Martina Strong is honored to lead the U.S. Mission to the United Arab Emirates. A career Senior Foreign Service Officer, Ambassador Strong previously served as Chargé d’Affaires in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bulgaria. Her diplomatic career has spanned 27 years and included two assignments in Iraq, as the Political Minister Counselor in Baghdad and as the U.S. Army’s Political Advisor in Basrah.

Earlier in her career, Ambassador Strong was posted in Poland, the Czech Republic, Barbados, Bosnia Herzegovina, and France. She spent two years as Director on the National Security Council at the White House, where she headed the U.S. government’s multi-agency effort to organize the 2004 G-8 Summit in Sea Island, as well as two other G-8 Summits and various multilateral meetings.

Ambassador Strong is the recipient of the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, numerous Department of State awards, and both the Meritorious Civilian Service Award and the Superior Civilian Service Award for her service in Iraq. In Bulgaria, the Defense Minister conferred on Ambassador Strong the Meritorious Service Medal for her contributions to the U.S.-Bulgarian security partnership. Ambassador Strong is married to Colonel (ret.) John L. Strong, and they have one daughter.

Mike Miller serves as Deputy Director, responsible for oversight of DSCA’s diverse portfolio of Security Cooperation programs and for working with external stakeholders to synchronize DSCA activities with foreign policy and national security objectives.

Previously, Mr. Miller served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defense Trade in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM), where he oversaw the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), ensuring that U.S. commercial exports of defense articles and defense services advance U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. A career Civil Servant and member of the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Miller joined the State Department in 1998 as a Presidential Management Fellow. Prior to that, Mr. Miller served as PM’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Trade and Regional Security. His other previous positions at the Department include Office Director for Regional Security and Arms Transfers, Program Manager for the Anti-Terrorism Assistance program, Special Assistant to the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Counterterrorism Policy Advisor for the Middle East region, and Desk officer for Oman and Yemen. He also served abroad on a two-year Foreign Service assignment in Tripoli, Libya as the U.S. Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Attaché.

Mr. Miller received a Bachelor of Arts in International Politics with honors from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA. He also earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs with a focus on International Security Studies from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in New York, NY.

Retired U.S. Army General John Nicholson is the Chief Executive for Lockheed Martin in the Middle East and was appointed in December 2021. Residing in Abu Dhabi, he is responsible for the company’s strategy, operations, and growth in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. General Nicholson last served as the Commander of all U.S. Forces and the 41 nation NATO-led Coalition in Afghanistan from 2016 to 2018.

Before that, he served as Commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command and Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. Commissioned in 1982, he served as an infantry officer at all levels with over six years in combat. He also lived in Europe and the Middle East for more than twelve years, forging close relationships with security leaders in those regions.

Following retirement from active duty in November 2018, he became the President of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation supporting post 9-11 combat veterans, service members, caregivers, and their families.

He has been a mentor to U.S. general officers through the U.S. National Defense University and to NATO flag officers through the NATO Senior Mentor Program.

General Nicholson holds Bachelor’s Degrees from the United States Military Academy and Georgetown University and Master’s Degrees from the School for Advanced Military Studies and the National Defense University.

Kuljit Ghata-Aura is President of Boeing Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META). He is responsible for coordinating all companywide activities in the region and developing and implementing country and regional strategies. Ghata-Aura focuses on government affairs, new business and industrial partnership opportunities, corporate citizenship projects, expanding the Boeing presence and strengthening company relationships with customers and other stakeholders. He is based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and reports to Brendan nelson, president of Boeing Global.

Ghata-Aura joined Boeing in 2010 and has progressed through several leadership positions. He most recently served as vice president and assistant general counsel for Boeing Global Services, from its inception in July 2017. He was responsible for the development and implementation of the strategy and activities of the legal and compliance teams including business structuring, transactional support, litigation and governance.

Prior to that, Ghata-Aura held roles as regional counsel for Europe, Russia and Israel and between 2010 and 2016, was regional counsel for India, Middle East, Türkiye and Africa based in Dubai. He was responsible for advising the enterprise on all legal and compliance issues within the regions. In addition to his legal responsibilities, he also served as director of UAE Market Development, where he was responsible for planning and implementing key company initiatives in the United Arab Emirates.

Before joining Boeing, Ghata-Aura was a founding partner of Eversheds in Abu Dhabi. He previously spent 13 years practicing law in London, predominantly focusing on cross-border mergers & acquisitions, cross-border joint ventures, capital markets and general corporate and commercial work. Ghata-Aura is a British Citizen, born in Uganda, and grew up in London. He is a graduate of Oxford University and qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1997.

PERSONAL DATA: Born March 16, 1959, in Flint, Michigan. Considers Lake Fenton, Michigan, to be his hometown. Married to the former Lori Miller. They have two children. He enjoys reading, gardening, all sporting activities including running, softball, skiing, and any activity with his children. His parents, Rodger and Maxine Bloomfield, reside in Linden, Michigan. Her parents, Dave and Donna Miller, reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in December 1994, Bloomfield reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. He worked as Chief of Safety for the Astronaut Office, Chief Instructor Astronaut, Director of Shuttle Operations, and Chief of the Shuttle Branch which oversees all Shuttle technical issues for the Astronaut Office. His last NASA position was Deputy Director, Flight Crew Operations, overseeing the Astronaut Office and flying operations at Ellington Field. A veteran of three space flights, STS-86 (1997), STS-97 (2000) and STS-110 (2002), he has logged over 753 hours in space. Bloomfield left NASA in August 2007 to pursue a career with ATK.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: Pilot of STS-86, flown on the shuttle Atlantis (September 25 to October 6, 1997), the 7th mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Highlights included the exchange of U.S. crew members Mike Foale and David Wolf, a spacewalk by two crew members to retrieve four experiments first deployed on Mir during STS-76, the transfer to Mir of 10,400 pounds of science and logistics, and the return of experiment hardware and results to Earth. Mission duration was 169 orbits in 10 days, 19 hours and 21 minutes, and covered more than 2.2 million miles.
Pilot of STS-97, flown on the shuttle Endeavour (November 30 to December 11, 2000), the 5th Space Shuttle mission dedicated to the assembly of the International Space Station. While docked to the Station, the crew installed the first set of U.S. solar arrays, performed three space walks, in addition to delivering supplies and equipment to the station’s first resident crew. Mission duration was 10 days, 19 hours, 57 minutes, and traveled 4.47 million miles.
Commander of STS-110, flown on the shuttle Atlantis (April 8-19, 2002), the 13th Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. Mission milestones included the delivery and installation of the SO (S-Zero) Truss, the first use of the station’s robotic arm to maneuver spacewalkers, and the first time that all of a shuttle crew’s spacewalks were based from the station’s Quest Airlock. The crew prepared the station for future spacewalks and spent a week in joint operations with the station’s Expedition-4 crew. Mission duration was 10 days, 19 hours and 42 minutes.

Thomas J. Kallman is the President and CEO of Kallman Worldwide, Inc. an international marketing and exhibition management firm headquartered in Waldwick, New Jersey, with affiliate offices in Washington, DC; Charleston, SC; Dallas and Houston, TX; Santiago, Chile; London, UK and Tokyo, Japan.

In 1989, Tom joined the predecessor company, Kallman Associates, founded by his father Jerry Kallman Sr. in 1963, and created the Aerospace Division. Under his direction, the company succeeded in organizing the largest-ever U.S. Pavilions at the Paris Air Show in successive events beginning in 1995 through 2023. Similar marks were set at the Farnborough Air Show (UK) from 1996 through 2022, and at other aerospace industry events spanning the globe. In 2023, celebrating 60 years, Kallman Worldwide’s trademark USA Partnership Pavilion is recognized around the world as the hub of American business at industry’s most important international trade events. The company’s stand-building, supply chain support services, and workforce advocacy enterprises further solidify its reputation as a strategic partner above and beyond simply managing floor space in exhibition halls.

In 2012, Tom and Kallman Worldwide were recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce and received the President’s “E” Award, the country’s highest honor bestowed on companies that provide exemplary service to U.S. exports. This was the first time the honor had been awarded to a national pavilion organizer. In 2022, Kallman received a second “E-Star” Award - not only for their trade event success but also for the digital trade programs Kallman created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, Tom created the Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship Foundation – a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization dedicated to fostering international friendship and the promotion of STEM training among high-school students around the world. Named after Tom’s close friend and Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot, Col (USAF, Ret.) Al Worden, the program provides a scholarship for 40 international students and educators to attend the U.S. Space and Rocket Camp (Space Camp) in Huntsville, AL.

In 2022, Tom entered into a strategic partnership with the Sourcehere.com global supply chain network. For Kallman Worldwide’s USA Partnership Pavilion exhibitors, the platform serves as an interactive online directory before, during, and after a show, extending their reach in target sectors and adding measurable year-round marketing value.

Kallman Worldwide’s work with the aerospace industry grew out of Tom’s love of flying nurtured during four years at the U.S. Air Force Academy. A graduate of the Class of 1981, he went on to tally over 2,700 flying hours in numerous aircraft, primarily as an F-15 instructor pilot in his 12-year tour of duty.

Tom is married with four children and five grandchildren. He is active in the International Association of Exhibition and Events and The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI).