The past two decades have been devoted to national security and foreign policy causes, and I was part of a team which raised over $100 million for non-profit organizations. I took advantage of an early retirement program after serving 20 years as Executive Director of the American Security Council (ASC). The firm I have been working with "offers seed-stage venture capital and professional management support to high-tech, start-up companies." We take companies from start ups to stand outs, but the capital markets have been changing significantly. Venture capitalists have pumped billions into a variety of fledgling companies, and with the recent economic downturn as many as 80% of them might go out of business. Needless to say, I have been working hard in recent weeks. In addition, as part of the National Security Studies Program, I have been teaching one course a semester ("The United States in World Affairs"). I continue to be active in non-profit organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the World Affairs Council, and Best Buddies. These organizations have given me an opportunity to work closely with House and Senate lawmakers in both parties. I sincerely admire the dedicated men and women who are serving in the U.S. Congress, and I regret the intense partisanship on Capitol Hill. I do not expect the election to change this partisan climate. Most people in DC immediately ask about politics. I guess I am a moderate. I am conservative on economic and national security policy, but liberal on social issues. I am always interested in listening to both sides of a debate, and this may explain my attachment to C-SPAN. No party or individual has a monopoly on being correct all of the time. I believe if we listen better, we can all learn a great deal from each other. I have a real sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from my career. I have written five book length policy papers and I have produced and or directed seven TV documentaries. I have many fond memories of my old job, but it was hard work. I rarely had a free weekend, and working late at night was frequently expected. I do like this new phase of my life and I no longer work that hard. I am physically active, and in many ways I feel younger than when I was in my 30's. For the past three months I have been jogging/walking five miles/day. I believe experience and confidence make a huge difference in life. My best characteristics are listening and trying to see things from another persons point of view. We all know life is not a bowl of cherries, and the current downturn on Wall Street has really brought that home. A number of friends were employed by well known investment banking firms which have been in the news recently. I hope they know I am someone who can be relied on during the down periods. It is best to deal with things together and move on, knowing the next joy of life is right around the corner. As my photo gallery demonstrates, I have traveled extensively. I could have posted many additional photos because I have been all over the world for either pleasure or business. My favorite adventures have been peacekeeping operations in west Africa and an extensive trip through much of China. I lived in the Philippines for six months during the Marcos investigation, and I just returned from two weeks in Japan. I will never do it, but I have often thought of living in Asia.

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Name:
Gregory Hilton
Joined:
November 2008
I am:
Male and Single