On Thursday, July 20, the Detroit Council for World Affairs of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies and DTE Energy Foundation will welcome Sheila Ronis, Department of Defense consultant and president of the strategic management think tank, the University Group, Inc. Ronis will speak on “Energy Policy and National Security: What the Automotive Industry Needs to Know” at 6:00 p.m. in Wayne State University’s Welcome Center auditorium.

“Nowhere is the disintegration of American industry felt more strongly than here in Detroit,” said Fred Pearson of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. “The erosion of the U.S. industrial base has wide implications for national security and the future of this country. With her impressive history working for many organizations including General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and the United States Departments of Defense and Energy, Ronis should have great knowledge about current U.S. security and energy policy and why the two are connected, as well as advice for a healthy plan for the automotive industry’s future.”

Ronis, who is also director of the MBA/MSM Program at Walsh College, frequently participates in programs with the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. In June 2005, she chaired the Army’s Eisenhower National Security Series Conference at ICAF, “The State of the U.S. Industrial Base: National Security Implications in a World of Globalization.” She has previously taught at the University of Detroit Mercy and Oakland University.

With over 160 published papers to date, Dr. Ronis has presented some of her works for audiences including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense. Her paper “National Security and the Theories of Dr. Deming” was distributed throughout the Pentagon as an example of applying strategic systems thinking to matters of national security. In the decade that she’s worked in the national security community, her expertise has been utilized throughout the highest levels of government. She has worked with the U.S. Army War College in Carlysle, PA; the Hart-Rudman Commission on the U.S. National Security for the 21st Century; and the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (now the Department of Energy).

This presentation is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and may be confirmed by calling (313) 577-8270.

The Detroit Council for World Affairs promotes understanding of international issues and Detroit’s role in a changing world through non-partisan, nation-wide discussion, analysis and debate. DCWA seeks to provide a forum for the exchange of different cultural perspectives and ideas, thereby enriching education, spurring long-term economic development and encouraging a future of successful global integration for Detroit and its citizens.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.