Global in the Granite State

How does studying or working abroad change the way we see ourselves—and the world? In this episode of Global in the Granite State, host Tim Horgan shares his own story of transformation through exchange, alongside insights from Mark Overmann, Executive Director of the Alliance for International Exchange. Together, they explore the lifelong impacts of international exchanges, from shaping careers to building cross-cultural understanding, and from strengthening local communities to advancing U.S. diplomacy. Discover how exchange programs—from study abroad to the International Visitor Leadership Program—empower individuals, enrich communities, and create global connections that ripple far beyond borders. Whether it’s learning adaptability, forging unexpected friendships, or contributing to citizen diplomacy, these experiences prove that exchange isn’t just travel—it’s life-changing. Mark Overmann joined the Alliance as Executive Director in 2022, after having served as Assistant Director and Deputy Director from 2009-2015. Mark has nearly 20 years of experience in the NGO, association, federal, and university sectors. He excels at association management, government relations, including extensive work with the U.S. Department of State and Congress, strategic communications, and organizational development. Mark also served as a Senior Manager at Accenture Federal Services supporting global health and diplomacy programs; Vice President of External Affairs at InterExchange; Director of College Communications at Georgetown University; and Program Associate for Communications at Global Ties U.S. Mark has a bachelor’s in English from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s in International Communication from American University’s School of International Service. He is co-author with Sherry Mueller of Working World: Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development (Georgetown University Press, 2008, 2014). He studied abroad during college in Angers, France, and taught English in Yanji, China, along the North Korean border.

What does it take to hold a dictator accountable for decades of atrocities? In this episode, Tim Horgan speaks with Chris Ried, Director of Operations at Mercury SGS and former Regime War Crimes Liaison in post-Saddam Iraq. Drawing on his firsthand experience in building the case against Saddam Hussein, Chris reflects on the challenges of documenting crimes, ensuring a fair trial, and balancing peace with justice. Together, they explore what Saddam’s trial revealed about international law, the dangers of “victor’s justice,” and how history can shape the pursuit of accountability today. As new atrocities emerge across the globe, this conversation highlights the hard lessons of Iraq, the importance of truth-telling, and the enduring struggle to make justice real—even in the aftermath of brutality. Chris Reid is the Director of Operations at Mercury SGS in New Hampshire, where he leads organizational strategy, program development, and operational efficiency for the firm. With a career spanning high-stakes international justice, security, and organizational leadership, Chris brings a unique perspective shaped by decades of experience in both government service and the private sector. From 2004 to 2006, Chris served as a Regime Crimes Liaison in Iraq, where he played a critical role in supporting the Iraqi High Tribunal during its prosecution of Saddam Hussein and other senior regime figures. In this capacity, he worked closely with Iraqi judges, prosecutors, and international partners to help build a judicial process capable of addressing some of the most significant crimes against humanity of the modern era. His efforts contributed to laying the groundwork for post-conflict accountability and the rule of law in Iraq. In addition to his work abroad, Chris has held senior leadership roles that bridge global affairs and local impact, ensuring that complex operational goals are achieved with integrity and precision. His expertise spans crisis management, security operations, and organizational strategy. At Mercury SGS, Chris applies these skills to strengthen operational performance and advance the company’s mission of delivering innovative solutions to clients across sectors. He is committed to fostering resilience, building effective teams, and creating systems that drive measurable results. Chris continues to be an active voice in conversations about international justice, security, and organizational leadership, drawing on his deep experience in conflict zones and in executive management.

For over 250 years the United States and the United Kingdom has shared a special relationship. While not always positive... for example the British burning down the White House during the War of 1812 (thanks a lot)... the past 150 years has been very positive. Throughout it all the shared people-to-people connections have driven the relationship to new heights and provided a solid footing for collaboration across all sectors. With the recent signing of the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal, and the ensuing steps to implement the outline, the economic relationship is set to continue. In this month's episode, we check in with British Consul General in Boston, David Clay, to dive deeper into the current state of relations between the two countries. On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (next year), now is a great time to assess the history and the future of the transatlantic partnership, from the economic, to military, to cultural ties that bind these two countries together. No matter the challenges that face the world in the years to come, it seems that a strong relationship will remain a steadfast point in global affairs. David Clay has been a member of the Diplomatic Service since 2005, and has been appointed as the next British Consul General to New England. David was joint head of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Iraq and Arabian Peninsula Department. In this role he oversaw all aspects of the UK’s relationship with Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This included UK security cooperation with the Gulf, launching Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2022, and the Qatar World Cup. He then worked on the UK’s response to the conflict in Israel/Gaza from 2023 to 2024. From 2016 to 2020, David worked as Deputy Political Counsellor and then Counsellor at the UK’s Mission to the UN in New York. He covered peace and security issues in the UN Security Council and General Assembly. This involved regularly representing the UK in the Security Council and overseeing negotiations on many resolutions on conflicts, ranging from Yemen and Mali to Sudan and Colombia. Earlier in his career, David worked for the Foreign Office in Libya before and during the revolution in 2011, and then in Egypt from 2013 to 2016. He speaks Arabic and has a Masters (Distinction) in Middle East politics. Before joining the Foreign Office, David taught English in the east of Sudan.

Founded in its modern form in 1932, Saudi Arabia continues to play an important role in the world today, shaping many different regional and global issues. The country also shares a long history of engagement with the United States on various issues, from economic development, military support, and geopolitical goals. While not always in exact alignment, this enduring relationship has continued to strengthen since a historic meeting between U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud in 1945. In light of President Trump's recent visit to the Kingdom, we spoke with Fahad Nazer, Official Spokesperson for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, to gain his insights on this historic relationship, break down some of the deals that were struck during President Trump's visit, and to outline the future for this country. We acknowledge that a lot has changed in the region since the start of the current kinetic war between Israel and Iran, however, we want to note that this interview was completed prior to these attacks. We will continue to watch the ongoing war closely, as tensions in the region continue to rise. Fahad Nazer is the official spokesperson for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to the United States. He was appointed to this role on January 18, 2019. Prior to this appointment, Nazer was a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and served as an International Fellow at the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations. Additionally. He was also a columnist for the daily newspaper Arab News. His publications have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, CNN, Foreign Policy, YaleGlobal Online, The National Interest, and Newsweek. Nazer earned his BA in political science from New York University and an M.A in political science from Saint John's University in New York City. He has also completed the credit and examination requirements of the PhD program in political science at the Catholic University of America in Washington.

Across the globe, many people see democracy retreating and authoritarianism on the rise. In places as diverse as India, Hungry, Niger, El Salvador, and even right here in the United States, people of all political background are concerned about the state of their democracy, even if their reasons for worry differ. From attacks on courts, to the accumulation of executive power, and the takeover of institutions, many countries have see their democracies weaken, while many others have seen their democracies completely overthrown (at least 32 coup d'état's since 2010, and many more attempts, around the world).  Freedom House has marked overall democratic decline for the past 19 years based on their global metrics, while countless articles have been written about democratic backsliding around the world. In this month's episode, we discuss the state of democracy around the world with Dr. Henry Thomson of Arizona State University. Throughout this conversation, we cover the pathways to democratic decline and dive into the trends that the world is currently experiencing, while putting this discussion in historical context. In addition, we talk about what lessons pro-democracy forces can learn from the transitions that other countries have made away from authoritarian styles of government. It is important to remember that at one point in time, all countries were under authoritarian forms of government. Dr. Henry Thomson is an Associate Professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University. He is a political economist with a research focus on economic development, authoritarian rule, and transitions to democracy. He is the author of two books, Watching the Watchers: Communist Elites, the Secret Police and Social Order in Cold War Europe [https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009413602] (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2024) and Food and Power: Regime Type, Agricultural Policy and Political Stability [https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108568951] (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2019). Before joining ASU, Thomson was a Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. He completed his PhD in Political Science at the University of Minnesota. His doctoral dissertation won the 2015 Juan Linz Prize for the Best Dissertation in the Comparative Study of Democratization from the American Political Science Association. He has been a visiting scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, at Australian National University, and at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies in Berlin. Professor Thomson teaches classes on Democratization, Political Economy, International Political Economy, and social science research design.