Suzanne Vares-Lum

Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum retired as a Major General in 2021 after serving 34 years in all components of the U.S. Army. Currently, Vares-Lum is the Director of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, a position held since January 2025. Previously, Vares-Lum served as President of the East-West Center and was the Commander’s Mobilization Assistant at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Additionally, Vares-Lum is on the Board of Directors for the Bank of Hawaii and multiple non-profit organizations, and is a National Academy of Public Administration Fellow. Vares-Lum holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a Master of Education in Teaching from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, along with a Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.