Suzanne Spaulding: Kingfisher on WMD, Family Life, and the Hokey Pokey with the KBG

Season 8, Episode 3 | In this episode, we’re joined by the remarkable Suzanne Spaulding, a Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she founded the Defending Democratic Institutions Project. With a career that spans critical roles across the intelligence and national security landscape—including Legal Advisor at the CIA’s Nonproliferation Center, Chief Counsel to both the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, Executive Director of major Congressional Commissions, and member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission—Suzanne brings a wealth of insight, wit, and candid reflection.She shares stories from a life spent at the intersection of law, policy, and global security, including unforgettable moments like meeting Gaddafi, leading bipartisan efforts in Congress, and, yes, doing the hokey pokey and singing kumbaya with the KGB. Importantly, we talk about the next generation—how efforts like Girl Security are helping to inspire and prepare young women to lead in national security and public service. It’s a conversation that’s as thought-provoking as it is delightfully unexpected.Tune in for an episode filled with wisdom, stories, and a few good laughs.