Nelson Cunningham Program
Friday, November 7, 2025 from 12:00 noon – 2 pm
Nelson Cunningham
Tariffs are at the heart of Trump’s foreign policy agenda. They are an extremely novel approach to trade relations with allies and adversaries alike. They range from the floating tariff levels he has used as leverage in those trade relations, and in the case at the Supreme Court that will be argued the week Nelson Cunningham is here in New Mexico. We may not know the Supreme Court outcome yet, but we do know that trade and tariffs will be in the headlines this week.
Nelson W. Cunningham was most recently Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment. In 2024, President Biden nominated him to be Deputy US Trade Representative, but the Senate failed to act on his nomination.
He is the co-founder and former president of McLarty Associates, advising US and multinational companies, foundations and universities on economic and policy issues around the globe. Since 1998, he helped grow McLarty Associates into a global firm with a team of 100 experts in 20 countries, and spearheaded the opening of offices in Brussels, Beijing, Singapore, and New Delhi. Before founding McLarty Associates, he worked in the Clinton White House on Latin American and trade issues, and previously was General Counsel to Senate Judiciary Chair Joseph R. Biden.
Before his public service, Nelson Cunningham was a longtime member of the boards of leading NGOs such as the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, the Institute of the Americas, the American Security Project, and Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He has also served on the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, the Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy, and the US ExIm Bank Advisory Committee, where he was chair.
He grew up in seven Latin American countries, the son of an American businessman, and graduated from Yale College and Stanford Law School.
Registration: This SFWAF lunch is $26 for members and $36 for nonmembers. You may pay by check made out to SFWAF and mailed to The Santa Fe World Affairs Forum, Santa Fe, PO Box 31965, NM 87594 or with a credit card using our Paypal account. Please indicate on your check or if using Paypal please note in “add special instructions to the seller” that your payment is for the Friday, November 7, 2025 program.
Members: if you have not yet paid your 2025-26 membership dues, you may include the $50 per person annual dues in your payment for this program, but please also note in special instructions that dues are included. Because we are a 501(c)(3) organization, dues and contributions are tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.
If you are not a member or plan to bring a guest who is not a member, please include your best contact information and your guest’s name. We use nametags. If you are interested in membership, please email us: sfwaforum@outlook.com.
Payment for this program is non-refundable after Friday October 31, 2025 . We strongly prefer that payment be made by Paypal or check postmarked by October 31, 2025 at the latest to facilitate check in. It is also very helpful if you are sending a check to email us at sfwaforum@outlook.com to let us know you plan to attend.
If you are not a member but interested in membership, please see our membership page and email sfwaforum@outlook.com for additional information.
Because we are a 501(c)(3) organization, dues and contributions are tax deductible.
For pricing and reservations, click here: https://sfwaf.org/payment/
Location: SFCC Board Room (#223) is in the West Wing (Administration building). The college is located at 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Enter through the building’s main entrance (on the left side of the building behind the flag poles). The Board Room is on the corridor to the left of the Campus Center.
Directions: From Rodeo Road turn south onto Richards Avenue. Turn into the campus main drive. Parking lots are in front of the building. From I-25 take the Cerrillos Road exit, turn east onto Governor Miles Road and then right onto Richards Avenue. Then follow directions above.
The Speaker
He is the co-founder and former president of McLarty Associates, advising US and multinational companies, foundations and universities on economic and policy issues around the globe. Since 1998, he helped grow McLarty Associates into a global firm with a team of 100 experts in 20 countries, and spearheaded the opening of offices in Brussels, Beijing, Singapore, and New Delhi. Before founding McLarty Associates, he worked in the Clinton White House on Latin American and trade issues, and previously was General Counsel to Senate Judiciary Chair Joseph R. Biden.
Before his public service, Nelson Cunningham was a longtime member of the boards of leading NGOs such as the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, the Institute of the Americas, the American Security Project, and Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He has also served on the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, the Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy, and the US ExIm Bank Advisory Committee, where he was chair.
He grew up in seven Latin American countries, the son of an American businessman, and graduated from Yale College and Stanford Law School.
