Major General Suzanne P. Vares-Lum, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Ms. Suzanne (Suzy) Puanani Vares-Lum, a Native Hawaiian, born and raised in Wahiawa, Hawaii, was selected as the next President of the East-West Center. She is the first woman, Native Hawaiian, and University of Hawaii graduate, and Hawaii resident to be chosen for this role since the center was established by Congress in 1960. Beginning January 1, 2022, Ms. Vares-Lum succeeded Dr. Richard R. Vuylsteke who served as the President for the past 5 years.
Vares-Lum brings influential executive leadership and planning experience spanning the past several decades, culminating in the past five years serving with and advising the most senior officials at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, where she cultivated and maintained key relationships among nations within the Asia Pacific Region.
As a retired Major General, who served 34 years in the service, Vares-Lum has held key roles in addressing priority national security challenges in the region. She is an influential executive with leadership and planning experience spanning the past several decades, culminating in the past five years serving with and advising the most senior officials at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which is the largest and oldest U.S. Combatant Command, spans 52% of the earth’s surface, and encompasses over 377K military personnel. She held key roles in addressing priority national security challenges in the region, including those related to the People’s Republic of China, Russia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and violent extremist organizations, as well as natural disasters. She possesses comprehensive knowledge of Indo-Pacific posture, policies, relationships, emerging trends/threats, and long-term objectives in order to support ongoing operations and ultimately foster peace, equity, and cooperation throughout the region. Most recently, she led collaboration efforts in a range of Pacific Homeland (Hawaii, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands) initiatives. She cultivated and maintained key relationships among 36 nations within the Indo-Pacific region, engaging with senior leaders in the Department of Defense, local government, local communities, and Members of Congress.
Post retirement, she formed Vares-Lum Indo-Pacific Consulting, LLC to provide consulting and advising on Indo-Asia-Pacific issues. She is a seasoned keynote speaker and advocate on regional issues; leadership and mentorship; and Women, Peace and Security. She led collaborative initiatives in the Pacific, including Hawaii, Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
As a community leader, Ms. Vares-Lum serves on a variety of non-profit boards, including the American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region. She has also served on committees that promote Hawaii’s economic diversification, workforce development, and community dialogues on issues regarding land and water. She has also served as a Strategic Advisor to the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism in 1989 and her Master of Education in Teaching from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1996. As a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, she earned a Master of Strategic Studies degree in 2011. In 2019, she became a National Security Fellow of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She is also an alumni of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies.
In 2017, she was a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Additionally, the State of Hawaii House of Representatives and the Governor of the State of Hawaii, and the Hawaii Congressional Delegation presented Ms. Vares-Lum with certificates of recognition for outstanding service to the State of Hawaii in 2021.