Adam Wunische specializes in foreign affairs and military issues related to Afghanistan and the Middle East. He is a researcher covering Afghanistan and Pakistan with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. 



Wunische is also a PhD candidate at Boston College and an instructor at the George Washington University teaching classes on international security and military effectiveness. 



Adam served in the United States Army and completed two deployments to Afghanistan from 2007 to 2009. 

QUINCY INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE STATECRAFT 

The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft is an action-oriented think tank that will lay the foundation for a new foreign policy centered on diplomatic engagement and military restraint. The current moment presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring together like-minded progressives and conservatives and set US foreign policy on a sensible and humane footing. Our country’s current circumstances demand it. 

Moreover, much of the foreign policy community in Washington has succumbed to intellectual lethargy and dysfunction. It suppresses or avoids serious debate and fails to hold policymakers and commentators accountable for disastrous policies. It has forfeited the confidence of the American public. The result is a foreign policy that undermines American interests and tramples on American values while sacrificing the stores of influence that the United States had earned. 

'The Lost Beach Boy'

D A V I D    M A R K S

One of the founding members of

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David Lee Marks is best known for his work as a member of The Beach Boys. Growing up across the street from the Wilson family, Marks spent his formative years singing and playing with Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson. 

At age 10, David received his first guitar for Christmas; he and Carl began studying with John Maus (later John Walker of the Walker Brothers) and developing their own electric guitar style, which caught the attention of Carl’s oldest brother, budding composer Brian. David and Carl’s rock ‘n’ roll guitar sound blended with Brian’s complex harmonies to help create the signature sound of the Beach Boys.

​Thirteen-year-old Marks officially joined The Beach Boys in February 1962 and became one of the five signatories on the band’s recording contract with Capitol Records. He remained a member through October 1963, performing in over 100 concerts across the United States, appearing on national television, and playing rhythm guitar and singing on the band’s first four albums, and on hits like “Surfin’ Safari,” “409,” “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Shut Down,” “Surfer Girl,” “In My Room,” and “Be True to Your School.” While David's time in the band may be considered short, there's no denying the impact of the early years of the Beach Boys on their enduring and iconic legacy. 

​Leaving the Beach Boys gave David the freedom to focus on his own songwriting with a new band, David Marks & The Marksmen. One of the first bands to sign to Herb Alpert’s A&M Records, The Marksmen packed concert venues up and down the state of California but ultimately disbanded in 1965 after a release on the Warner Brother's label. 

​Marks went on to record session-work for Murry Wilson's Sunrays. He also played with Casey Kasem’s Band Without a Name, cult-classic psychedelic-pop bands The Moon and Colours, Delaney & Bonnie, and Warren Zevon. By age 21, he had been signed to five major record labels and had grown disillusioned with the Los Angeles music scene. In 1969, he relocated to Boston, where he studied jazz and classical guitar as a private student at the Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. David went on to earn a reputation as a solid session guitarist without ever capitalizing on his previous association with the Beach Boys.

Through it all, however, he remained friends and stayed in contact with members of the Beach Boys, even appearing as a special guest from time to time. David rejoined the band in as a full-time member in 1997, when Carl Wilson, fighting cancer, was unable to continue touring with the group. Marks left the band for a second time in 1999 after being diagnosed with hepatitis C. Since his diagnosis, he has become a leader in the hepatitis C community, often appearing in the media to raise awareness of the disease.

​In 2007, David co-wrote his autobiography, The Lost Beach Boy, with Beach Boys historian Jon Stebbins. The book is a frank account of his career with and without the Beach Boys, his health problems, his musical development, and his recovery and acceptance within the Beach Boys community.

​The Beach Boys celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 2012 when David Marks joined Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston on a 73-date World Tour. The highly anticipated reunion kicked-off at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards where they performed two classic hits: Surfer Girl (with Foster the People) and Good Vibrations (with Maroon 5). Their studio efforts led to the release of That’s Why God Made The Radio on Capitol Record, marking the first Beach Boys album of new material since 1992; for their efforts, the album broke in at Number #2 on the Billboard charts. The band’s subsequent world tour took America's Band on 73 shows on four continents and included appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, Charlie Rose, Good Morning America, the Jools Holland Show, SMAP, and the Today Show Australia. The also sang the National Anthem on opening day of Dodger's Stadium, which was also marking its 50th season.  

Post reunion, David and Al Jardine joined Brian Wilson for a short US Summer Tour, followed that fall with a subsequent North American tour which included Jeff Beck. The collaboration was voted the #3 tour of 2013 and landed Wilson, Jardine, Marks & Beck another slot on the Jimmy Fallon Show.  David Marks also joined an illustrious group of artist who guested on Brian Wilson’s 2015 solo release, No Pier Pressure – his guitar can be heard on the album’s single, The Right Time, which charted #28 on the Billboard charts and #1 on BBC Radio Two, and David Marks toured as a part time member of Mike Love's Beach Boys from 2014 - 2016 and continues to perform with the Surf City All Stars and Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean.  David's also returned to his roots as a session guitarist, playing on several albums by artists such as the Smithereens, the Surf City All Stars, Mod Hippie, Jez Graham, and Miami Dan.

​On his own, Marks has also released two studio albums in the last five years: David Marks & Friends: Live on the Sunset Strip (with guests artists Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford of the Honeys and John Walker of the Walker Brothers) and Back in the Garage featuring Los A-Phonics, from Valencia, Spain, with whom he toured Spain in 2016. 

​For more information about David Marks and the Beach Boys

https://www.facebook.com/DavidMarksOfficial

https://www.thebeachboys.com/

Purchase David’s book The Lost Beach Boy: The True Story of David Marks one of the founding members of the Beach Boys at amazon.com

Do you want to learn specifically how “the Universe is” is here for you in particular?  My guest is Kathleen M. Whalen who has helped hundreds of thousands of people harness the power of Vedic Astrology through Conscious Calendars, a color-coded calendar that shows the power days of the year and has been downloaded in over 184 countries.  She’s also the developer of AstroVantage, a comprehensive karmic guidance series that aligns purpose with opportunity. Through the power of Vedic astrology, Kathleen consults and guides teams of successive millionaires and works with those who are deeply on their spiritual path. Kathleen blends her B.A. in biochemistry, medicine, Masters of acupuncture and Chinese herbs, mantra and Ayurveda into her work. She is author of Correction How Vedic Astrology Predicts the Market Instability of 2013 and The Little Book of Happiness which is a companion to the Prosperity Mantra and Happiness Habit Experience.

Who or what will you celebrate today?  My guest is Sherry Richert Belul, founder of Simply Celebrate, dedicated to helping people find creative, intentional and impactful ways to celebrate life and to express love for family and friends.  Are you looking for a unique gift for a friend or family member for a milestone occasion such as a decade birthday or golden anniversary? Do you want to give a client something truly special to celebrate a success or a goal they’ve achieved? Is there someone you want to recognize with a gift that’ll make them cry? Join us in this conversation today with Sherry so we can find new and unique ways to celebrate the people we love. 

Gianna is the Global Head of Events for the SoftBank Vision Fund where she produces elite events that support the Portfolio Company and Investor Ecosystem, brand and internal culture. She previously spend close to ten years producing Google’s largest, most high-profile events and experiences. She loves to create memorable experiences with flair and impact. She says Each day I’m so eager to attack the day, but not just as a professional event planner. I’m eager to meet my whole life with the same level of commitment and enthusiasm.

Whether it be my dedication to my job, my own self care and personal goals or the many hats I wear as a wife, mother, author - I believe we all have the ability to choose to manifest our perfect life.

Certified interior designer. Certified sommelier. Events Planner Extraordinaire. Published Author. Wife & Mother.

Gianna shares insights from her experience producing high profile, big events and juggling multiple balls in work and life

Brenda E. Cortez

Brenda is a living kidney donor and children’s book author, who has a passion for helping others. She was inspired to write her first book, My Mom is Having Surgery, after her daughter centered her college entrance essay around Brenda’s donation and the inspiration she felt from it. Brenda is now a strong advocate for living donation awareness. Because of this advocacy and her passion for helping others, Brenda came up with the slogan, HOWL: Help Others with Love. Learn more about HOWL, and Brenda’s organ donation focused children’s books below.

Matthew Cary currently serves as senior marketing and sales advisor for IOREX/USA –a water pipe protector and treatment company headquartered in Washington, DC and Seoul, South Korea. Matthew also serves as the executive director of Veterans and Military Families for Progress (VMFP) –a 501(c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt national veteran and military family veteran service organization. VMFP’s mission is to endorse and elect veteran andmilitary family members for public office, advocate for legislation before Congress and state legislatures which assists veterans and their families with coming home issues and educatethe media and civilian population on these critical matters. Matt was recently elected to serve a second two-year term as VMFP Executive Director by its board of directors in December 2017. In addition, he was recently appointed to serve a four-year term on the board of directors of the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes–a 501(c)(3) non-profit veteran organization whose mission is to assist Iraq and Afghanistan disabled veterans with their transition to civilianlife.Matt was appointed director of the DC Office of Veterans Affairs by Mayor Vincent C. Gray in April 2011 and was unanimously confirmed by members of the Council of the District of Columbia in June 2011. During his four years in office, he initiated several new programs for DC veterans and their families including the furniture donation program for DC homeless veterans and their families resulting in donations of furniture and household items valued at $1.5 million from several military installations which has been delivered to 500 DC homeless veterans moving into transitional or permanent housing. The new DC Veterans and Spouse License Plate program provides display tags to District veterans and their spouses who are residents of the District of Columbia through the sale of tags by its partner, the DC Department of Motor Vehicles. The program has sold more than 155 license plates and raised more than$8,000 for the DC Office of Veterans Affairs’(DCOVA) Veterans Assistance Fund to assist DC needy veterans. The VALOR program is a financial literacy initiative providing debt management, credit management,financial planning, management and budgeting counseling through classroom and online training to DC veterans. The program has provided free educational training through its partners Financial Education Literacy Associates and Bank on DC to more than 200 District veterans and their families. Thefourth program is a Christmas holiday toy and clothing event for DC military and veteran families’ children ages two through 18. DCOVA and its partner AFL-CIO Helmets to Hardhats organization provided toys and clothing to 80 children in 2013 and 180 in 2014.Cary was instrumental in helping a senior staff member become accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a certified claims officer to prepare and present DC veterans’ disability claims to the VA.Since 2011, through Matt’s leadership,DCOVA has broken ground on four affordable transitional and permanent DC veteran housing projects with supportive services providing more housing.

From 1986 to his DC government appointment in 2011, Cary was president and chief executive officer of his own government relations and international marketing consulting firm representing the interests of public and private sector clients with the U.S. Congress, federal and state government agencies and linking U.S. companies to foreign government projects in water treatment and solid waste management.Prior to starting his own small business, Matt was director of federal programs for a consulting engineer trade association, director of the New York State Washington Office for former Governor Hugh Carey. As an employee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors,he was the Washington representative to the mayors of seven cities (Bayamon, PR; Buffalo, NY; Houston, TX;Kenner, LA;Richland, WA; Riverside, CA; and Sunnyvale, CA). He was also legislative director to a former congressman from New York.Cary holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in urban management and urban planning from American University and a BA Degree in Social Science from St. Bonaventure University. He was elected president of the National Democratic Club in Washington,DC in 2018 and previously served as first vice president, treasurer and a member of the board of directors. Matt serves on the board of directors of Veterans and Military Families for Progress,the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes and Sports Management Associates. He was also inducted into the Washington, DCMetroMen’s Adult and Senior Amateur Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2008.Matt has been a resident of the District of Columbia for 49  years and currently resides in Ward 3 with his wife Dana. Matt and Dana enjoy global travel and have visited Argentina, Brazil, numerous Caribbean Islands, Chile, China,Czech Republic, England,France,Greece, Iceland,India,Ireland,Italy, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay,Portugal,Scotland,Sicily, Spain,Thailand and Vietnam.He is originally from Elmira, New York.