Episode Overview:In this insightful episode, we welcome back Marc Mealy for another deep dive into the Southeast Asian socio-political and economic landscape. As the first-ever guest on The Point and the Pushback, Marc set a high bar in Season One, Episode One, and now returns to update us on the evolving dynamics within the ASEAN region.Featured Guest: Mr. Marc MealyMarc Mealy, a seasoned expert on international trade and economic policy, especially within ASEAN countries, rejoins us to shed light on the pressing issues, interests, and concerns emerging from Southeast Asia. His expertise offers listeners a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and the significant developments in this pivotal region. With over two decades of experience, Marc has been at the forefront of U.S.-ASEAN economic relations, providing strategic insights and policy recommendations. He currently serves as the Chief Policy Officer and Senior Vice President of Research at the US-ASEAN Business Council, where he works closely with senior policymakers and business leaders from both the U.S. and ASEAN member states to enhance bilateral trade and investment relations.Join me in welcoming back to the show for Season 2, my friend and brother, Mr. Marc Mealy

In this episode, I am honored to have with me a man whose career is a tapestry of service, leadership, and global impact. He has spent over 30 years serving in places that rarely make the news but are important nonetheless.  Joining us this evening is Mr. James T. Ham, a name that resonates with so many here in Washington for his dedication and exemplary service in government.James has recently retired from the US government but is still providing servant leadership to many of the country’s youth.  His story is not just about the positions he's held, but about the lives he's touched, the policies he's shaped, and the global initiatives he's steered. As a retired senior executive leader from the U.S. Federal Service, James has been at the forefront of directing international volunteer programs in sectors ranging from public health to agriculture, education, and small enterprise development.His journey with the Peace Corps, spanning various African countries, and his significant roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have not only showcased his leadership skills but also his deep commitment to making a difference in the world. Today, he continues to inspire and guide through his work as a Servant Leadership Academy Instructor at the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership and as the founder of Koba Leadership, an Executive Leadership Coaching firm.James is someone who I have known and admired for a very long time, and he is someone that I thought you should get to know as well.  So sit back as we delve into James's professional origin story, explore his numerous successes, transitions, and even the failures that have shaped his extraordinary journey. We will also uncover where he is now and what future endeavors he's passionately pursuing.Welcome to my friend, Mr. James T. Ham.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a brand new season of 'The Point and the Pushback.' It's been a while since we last connected, and I'm thrilled to kick off season two with a mission that's both simple and profound – to introduce you to remarkable individuals whom I believe you should know. For our season premiere, I am honored to have a dear friend of mine for the past 20 years, hailing from the enchanting kingdom of Bhutan. Join me in extending a warm welcome to the extraordinary Ms. Thinley Choden!Thinley Choden is a social entrepreneur and consultant. As the CEO of Centre for Sustainability Studies, a consultancy knowledge firm that she co-founded, Thinley leads a portfolio of initiatives at the nexus of women, climate, youth, and entrepreneurship. She has cross-sectional strategic coalition and leadership building experiences across private and public sectors at local and international levels.She is also the founding curator of Global Shapers Thimphu Hub. Thinley serves as Bhutan country advisor for Give2Asia, a philanthropic giving platform based in the U.S. In 2008, she founded a successful nonprofit, READ Bhutan, and currently sits on the Board.Thinley is part of numerous globally competitive professional programs and fellowships such as a Draper Hills Fellow at Stanford University, the Acumen Fellowship Program, Obama Delegate Entrepreneur at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford, Vital Voices GROW and GAP Fellowship at Vital Voices Global Partnership, Leadership and Degree Fellow at the East-West Center, Asian Feminist Fellow at Ewha University, Seoul, SOCAP Fellow, and Cordes Fellow.She holds an executive certificate in Strategic Decisionmaking from Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, an MPA from University of Hawaii, Manoa, and a BA in Economics from Beloit College, Wisconsin. Thinley enjoys staying healthy and exploring. She tries to get in as much running, yoga, and outdoor adventures/hiking/trekking. At Brookings, Thinley’s research will focus on the status of climate literacy among Bhutanese girls and women to lead toward empowered agency and skills for climate change adaptation.Our conversation with Thinley is especially timely, considering that the UN climate conference (COP28) kicks off on November 30th in Dubai, UAE. Moreover, on December 4th, Thinley will be participating in an event at the Brookings Institution, hosted by the Center for Universal Education – a Research and Policy Symposium on Gender Equality in and through Education (https://www.brookings.edu/events/reshaping-narratives-toward-resilient-futures-research-and-policy-symposium-on-gender-equality-in-and-through-education/). Thinley Choden, alongside other Echidna Global Scholars, will lead the event with a plenary discussion, illuminating the lived experiences of girls and young women in the Global South.Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you my friend, Ms. Thinley Choden.

We will be back real soon with season #2. Stay tuned!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

Ladies and Gentlemen (Listeners both new and old):Season 2 of The Point and the Pushback is coming to you real soon!Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcast and STAY TUNED!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

Listeners,You've been missed but I want you to know that Season 2 of The Point and the Pushback will be back soon!  Please listen wherever you get your podcasts and do not forget to subscribe.  Stay tuned for Season 2 and a continuation of the journey through my database.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

It is week 15 and we are at the end of season one of The Point and the Pushback.  This week's show is a tribute to all of the talented musicians who contribute so much to the sound and character of the show.One of the goals that I had for the show was to do something very different for Washington DC.  I wanted the show to sound like nothing that I was hearing in the "Podcasphere" and I knew that music could help me offer something a little different and help me tell the stories of my guests each week.  So I searched for music that was legal to use and I worked it into the background for every opening of the show.  These hard working artists and musicians deserve to be highlighted so this week I want to bring those musicians to the foreground and highlight their work.In order of appearance on this week's show:1)  What's Going On -- by: White Bones2)  Ship -- by: Hara Noda3)  A Nostalgic Breeze -- by: William Benckert, Johan Tengholm, Jonas Backman4)  Woke Up With The Sun -- by: William Bencker, Johan Tengholm, Jonas Backman5)  Brighter Than The Stars -- by: Collin Lim6)  Pedestrians -- by: Duke Herrington7)  I'm Gonna Stay -- by: Addie Horner8)  Leblon -- by: Vendla9)  Botafoga -- by: Vendla10) The Lustful Ones -- by: Chalalatas11) Miss User -- by: Daniel Fridell, Sven Lindrell12) Lacklustre Foray -- by: Ritchie Everett13) Gimme Something (Instrumental) -- by: Spring Gang14) Centaur Decimiter -- by: Sven Lidell, Daniel Fridell15) Everything (Instrumental) -- by: Tilden Park Deep appreciation to all of the guests and to all the musical talent. Special thanks to my wife and kids for allowing me the time to produce the show and to the listeners for tuning in each week.  Signing Off Until Season Two!!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

On this week’s show we explore the professional journey of one of the many people living and working in Washington as foreign professionals. We hear about the professional journey and experiences of my guest who was born in Malaysia, educated in the United Kingdom and the United States, but has worked her way up the career ladder here in Washington DC.A refreshingly diverse and different perspective on the issues of the day and another important look into professional life here in Washington DC.It is a pleasure to welcome my profile of the week and friend Ms Elina Noor, Director of Political-Security Affairs and Deputy Director of the Washington DC Office of the Asia Society.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

This week we travel to Brooklyn to meet my profile of the week, Ms. Nicole M. Lazarre.  She is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for the Urban Resources Institute, the largest domestic violence shelter provider in the United States.Prior to her role at the Urban Resources Institute she served as General Counsel to the National Urban League, one of the legacy civil rights organizations here in the United States.She is always working to make the world a better place and this week we follow her work starting in Houston, Texas working on the front lines for the Houston local Democratic Party.  We follow her to Washington DC and Georgetown Law School and eventually back to the hustle and bustle of New York City law and finance.  We then find her working on the frontlines of the modern civil, women, and human rights movement in her later career.Please help me welcome to this week's show, my good friend and profile of the week -- Ms. Nicole M. Lazarre.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

In fiscal year 2019, the US government awarded over $590 billion in federal contracts.  The federal government and all of its many departments and agencies have robust procurement programs used to purchase everything from paper plates to stealth planes, from simple screws to space satellites.  There are many "heavy hitters" who get awarded these lucrative contracts every year but there are also a number of small businesses, "Mom&Pop" shops, women & minority owned businesses who are awarded federal contracts every year.However, if you are new to this space and interested in learning more we strongly suggest seeking out an experienced hand to guide you through the contracts and procurement process.  It is not an easy process to navigate at all.My profile of the week, is one of those experienced hands we would recommend.  She is the founder and principal at Schaus Associates, a government contracts and procurement consultancy.  She is also one of Washington's "great connectors," by that I mean she knows a lot of people and works to actively connect good people who are doing good things.  My kind of person...  Please welcome to this week's show my friend and profile of the week -- Ms. Jennifer Schaus.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

Welcome to Episode 11, “The Producer’s Cut,” a look back at 10 weeks of The Point and the Pushback. We rewind and revisit some of the favorite cuts selected by the producer and host of the show. The “Producer’s Cut” is also a way to say thank you to all of the previous guests and thank you to the committed listeners. It is also a way to allow new listeners to sample the show and encourage them to join us. Let’s hit rewind and hear some choice cuts from the show. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

On this week's show we are joined by my profile of the week, Ms. Jenny Town. Jenny is a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center and the Director of Stimson’s 38 North Program. Her expertise is in North Korea, US-DPRK relations, US-ROK alliance and Northeast Asia regional security.Ms. Town is also an expert reviewer for Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index, where she previously worked on the Human Rights in North Korea Project; an Associate Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), a Member of the National Committee on North Korea, and an Associate Member of the Council of Korean Americans. She serves on the Editorial Board for Inkstick, an online foreign policy journal for emerging scholars.Ms. Town (Jenny) is a friend of the host and also his "go to" on all things North Korea, and a long time Washington "Korea hand" who takes us on a journey from a small town in rural Minnesota to small town Iowa, to Seoul, to graduate school in New York, and eventually to Washington DC.  In this episode, Jenny offers us an inside look at her determination and hustle to succeed here in Washington DC.Please tune in to learn more about The Point and the Pushback's profile of the week -- Ms. Jenny Town. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

This week we are joined by my Profile of the Week, Ms. Tonija Hope Navas, Director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University.  Tonija brings over 20 years of professional and lived experiences in international exchange, international education, and programs management.In Episode 9, her professional and life experiences shine bright throughout our discussion about her career journey, which included living and working in Latin America and time working in the restaurant business for the "chef saving the world" and Founder of World Central Kitchen, Mr. Jose Andres.First, Tonija takes us to St. Paul Minnesota where she attended undergraduate school at Macalester College, she then takes us to South Africa and discusses what it was like helping a professor bridge the cultural divides in the classroom during a challenging time in South African history just after the end of the Apartheid Era.Tonija provides us with insight into her thinking about attending George Washington University and her decision to get a master's degree in Tourism Administration with a focus on International Education.The discussion turns to the importance of foreign language, the importance of increasing the numbers of African-Americans who study abroad, and she also provides the listeners with an excellent assessment of the issues and challenges facing the Afro-descendant populations in Latin America.As the Director of the Ralph Bunche International Affairs Center, she administers four programs that are designed to deal directly with the underrepresentation of people of color in the foreign service and development space.  She speaks about those programs and the goals and the future of all four of them: 1) Charles B. Rangel; 2) Thomas R. Pickering; 3) Donald M. Payne Fellowship; and, 4) APHIS Foreign Service Agriculture Fellowship Program.Please listen to Episode 9 of the Point and the Pushback and hear another fascinating professional and life story of one of our guests.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

In this episode we continue our narrative journey through the trials and tribulations of Black citizens seeking to exercise their full political and civil rights as citizens in the United States of America.  In this episode we journey from darkness into the light and witness the growing political participation and power of Black Americans.  We open the episode with darkness and faint hope about the condition and future of Black America.  We hear deep laments from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Baldwin as they reflect on the elections of 1964 and 1968, which harkens back to the conditions that we explored in episode 6 of The Point and the Pushback: A Profile in Courage.  If you have not listened to episode 6 about Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, I highly recommend that you listen to that episode too, it will allow you to appreciate the narrative arc (from darkness to light) presented in this episode.Episode 8 reaches back to the historic election of 1972, that witnessed the first African-American to ever run for the highest office in the land (also a woman), her name is Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.  We listen to her historic declaration speech of her candidacy in 1972.  We then move forward by four years and find ourselves at the 1976 Democratic Convention listening to the keynote address given by Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, the first African-America (also a woman) to give the keynote address at a major American party convention.  Then we travel to Philadelphia for a powerful and legendary speech given by Rev. Jessie Jackson as he campaigned for the Democratic Party nomination in 1984.  We listen to his famous lesson on strategy, "rocks just laying around," as he would say.  Of course, no political narrative arc for Black America (and America) about political darkness to light can be complete without going to Chicago's Grant Park on the evening of November 4 2008 to listen to President-Elect Obama give his acceptance speech.  That is one HELL of a narrative arc!!!  Thank you for listening and traveling with me on this two episode Black History political narrative arc.  Happy Black History Month everyone!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

Joining me on this week’s show is Mr. Kenneth Goodwin Jr., Managing Partner and Founder of Jeanensis Capital Management. In this episode Ken takes the listeners on a fascinating journey through the highlights of his career taking us down to the floor of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, around Japan, and then along for the ride on Wall Street.He is an early adopter of the cryptocurrency revolution, fintech, and blockchain technologies. Ken explains how he believes these technologies will transform the market place and offers his thoughts on how these technologies could level the playing field for black farmers, help HBCUs, and empower consumers. The Point and Pushback is happy to introduce and welcome our Profile of the Week, Mr. Kenneth Goodwin, Jr.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

In honor of Black History Month we travel back to rural Mississippi to meet a force of nature and an immovable advocate for voting rights and justice. My “Profile in Courage” and my “Profile of the Week” is Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer.She began life in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta but brutal and tragic events would eventually take her to the 1964 Democratic National Convention held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. As a co-founder and vice-chairperson of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) she challenged the Mississippi State Democratic Party and the National Democratic Party to recognize the MFDP as the legitimate representatives of Mississippi at the 1964 National Convention. In this episode we focus on her testimony at the 1964 Convention. Her testimony that day shocked and gripped America and shook a President of the United States. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

This week we meet Mr. Paul Kavinoki, Senior Advisor at Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings, LLP in Birmingham, Alabama. Paul walks us through his career journey here in Washington and discusses his decision to leave Washington for Birmingham. He takes us on a tour of his new home city and tells us what it is like to be a “two-cities” powerbroker at this stage of his career. We also dive into the theme of “unity” in American politics and talk about the future of the Republican Party and reflect on race in modern Birmingham.Join me as we welcome to The Point and the Pushback my “Profile of the Week” Mr. Paul “Paully” Kavinoki.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

My profile of the week and guest this week is Ms. Maia Hunt Estes, who recently served as Chief of Staff for Congressman Anthony Brown (Maryland - 4th District), and as his Chief of Staff when he was the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. She is now at Invariant government relations firm in Washington DC.Please join me as I discuss the career and life journey of Ms. Maia Hunt Estes.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

This week we leave Washington DC behind and head out to Los Angeles for a conversation about technology, Japan, and gaming — and saying NO to life in Washington! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support

This week we talk to Mr. Eric Ham, co-creator and executive producer of the digital TV show The Political Junkies.TV. about his professional journey in Washington DC. In addition to being the profile of the week, Eric also offers his views on a few of the major issues of the past week. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dewardric-mcneal/support