Foundation chairman presents at final ARNSF meeting of 2024

The CGSC Foundation Chairman, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Chris Hughes, made the final presentation of the year to the members of the Arter-Rowland National Security Forum on Dec. 5, 2024, at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott in Kansas City.

(Top photo and above) CGSC Foundation Chairman Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Christopher P. Hughes addresses members and guests of the Arter-Rowland National Security Forum luncheon event on Dec. 5 2024, at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott in Kansas City.

ARNSF program leader Bob Ulin welcomed the ARNSF members and their guests. After lunch, he introduced the keynote speaker CGSC Foundation Chairman Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Christopher P. Hughes

During his remarks Hughes told his personal story of struggling in school at every level until he met Marv Nichols, a U.S. Army Command and General Staff College instructor, who recognized the signs of his condition and encouraged him to get checked out. He followed Nichols’ advice and soon learned he had dyslexia. He told the story, not to bring attention to himself, but to highlight Nichols as an example of the deep quality and expertise of CGSC faculty. Hughes spoke about this kind of quality faculty as a way to impress upon those in the audience who never attended CGSC, that the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College is one of the most prestigious institutions in the nation. He also spoke about CGSC as the place where the students are taught how to think, not what to think, using an example from his own personal experience in combat in Iraq. He asked those in the audience to help the Foundation provide quality programs to support the development of the Soldiers, families and faculty of the College, explaining how they, as members of the ARNSF help make a difference.

After the presentation and a question and answer period, CGSC Foundation President/CEO Lora Morgan addressed the group wishing them a happy holiday season. Bob Ulin, the Foundation’s ARNSF leader, also spoke briefly, thanking the members of the forum for their contributions and about developing the schedule for the Forum in 2025.

The CGSC Foundation would like to thank the 2024 sponsors of the ARNSF – Bank of Prairie Village and Soft Warfare.

For more photos see the CGSC Foundation Flickr album

Maj. Gen. Christoper P. Hughes, U.S. Army, Ret., was elected as chair of the CGSC Foundation Board of Trustees on Oct. 11, 2023.

Among many other duties he had over a 35-year Army career, Hughes notably served as deputy commandant of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College from Oct. 2013 to June 2015. In that role he was the co-founder and first provost of Army University.

Hughes last assignment before retirement was as commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox from May 2016-May 2018. He retired from the Army in July 2018. After his military retirement, Hughes served as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Iowa (West) from 2018-2020. He also founded his own business – Northwest Consulting-M&C, LLC – in 2018, and more recently “The Way Forward: Executive Coaching” in 2023.

Hughes has master’s degrees in business management and national security strategies and is the author of War on Two Fronts: An Infantry Commander’s War in Iraq and the Pentagon. He is also a 2008 recipient of the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award for Excellence in U.S. Army History Writing. He is currently a doctoral student pursuing an interdisciplinary leadership degree at Creighton University.

Hughes and his wife Marguerite reside in Red Oak, Iowa and have three children and six grandchildren.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum (ARNSF) is led by the CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center and is an exclusive professional information sharing and networking forum for those interested in keeping abreast of relevant information about national security issues.

Members of the Forum and their guests meet periodically at guest speaker events in downtown Kansas City. National and regional guest speakers representing all elements of national power (Diplomatic, Informational, Military and Economic) highlight the meetings. The Forum is nonpartisan, but elected government officials may present from time to time.

The Forum is named after Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Arter, Founding Chairman of the CGSC Foundation, and Mr. Landon Rowland, the Foundation’s first major donor who was well-known in Kansas City for his keen interest in national security issues and his leadership in business and philanthropy.

ARNSF events are only open to ARNSF members and their guests. If you are not a member but are interested in joining, contact Bob Ulin at rulin@cgscf.org or visit the Forum page on the Simons Center website for more information.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum is an exclusive professional information sharing
and networking forum exclusively for select invitees of the CGSC Foundation and its Simons Center.