fellowship affords promising scholars from outside the US the opportunity to serve as researchers at the Pacific Forum and to develop hands-on expertise on US-Asia policy issues and gain an appreciation of Indo-Pacific economic and security affairs and policymaking challenges. To apply for the Vasey Fellowship, please complete the Resident or Non-resident Vasey Fellowship online application form.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 7.  For any questions or concerns about Pacific Forum fellowship programs, please contact [email protected].

The Pacific Forum is delighted to announce three new staff members: John Hemmings, Mark Manantan, and Carol Li.

John Hemmings

Senior Director of Indo-Pacific Foreign & Security Policy and Director of Strategy and Planning

Dr. John Hemmings will join us in September as Senior Director of Indo-Pacific Affairs and Director of Strategy and Planning.

Dr. Hemmings will come from the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, where he has been a professor for the past three years. His expertise is Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and the US alliance system in the Indo-Pacific, on which he has published extensively in journals, magazines, and newspapers, as well as given expert opinions to various television and radio media.

As Senior Director of Indo-Pacific Affairs, Dr. Hemmings will explore the fluid and evolving strategic dynamics in the region, bringing clarity to current and looming competitive developments and their implications for the United States, its allies and partners, and beyond. As Director of Strategy and Planning, Dr. Hemmings will also be a part of the Pacific Forum’s leadership and management team.

“The Pacific Forum has long recognized that the Indo-Pacific is of vital importance in global affairs, and I look forward to working with regional partners and allies to foster dialogue and people-to-people relations that help strengthen regional stability and the rules-based order,” Dr. Hemmings said. An alumnus of the Pacific Forum’s Young Leaders Program and former Handa Fellow, he added that he is “incredibly honored” to be returning to the Forum and looks forward to working with his colleagues to build vigorous and active programs for discussing the region’s greatest challenges and developing solutions across the Forum’s impressive regional network.

Mark Manantan

Senior Research Fellow and Director, Cybersecurity and Critical Technologies

Mr. Mark Manantan will soon join us as Senior Research Fellow and Director for Cybersecurity and Critical Technologies.

Mr. Manantan has expertise in cybersecurity and the geopolitics and governance of technology and innovation, especially in the Indo-Pacific. He has published extensively on these issues and recently launched two reports on data and artificial intelligence: Raising Standards: Data and Artificial Intelligence in Southeast Asia, in collaboration with the Asia Society Policy Institute, and the 2022 Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Asia Pacific with the AI Asia Pacific Institute in Singapore.

Over the past two years, as a Pacific Forum Vasey Fellow, Mr. Manantan has been integral in launching impactful cybersecurity and technology-focused initiatives at the Forum, and has also contributed to ongoing activities in strategic trade controls in Southeast Asia and our Women, Peace, and Security focus area.

In his new role, Mr. Manantan will continue to expand Pacific Forum’s research and policy engagements through increasing collaboration with the private sector and regional institutions. He will lead the Forum’s research and institutional partnerships to implement programs on cyber capacity-building, countering influence operations, and assessing the implications of artificial intelligence and the rapid digitalization in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Mark says, “I am beyond thrilled to see what the future holds for the newly formed Cybersecurity and Critical Technologies Program, and I am committed to its founding principles of inclusion, diversity of perspectives, and collaboration throughout the Indo-Pacific.”

Carol Li

Program and Publications Manager

Ms. Carol Li recently joined us as Program and Publications Manager to support implementation of Pacific Forum’s programs and assist with the Forum’s growing in-house publication portfolio.

Carol was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and is a proud graduate of Roosevelt High School. She then went onto receive her BA in Civic Communications and Media from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

Prior to joining Pacific Forum, Ms. Li has taught English in mainland China, Hong Kong, and the Republic of Korea, and she interned at the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She is an alumnus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s MA in Asian International Affairs and Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution programs as well as the East-West Center’s Graduate Degree Fellowship program. During her fellowship, she led a team of interns and volunteers to organize semester long program entitled “Transformative Care: Creating Intertwined Futures Beyond the Pandemic.”

For her Master’s degree capstone, Ms. Li conducted research at the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and has published a report providing an overview of the People’s Republic of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Oceania.

Carol says, “I am truly honored to be able to engage in these important conversations and initiatives right here at home. Pacific Forum plays a key role in building bridges between people, institutions, and nations and I am excited to contribute to our efforts in fostering a more peaceful Indo-Pacific region.”

The Pacific Forum is recruiting a program manager to work in Honolulu to support its mission of stimulating dialogue and cooperation among government leaders and policy experts to craft policies that promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Minimum qualification requirements include a bachelor’s degree; proficiency with Microsoft Office and G Suite, virtual conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, WebEx), WordPress, Canva, Adobe software, and social media; and a willingness to travel (domestically and internationally).

Job Description:

The Program Manager provides support and assistance to Pacific Forum’s research activities and events (both in-person and virtual). The Program Manager performs clerical functions essential to Pacific Forum’s work and assists Directors in executing programs, projects, and proposals. This Program Manager position will primarily assist with execution of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) programming in fields such as health security, cybersecurity, climate security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, preventing and countering violent extremism, and maritime security, with a focus on the promotion of women’s participation in peace and security policy at international levels in dialogues, policies, and peace processes.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• A bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, regional studies, economics, gender and women’s studies, or a related field;
• Strong communication skills to include speaking, writing, and editing;
• Experience working at a non-profit research institute;
• An intellectual interest in the Indo-Pacific; particularly Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands;
• Demonstrated ability to work on numerous projects concurrently;
• Organizational and time management skills;
• A willingness to learn new software applications;
• The ability to produce results under deadline;
• Attention to detail;
• The ability to work as part of a team and adapt to changing requirements;
• Punctuality, professionalism, and a positive attitude.

Benefits include healthcare, paid vacation, and paid holidays.

Starting salary will depend on education and experience but is expected to range from $36,000 to $48,000.  Position/salary is evaluated annually based on performance and funding availability.

Interested candidates must submit the following items:

1. Letter of interest. The letter should explain why you are interested in applying for the position to include a brief description of your vocational goals.
2. Curriculum Vitae. The CV should reflect your educational background, work experience, and academic interests.
3. Contact information for two professional references.

Please send all application materials by August 10, 2022 to: [email protected]

This job posting is also viewable on Indeed.

For more information: https://www.isis.org.my/apr35/

Pacific Forum deeply mourns the passing of Adm. Ronald J. “Zap” Zlatoper, USN (Ret.), at age 80.

The Pacific Forum has lost a valued mentor and good friend. We are deeply shocked and saddened by the passing of Adm. Ronald J. “Zap” Zlatoper, USN (Ret.), at age 80 on April 21, 2022. Zap was a long-time member of the Pacific Forum’s Board of Governors and a regular at our Honolulu International Forum roundtables, where his penetrating questions and comments were always treasured.

Admiral Zlatoper entered the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) in 1959 and served as an aviator until his retirement in 1997 as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. His commands included Attack Squadron EIGHT FIVE (VA-85), Carrier Air Wing ONE (CVW-1), Carrier Air Wing FIFTEEN (CVW-15), and Carrier Group SEVEN (CARGRU 7). He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross and 11 Air Medals. He was aboard USS Forrestal (CVA-59) during her conflagration in 1967.

Admiral Zlatoper served our nation with extraordinary distinction in three major conflicts, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

He was first and foremost a warrior, flying over 150 combat missions during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. His 4,375 flight hours included 1,031 fixed wing and 10 helicopter carrier/ship recoveries, including over 300 night traps on carriers throughout his career.

Most notably, he served as Chief of Naval Personnel and Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet before retiring in 1997.

Admiral Zlatoper was the founder of Strategic Transitions Research. He served as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sanchez Computer Associates, Inc. He was active in numerous organizations in addition to the Pacific Forum. He served as a Trustee of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and served on the boards of Penn State University—Great Valley, the board of advisors of the School of Public Management of the George Washington University, the USS Missouri Memorial Foundation, and the Military Aviation Museum of the Pacific (now Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum). Other boards included the East-West Center, Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii—Military Affairs Council, Catholic Charities of Hawaii, and the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way. He became Trustee of the James Campbell Estate, and also served on the Dean’s Council of the University of Hawaii College of Engineering and was a regent for Chaminade University. He was also honorary consul of the Slovenia Consulate General in Hawai’i. Admiral Zlatoper will be sorely missed.

Memorial Service Information

A memorial Mass and remembrance was held at 2 p.m. HST today at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Chapel.

In lieu of flowers for the memorial, the Zlatoper family has requested guests make a charitable donation in honor of Admiral Zlatoper.