Ambassador Brown’s 36 – year diplomatic career included assignments in Hong Kong, Taiwan(twice), Singapore, Borneo, Russia (twice), India, Israel(three times, including service as Ambassador 1989-1992 and 1993-1994) and Thailand where her served as Ambassador 1985-1988. In 1996 her served briefly as Special Envoy for Burma (Mynmar).

Since, retirement from government,  Ambassador Brown has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute For the Advancement of Peace, member of the Board of the American Institute in Taiwan (which conducts our relations with the people of Taiwan), and member of a bank board.

Ambassador Brown has lectured widely and has been a TV and radio commentator on Southeast Asian, Middle East, and US-China-Taiwan affairs.

Richard W. Lewis is the Executive Director of the Council, effective September 1st, 2000; Richard comes to the Council from a career in the international oil and gas industry.

At Chevron Corporation, in the early 1980's, he initiated the Corporate International Public Affairs function to coordinate the activities of the upstream, downstream and maritime business units in more than 100 countries. Subsequently, he held the international portfolio in the Washington, DC office, before establishing a regional public and government affairs operation, in London, with responsibilities for Europe, Africa and the Mid East. Latterly, he has run the Washington, DC office of Caltex Petroleum Incorporated. 

Prior to entering the oil industry, Richard served for several years in academia as Staff Associate to the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education in Berkeley, California and later as Assistant Vice President for Planning at the University of Southern California. 

Richard Lewis read law at Oxford University, obtained his Master's Degree at the University of Notre Dame, and concluded his studies at the University of Virginia. In 1971-1972, he conducted his Ph.D. dissertation research in North India.