12th Annual Sedona Forum to be held May 2-3 in Arizona with the theme “Wielding America’s Preeminent Power”
Register for the livestream HERE
SEDONA, Arizona (April 30, 2025) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) today released the speaker lineup and full agenda for the 2025 Sedona Forum taking place May 2 – 3 in Sedona, Arizona. View the agenda HERE.
“The McCain Institute is honored to host a prestigious group of visionary leaders, educators, journalists, and policymakers for a meaningful dialogue on today’s most urgent global challenges,” said McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas.“We are proud to uphold Senator John McCain’s enduring legacy of putting country before party by continuing the impactful event he began 12 years ago.”
Journalists from top news outlets, including the Sedona Forum’s exclusive media partner The Washington Post, will serve as moderators for the panel discussions, including The Wall Street Journal’s Eliza Collins, Gray TV’s Jon Decker, CBS News’ Major Garrett, The Atlantic’s Shane Harris, NBC News’ Courtney Kube and Kelly O’Donnell, The Washington Post’s Josh Rogin, Financial Times’ Demetri Sevastopulo, and The Washington Post’s Ishaan Tharoor.
View the full list of speakers HERE and below.
David Axelrod, Chief Political Analyst, CNN & Professor of Practice, ASU
Michael Bidwill, Principal Owner, Arizona Cardinals
Roger D. Carstens, John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Distinguished Senior Fellow, McCain Institute
Eliza Collins, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.-06)
Dr. Michael Crow, President, ASU
Rick Davis, Partner, Stonecourt Capital & Chairman, Board of Trustees, McCain Institute
Jon Decker, White House Correspondent & Senior National Editor, Gray TV & McCain Institute Media Fellow
Doug Ducey, 23rd Governor of Arizona & Chief Executive Officer, Citizens for Free Enterprise
Liz Economy, Hargrove Senior Fellow and Co-Chair of the Program on the U.S., China, and the World, The Hoover Institution at Stanford University
Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute
Major Garrett, Chief Washington Correspondent, CBS
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.)
Rep. Craig Goldman (R-TX-12)
Sue Gordon, Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence
Lev Gonick, Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Technology, ASU
Jeff Guldner, Former Chairman & CEO, Pinnacle West Capital Corp
Shane Harris, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Katie Hobbs, Governor, Arizona
Scott Jablow, Mayor, City of Sedona
Chris Johnson, President & CEO, China Strategies Group
Anaïse Kanimba, Human Rights Defender, World Liberty Congress
Vladimir Kara-Murza, Vice President, Free Russia Foundation
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Courtney Kube, Correspondent, NBC News
Alsu Kurmasheva, Journalist, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir Service
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
Ana Corina Sosa Machado, Chief of Staff to the President, Celonis
Maria Corina Machado, Former Deputy of the National Assembly, Venezuela
Roya Mahboob, CEO, Afghan Citadel Software Company
Elisa Massimino, Executive Director, Human Rights Institute, Georgetown University Law Center
Jack McCain, CEO, Blue Sky
Jimmy McCain, Director of Government Affairs, Hensley Beverage Company
Gen. Frank McKenzie, Executive Director, Global & National Security Institute, University of South Florida
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06)
Kelly O’Donnell, Senior White House Correspondent, NBC News
Adm. Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
Amb. David Pressman, Former United States Ambassador to Hungary
Sec. Gina Raimondo, Former Secretary of Commerce, Former Governor of Rhode Island & Distinguished Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Josh Rogin, Lead Global Security Analyst, Washington Post Intelligence
Demetri Sevastopulo, U.S.-China Correspondent, Financial Times
Andrew Shearer, Director-General of National Intelligence, Office of National Intelligence, Australia
Amb. Josette Sheeran, Founder & CEO, Firefly Global Group
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Former United States Senator
Ishaan Tharoor, Foreign Affairs Columnist, The Washington Post
Frances Fragos Townsend, Former Counterterrorism & Homeland Security Advisor
Elbegdorj Tsakhia, Former President & Prime Minister, Mongolia
Ryan Tseng, Co-Founder, Shield AI
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader, Republic of Belarus
Dr. Dan Twining, President, International Republican Institute
Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, CEO, Knight Foundation
Damon Wilson, President & CEO, National Endowment for Democracy
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
*Speakers and panels are subject to change*
Inspired by the McCain family, the Sedona Forum is held each spring to advance the mission of the McCain Institute – fighting for democracy, human dignity, and security. As the McCain Institute’s signature annual event, the forum provides a unique opportunity for U.S. and world leaders to have informal, face-to-face discussions about real solutions to the problems facing our world today. This year’s theme, “Wielding America’s Preeminent Power,” will share insights and offer bold ideas on how to harness American exceptionalism in an era of great power competition
Panels will be available to watch via livestream. To learn more about the event and register for the livestream, visit TheSedonaForum.org.
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About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs defend democracy, advance human rights and freedom, and empower character-driven leaders. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.