October 21, 2022

CNAS Elects Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. to Board of Directors

Washington, October 21, 2022—Today, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) announced the election of Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. to its Board of Directors.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jon Huntsman to the CNAS Board," said Michèle Flournoy, Chair of the CNAS Board of Directors. "He is an extraordinary public servant whose leadership, foreign policy expertise and commitment to bipartisanship make him uniquely qualified to help guide CNAS into the future. We are incredibly fortunate to have him on our team!"

Jon Huntsman currently serves as Vice Chair of Ford Motor Company. He has spent considerable time in public service at the state, national and international levels. Huntsman began his career in public service as a staff assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He has served each of the five U.S. presidents since then in critical roles around the world, including as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Ambassador to China, and most recently, U.S. Ambassador to Russia. Huntsman is the only American in history to have served as Chief of Mission in both China and Russia. In all four Senate confirmations, he received unanimous votes.

Twice elected governor of Utah, Huntsman brought about historic economic and tax reforms, tripled the state’s rainy-day fund, and helped bring unemployment rates to historic lows. While doing so, he was one of Utah’s most popular governors, reaching approval ratings as high as 90 percent. During his tenure, Utah was named the best managed state in America and ranked number one in the nation in job growth. Recognized by others for his service, Huntsman was elected Chair of the Western Governors Association, serving nineteen states throughout the region. He was a candidate for the Presidency in 2012 where he ultimately placed third in the New Hampshire primary before bowing out.

Huntsman's full biography is available here.