Table of Contents ABOUT THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON GERMANY The Council and Its Mission ..............................................................................................Page 1 A Message from the Chairman and the Acting President .................................................Page 2 POLICY PROGRAMS 2014 Calendar of Events ...................................................................................................Page 4 Policy Conferences ........................................................................................................Page 7 Eric M. Warburg Chapters .................................................................................................Page 8 Study Tours .....................................................................................................................Page 17 PROGRAMS FOR THE SUCCESSOR GENERATION American-German Young Leaders Conference ...............................................................Page 19 Fellowships .....................................................................................................................Page 22 IN FOCUS: MARKING THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL The ACG Marks the 25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Wall ..........................................Page 24 Publications .....................................................................................................................Page 25 PARTNERS IN PROMOTING TRANSATLANTIC COOPERATION John J. McCloy Awards Dinner ........................................................................................Page 26 Corporate Membership Program ....................................................................................Page 28 Co-Sponsors and Collaborating Organizations ................................................................Page 29 Roster of Individual Members .........................................................................................Page 30 Foundation and Individual Support ................................................................................Page 32 Officers, Directors, and Staff ...........................................................................................Page 33 The Council and Its Mission A session of the American-German Young Leaders Conference The American Council on Germany (ACG) is • convening regular policy discussions in New York an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit City, Washington, D.C., and at its 19 Eric M. Warburg Chapters throughout the United States to inform organization that promotes dialogue among individuals about German and European affairs as well leaders from business, government, and the as global challenges that Europe and the United States media in the United States and Europe. The are facing; ACG strengthens transatlantic understanding • identifying leaders from the successor generation on and coordinates policy initiatives on key both sides of the Atlantic to engage in American- issues in the post-September 11th world. German Young Leaders Conferences ; • organizing high-level policy conferences and Study The ACG was incorporated in 1952 in New York to Tours in Europe and the United States on important encourage reconciliation and understanding following political and economic issues; the two disastrous wars in the first half of the 20th century. Among its early leaders were John J. and Ellen • awarding fellowships to American and German mid- McCloy, General Lucius D. Clay, Christopher Emmet, career professionals from various fields, including Joseph Kaskell, George N. Shuster, and Eric M. Warburg. agriculture, journalism, and urban affairs, along with Because of their vision of transatlantic cooperation, the academia and entrepreneurship, to enable them to Council has served as a key bridge between Germany and conduct research and collaborate with their the United States for more than 60 years. In the 21st professional counterparts; and century, transatlantic cooperation on a range of global economic, political, and social issues is more important • distributing Occasional Papers on a range of issues than ever. As the European Union continues to evolve, affecting the transatlantic relationship to more than the ACG provides Americans with a better understanding 1,000 individuals and other timely news content to of Europe as a whole. members. Through its range of programs and outreach activities, the American Council on Germany anticipates emerging challenges for the transatlantic relationship and encourages innovative approaches to problem solving. The ACG supports the open exchange of views and builds personal networks among leaders on both sides of the Atlantic by: 1 A Message from the Chairman and the Acting President The year 2014 was a time of intensity in the German-American relationship and at the American Council on Germany. The worsening crisis in Ukraine put Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel at the center of the world stage. Efforts on both sides of the Atlantic were directed toward finding a solution without creating a rift between the United States and Europe. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations continued, but hopes to hammer out a deal on a “single tank of gas” (as Vice President Joe Biden advocated) appeared to be fleeting. The landscape of energy issues saw dramatic changes, as falling oil prices gave consumers relief at the pump while fueling volatility in the global economic Ambassador Robert M. Kimmitt William R. Harman outlook. The transatlantic relationship Chairman Acting President was also still feeling the reverberations from the NSA revelations. By year’s end, the ACG had held 30 discussion programs in New York City alone, along with more than 120 events at its 19 Eric M. Warburg Chapters around the country, including speakers on German-Russian-Ukrainian relations. We brought together 47 up-and-coming professionals for our prestigious American-German Young Leaders Conference. We also gave 25 fellows the opportunity to travel overseas to expand their horizons and network with their transatlantic counterparts. Through our Study Tours, we brought together 29 American professionals with policymakers and opinion leaders in Berlin. We also held a special series of events marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Behind these statistics stand quality speakers. Our calendar of policy discussions included such distinguished figures as Ambassador Harald Braun, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations; Ambassador John B. Emerson, U.S. Ambassador to Germany; and Oscar-winning filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff. German Consul General in New York Brita Wagener and Ambassador Paula Dobriansky participated in our Transatlantic Global Agenda lecture series. The theme of our American-German Young Leaders Conference asked a sobering question: “Unconscious 2 Uncoupling: Are the U.S. and Europe possible by a generous grant from the and German Defense Minister Ursula Still in a Relationship?” As delegates met Robert Bosch Foundation to honor ACG von der Leyen by Jim Hoagland of The – often until the wee hours – to discuss Board Member Dr. Henry A. Kissinger Washington Post , providing guests with a the nuances of the complex relationship, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. The world tour of pressing issues. one expert on bilateral ties quipped that Kissinger Speakers included former “Germany and the United States still European Parliament President Hans- 2014 was also a time of transition for the have a relationship, but the U.S. is Gert Pöttering (1973 Young Leader); ACG. On October 31, ACG President sleeping on the couch.” Still, delegates former Members of the Bundestag Hans- William M. Drozdiak stepped down worked hard to build bridges – and Ulrich Klose (SPD) and Ruprecht Polenz after almost 10 years of service to lasting relationships – during their week (CDU); Thomas Bagger, Head of Policy relocate to Washington, D.C. While a in Berlin. One alumna wrote afterward Planning at the German Federal Foreign presidential search was conducted, ACG that the experience “will forever shape Office; and Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger Treasurer and Board Member William my interest, understanding, and (1985 ACG fellow), Foreign Editor at the R. Harman stepped in as the Council’s commitment to German-American Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . Acting President. relations.” We also brought Young Leader alumni together throughout the year for Our Study Tours gave two groups of With 2015 upon us, the new ACG various events. American experts an in-depth look at President will soon announce the immigration and climate/energy issues, Council’s priorities for the coming year. Our policy conferences in 2014 looked at respectively. Study Tour delegates met As this annual report went to print, the current state of transatlantic relations with senior officials in the Federal transatlantic allies were working hard to and the cutting edge of technology. Our Chancellery, the Ministry of Foreign prevent Ukraine from sinking into even annual joint conference with the Affairs, and the Ministry for Economic deeper chaos; wrestling with how to cope Atlantik-Brücke took the more optimistic Affairs and Energy, and they had with the terrorism of ISIS; and assessing tack of “Restoring Trust: The Future of breakfast briefings with Members of the next steps en route to a TTIP agreement. the Transatlantic Partnership.” Sen. Bundestag from the CDU, the SPD, and We at the ACG will endeavor to do our Christopher M. Murphy (D- the Greens. The American participants