Clark Adams
November 11, 2024
Topic: Defense Diplomacy in Central Asia
Clark Adams served as the Director for Central Asian Affairs in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from January 2007 until his retirement in February 2024. He and his team were responsible for the management of US defense relations with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In spring 2008, he was temporarily detailed to the National Security Council to serve as the Director for Central Asian Affairs, where he was responsible for all matters related to US relations with the five Central Asian states.
Previously, Mr. Adams held the position of Director for US Capabilities Development for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations, where his portfolio included implementing the US Department of Defense (DoD) Directive on “Military Support to Security, Stabilization, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations” and providing Defense Department support to the 2005 national security presidential directive on irregular warfare and counterinsurgency. Mr. Adams also held the position of Deputy Director in the DoD Nonproliferation Policy office. In this role, he was the Office of the Secretary of Defense Representative to the Missile Technology Control Regime, Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the Australia Group on Chemical & Biological Weapons and worked on regional issues such as North Korean missile proliferation, Chinese nonproliferation controls, and strategic cooperation with India.
His earlier government experience includes security assistance and foreign military sales, weapon systems export policies, international defense cooperation and intelligence. He also was a research assistant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Mr. Adams has an MS in National Security Strategy from the National War College, an MA in International Relations from The Pennsylvania State University, and a BA in Economics and Political Science also from Pennsylvania State University.