HILTON HEAD, October 10, 2019—The World Affairs Council of Hilton Head announces the appointment of John Gilbert as the new President of the Board of Directors. Mr. Gilbert has been a board member for two years, managing the in-reach member programs for the council. He is replacing Lee Wilwerding, who graciously served six years as president on the WACHH Board.  

John Gilbert is a retired U.S. Air Force officer with over 40 years of experience in strategic operations, intelligence, and arms control.  While on active duty, he traveled widely in Europe and Asia, including numerous visits to the former Soviet Union as an inspector at long-range missile facilities.  He also served on U.S. delegations negotiating arms control agreements in Geneva, The Hague and Moscow.

Since retirement from active duty, he has been an advisor and consultant to several U.S. government and industry organizations and foreign governments on arms control issues. He appeared on a CNN segment regarding an al Qaeda chemical weapon program in Afghanistan and presented several papers on arms control at international conferences.

Gilbert semi-retired to Hilton Head Island with his wife Lesley in 2007. He teaches courses on arms control and intelligence at Lifelong Learning of Hilton Head and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.