The New Nuclear Arms Race and the Future of Presidential Power

WorldDenver is pleased to welcome Former U.S. Secretary of Defense, William J. Perry, and Director of Policy at Ploughshares Fund, Tom Z. Collina, to discuss their book "The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump" and how the outcome of the upcoming election will impact the future of our national security.

To order a copy of their book and receive 30% off, click here and use code BUTTON30.

WorldDenver Diplomats Council members have the opportunity to join Secretary Perry and Director Collina for an exclusive Q&A session following the webinar. The conversation will take place over Zoom from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on October 1. To register for this special opportunity, please contact WorldDenver with your RSVP and the link to access the Zoom Q&A will be sent to you directly. 

For information on how to join the WorldDenver Diplomats Council and receive access to exclusive opportunities like this one, please visit our membership page or contact Lauren Osga, Director of Development & Communications: Lauren@WorldDenver.org or 720-330-9287.

About Our Speakers

William J. Perry
Former Secretary of Defense

William J. Perry served as the U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in the Carter administration and then as Secretary of Defense in the Clinton administration. He oversaw the development of the strategic nuclear systems that are currently in our arsenal. His new offset strategy ushered in the age of stealth, smart weapons, GPS, and technologies that changed the face of modern warfare. In 2007, Dr. Perry collaborated with George Shultz, Sam Nunn, and Henry Kissinger to publish several ground-breaking editorials in the Wall Street Journal that linked the vision of a world free from nuclear weapons with urgent but practical steps that could be taken to reduce nuclear dangers. Perry’s 2015 memoir, My Journey at the Nuclear Brink, is a personal account of his lifelong effort to reduce nuclear dangers. He founded the William J. Perry Project to educate the public on these dangers. In 2020 Perry co-authored THE BUTTON: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump. He is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor (emeritus) at Stanford University. Perry is the father of five, grandfather of eight, and great-grandfather of four. He continues to travel the world in pursuit of his goal of reducing the threat from nuclear weapons.

Tom Z. Collina
Director of Policy, Ploughshares Fund

Tom Z. Collina is Director of Policy at Ploughshares Fund. He is the co-author with William J. Perry of THE BUTTON: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump, published in June 2020. Tom has thirty years of Washington, DC, experience in nuclear weapons, missile defense, and nonproliferation issues, and has held senior positions at the Arms Control Association, the Institute for Science and International Security, and the Union of Concerned Scientists. He has been directly involved with efforts to end U.S. nuclear testing, limit ineffective anti-missile programs, extend the Nonproliferation Treaty, and secure Senate ratification of the New START Treaty. He has published widely in major magazines and journals and has appeared frequently in the national media, including the New York Times, CNN, and NPR. He has testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and regularly briefs congressional staff. Tom has a degree in International Relations from Cornell University and lives in Takoma Park, MD with his wife, three children and dog. When away from the office he does not think about nuclear war.

Moderated By

Lisa Perry
Host of 'The Brink' Podcast