This week the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies bid aloha to retired Rear Admiral Pete Gumataotao after six years as the Center’s director.

A native of Guam, he joined the Center in 2018 after 37 years of active duty service, including eight years as a U.S. Navy flag officer, when he held three command positions: Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea; Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11 (Nimitz Strike Group); and Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic. Other Flag Officer assignments: assistant deputy chief of Naval Operation for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5B) and deputy chief of staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, Supreme Allied Command Transformation.

“As my tenure as the Director of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies comes to an end, I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support throughout the years,” said Gumataotao in a recent message to the Center’s alumni and staff.

“My respect for the security professionals in this region has grown immensely. Working together with mutual respect and inclusion and striving to do our best, no doubt many of you achieved significant milestones that have made the region more secure, stable, and prosperous. Through the years, DKI APCSS has turned out over 15,000 alumni, adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded the use of online courses, alumni reunions, and webinars. This led to the development of the Security Nexus program, an online journal featuring interviews and the writings of our faculty and alumni.

He concluded by saying, “I have witnessed remarkable growth in professional and personal ties among national security establishments throughout the region. None of these achievements would have been possible without your invaluable support, dedication, and collaboration.”

Deputy Director Russell Bailey will serve as acting director of the Center until a new director is formally announced.

Before this appointment, Mr. Bailey’s distinguished career as a civil servant included positions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Policy. He has served as the Principal Director for Homeland Defense Integration and Defense Support of Civil Authorities, the Principal Director for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia, the Director for Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Antarctica, and a Senior Policy Analyst in the Secretariat for Special Operations. A retired U.S. Army officer with nearly three decades of service, his military assignments included roles as an Armor and Cavalry officer in Germany and at Fort Bragg, NC (now Fort Liberty), as a Southeast Asia Foreign Area Officer, and as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dr. Lori Forman, currently the DKI APCSS Development Advisor, will be acting deputy director during this transition.

DKI APCSS is a Department of Defense institution and one of five regional security studies centers that address regional and global security issues. Military and civilian representatives participate in a comprehensive program of executive education, collaboration and outreach. DKI APCSS supports the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command by developing and sustaining relationships among security practitioners and national security establishments throughout the region. DKI APCSS’ mission is to build resilient capacity, shared understanding, and networked relationships among civilian and military practitioners and institutions to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.