2024 CEPA Forum Leadership Awards Dinner

H.E. Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Lithuania

Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is a prominent Lithuanian statesman who currently serves as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 18th Government of the Republic of Lithuania, under the leadership of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

Minister Landsbergis has been the Chairman of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats since 2015. Additionally, he worked as a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2016 and has been a dedicated Member of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania since 2016.

It is CEPA’s privilege to present Minister Landsbergis with the 2024 Transatlantic Leadership Award to honor his leadership in fostering transatlantic cooperation, strengthening regional security, and providing steadfast support for Ukraine.

The Hon. Michael Turner, US Representative (OH-10), US House of Representatives 

Congressman Turner was first elected to Congress in 2002. In Congress, Turner is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and has previously served as the lead Republican of the Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee as well as the Strategic Forces subcommittee. The subcommittees oversee Army and Air Force acquisition programs, all Navy and Marine Corps aviation programs, nuclear weapons, missile defense, and space systems.

In January 2011, Turner was appointed Chairman of the US Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly, the inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. In December of 2014, Turner was elected President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He now serves as Vice-Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

CEPA is thrilled to present Congressman Turner with the 2024 Transatlantic Leadership Award to honor his outstanding leadership in Congress to pass critical aid in support of Ukraine and his commitment to strengthening the transatlantic alliance.

The Hon. Michael McCaul, US Representative (TX-10), US House of Representatives 

Congressman Michael T. McCaul is currently serving his tenth term representing Texas’ 10th District in the United States Congress. The 10th Congressional District of Texas stretches from Lake Travis to the Brazos Valley and includes Austin, Bastrop, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette, Grimes, Lee, Madison, Travis, Washington, Waller, and Williamson Counties.

Congressman McCaul previously served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and at the beginning of the 118th Congress, he became the first Texan to chair the Foreign Affairs Committee, which considers legislation that impacts the diplomatic community.

It is CEPA’s honor to present Congressman McCaul with the 2024 Transatlantic Leadership Award to recognize his exceptional leadership in Congress by securing vital support for Ukraine and his unwavering commitment to the transatlantic alliance.

The Hon. Michael Rogers, US Representative (AL-03), US House of Representatives 

Congressman Mike Rogers is a sixth-generation East Alabamian. He is a conservative, a Christian, the father of three and married to his wife, Beth, for over 40 years.

Since he was first elected in 2002, Mike has been known for his tireless advocacy for the people and interests of Alabama’s Third Congressional District. He currently serves as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Congressman. Rogers has built a reputation as a recognized leader on national security and a strong advocate for national defense. As Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he works to ensure that our military is properly funded, that our warfighters have the resources and weapons they need to succeed on current and future battlefields, and that the military is focused on deterring and combatting threats coming from China and our other adversaries.

CEPA is proud to present Congressman Rogers with the 2024 Transatlantic Leadership Award to honor his commitment to ensuring vital assistance for Ukraine and his steadfast commitment to the transatlantic alliance.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, Vice President, Free Russia Foundation 

Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian politician, author, historian, and former political prisoner. A close colleague of the slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, he has served as deputy leader of the People’s Freedom Party and was a candidate for the Russian Parliament. Leading diplomatic efforts on behalf of the opposition, Kara-Murza played a key role in the adoption of Magnitsky sanctions against top Russian officials by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, and Australia. For this work, he was twice poisoned and left in a coma; a joint media investigation by Bellingcat, The Insider, and Der Spiegel has identified FSB officers behind the attacks.

In April 2022, Kara-Murza was arrested in Moscow for his public denunciation of the invasion of Ukraine and of the war crimes committed by Russian forces. Following a closed-door trial at the Moscow City Court, he was sentenced to 25 years for “high treason” and kept in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison in Siberia. He was released in August 2024 as part of the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War negotiated by the US and German governments.

Kara-Murza is a contributing writer at the Washington Post, winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for his columns written from prison, and has previously worked for Echo of Moscow, BBC, RTVi, Kommersant, and other media organisations. He has directed three documentary films and is the author or contributor to several books on Russian history and politics.

Kara-Murza currently serves as vice-president at the Free Russia Foundation, as senior advisor at Human Rights First, and as senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He was the founding chairman of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom and has led successful international efforts to commemorate Nemtsov, including with street designations in Washington D.C. and London.

Kara-Murza is a recipient of several awards, including the Council of Europe’s Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, and is an honorary fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He holds an M.A. (Cantab.) in History from Cambridge. He is married, with three children.

CEPA is proud to present Vladimir Kara-Murza with the 2024 Freedom Fighter Award to honor his lifelong advocacy for democratic values and exemplary commitment to developing an open, just, and prosperous future for the Russian people.

Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine

Olena Zelenska is the First Lady of Ukraine, founder of The Olena Zelenska Foundation and supporter of numerous socio-humanitarian and cultural projects. First Lady’s initiatives include the All-Ukrainian mental health program “How are you?” that focuses on mental health services to the victims of Russian war of aggression, the improvement of the school food system, combatting domestic and gender-based violence, promotion of barrier-free environment and Ukrainian-language audio guides and Ukrainian bookshelves at museums and libraries around the world. In 2021, First Lady Zelenska launched the Kyiv Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen as a platform for joint humanitarian projects.

In 2022, with the start of the full-scale invasion, First Lady launched her charitable foundation The Olena Zelenska Foundation with a mission to restore Ukraine’s human capital. The Foundation has three key directions: healthcare, education, and humanitarian aid. First Lady Zelenska is a recipient of numerous international awards, including The Hillary Rodham Clinton Award, presented annually for exceptional global leadership by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security 

CEPA is proud to honor the First Lady with the 2024 Humanitarian Impact Award in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to humanitarian efforts in response to Russia’s ongoing brutal invasion of Ukraine.