Major General (Retired) Suzanne P. Vares-Lum became the director of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) in January 2025. In this role, she leads the U.S. Department of War organization dedicated to advancing security cooperation and empowering security practitioners from the United States, its allies, and partners to develop solutions for the Indo-Pacific’s complex security challenges. Her leadership is further informed by her own experience as a notable alumna of DKI APCSS, having been a fellow in the Transnational Security Cooperation course, the Senior Asia-Pacific Orientation Course, and numerous workshops.
Born and raised in Hawai’i, Vares-Lum has a distinguished 34-year military career, having served in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve before retiring as a major general in 2021. Her career began with her enlistment as a private first class in 1986 and culminated in significant leadership roles. In her final assignment, she spent over five years at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, serving as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, and periods as the acting Chief of Staff and acting Deputy Commander. During Operation Iraqi Freedom III, she was instrumental in establishing and leading the Joint Intelligence Center in Balad, Iraq, as the 29th Separate Infantry Brigade’s G-2.
Before her appointment at DKI APCSS, she was the President of the East-West Center. Her commitment to the community and international relations is also reflected in her service on the Bank of Hawai’i Board of Directors and on non-profit boards such as the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research and the Hawaii Army Museum. She is a National Academy of Public Administration Fellow and a member of the U.S.-Japan Council.
Vares-Lum holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, a Master of Education in Teaching, and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She was also a National Security Fellow at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Her awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star Medal. In 2017, she was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and inducted into the Army ROTC National Hall of Fame.
