Michael Douglas, Malcolm Rifkind, Ellen Tauscher Join NTI Board of Directors

WASHINGTON – Today, NTI Co-Chairmen Sam Nunn and Ted Turner announced three new additions to NTI’s international board of directors: Michael Douglas, an award-winning actor and producer and long-time advocate for nuclear disarmament and arms control; Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom and former British Foreign Secretary and Secretary of Defence; and the Hon. Ellen O. Tauscher, former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

“NTI is delighted to have these three outstanding leaders join our Board,” said Nunn.  “As an internationally acclaimed actor who has worked on nuclear issues for decades, Michael Douglas brings both savvy and smarts to the global effort to reduce nuclear dangers.  His experience and perspective on threat reduction and advocacy will greatly enhance NTI’s work toward reducing reliance on nuclear weapons.”

“All three of these leaders bring experience, intellectual firepower and tremendous energy to the mission of building a safer world for future generations,” said Turner. “Ellen Tauscher’s leadership on nuclear security and non-proliferation in the U.S. government, particularly her work on the New START Treaty, is well-known, and NTI is grateful for her continued dedication to nuclear risk reduction.”

“NTI is delighted to welcome such a diverse and dynamic trio to our board of directors,” said Joan Rohlfing, NTI president. “Sir Malcolm Rifkind’s outstanding career as a public servant will make him a tremendous asset to NTI.  As someone who served through the administrations of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major, he brings hands-on experience to the difficult work of reducing global threats.”

Michael Douglas, actor/producer
Michael Douglas is a two-time Academy Award-winning actor/producer and long-time advocate for nuclear disarmament and arms control.  Recognized for frequently selecting projects that reflect his interest in a broad range of public concerns and social mores, Douglas has chosen a series of politically influential films throughout his career, including One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Falling Down, Wall Street and Traffic. His 1979 film, The China Syndrome, released just days before the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident, catalyzed a lifelong involvement in nuclear issues.  In 1999, Secretary General Kofi Annan named Douglas a United Nations Messenger of Peace with a focus on nuclear nonproliferation and small arms control. Douglas has been working steadily on making this a nuclear weapon-free world since then. He narrated NTI's film "Nuclear Tipping Point," is a board member of Ploughshares Fund, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a leading figure in the British Conservative Party and a Member of Parliament for Kensington, was knighted in 1997 in recognition of his years of public service as a politician and cabinet minister.  Rifkind, a lawyer, was first elected to Parliament in 1974 and served through 1997.  He was appointed to multiple cabinet posts under prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, including Secretary of State for Scotland (1986-1990), Defence Secretary (1992-1995) and Foreign Secretary (1995-1997).  In 2010, after he was re-elected to Parliament, Rifkind was appointed chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee by Prime Minister David Cameron.  Rifkind is a member of the Top Level Group of UK Parliamentarians for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation and is affiliated with NTI’s Nuclear Security Project.

The Hon. Ellen O. Tauscher, former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
The Honorable Ellen O. Tauscher is a former seven-term congresswoman who represented California’s 10th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997-2009.  While in Congress, she served on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and was Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.  In March 2009, Tauscher was nominated by President Obama to serve as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.  She served in that post from her confirmation in June 2009 to February 2012.  Prior to serving in Congress, Tauscher worked in investment banking and the financial industry and was a member of the New York Stock Exchange from 1977-1980.  She is now a strategic advisor at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC in Washington, D.C.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to reduce threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. NTI is governed by a prestigious, international board of directors with members from six countries (China, France, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States) and is co-chaired by founders Nunn and Turner. NTI’s activities are directed by Nunn and Rohlfing.  For more information and a full list of NTI’s board of directors, please visit www.nti.org.

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