John Bravaco has nearly thirty years of diplomatic experience on arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament policy with the U.S. Department of State. He is an expert in multilateral negotiating strategy and tactics. He joined ADS/RSC in 2022, which was then focused entirely on European security issues. Mr. Bravaco initiated the policy development work for the Bureau’s groundbreaking “regional risk reduction” mission – adapting the confidence-building and transparency tools of conventional arms control to reduce the risk of conflict and promote stability across the globe at the regional level. As part of this effort, he authored the Bureau’s first-ever strategy for direct, capital-based diplomatic outreach to the nations of Africa to invite dialogues on conflict risk reduction capacity building. Prior to this, Mr. Bravaco served in the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs, where he worked on peacekeeping issues, including UN Security Council negotiations related to the then-African Union Mission in Somalia. Mr. Bravaco has served as the U.S. Acting Head of Delegation to the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), the U.S. Representative to the UN Disarmament Commission, policy advisor to the U.S. Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty expert on disarmament matters. He holds political science degrees from Seton Hall University (BA, 1989) and Northeastern University (MA, 1992).

Dr. Marie Milward is a Foreign Affairs Officer at the United States Department of State, in the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability’s Office of Regional Security Cooperation (ADS/RSC). Before to joining ADS/RSC in the fall of 2023,  Dr. Milward worked as a Treaty Analyst in the Office of the Legal Adviser, Office of Treaty Affairs for 7 years. Prior to joining the Department in 2016, Dr. Milward worked as a contractor supporting the Department of Defense security cooperation programs in Africa with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies and cooperative research and development programs with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Dr. Milward also worked on election observations mission led by the Carter Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote d’Ivoire. Dr. Milward holds a Doctorate in International Relations from the University of Georgia. She grew up in Lyon, France and is fluent in French. 

Daniel Nielsen, a Foreign Affairs Officer at the United States Department of State, assumed his current duties in 2018, as the action officer lead on European Conventional Arms Control in the Office of Regional Security Cooperation (RSC), Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability (ADS), where he contributes to the formation, implementation, and oversight of U.S. conventional arms control policy in Europe. Mr. Nielsen chairs the interagency backstopping group on European Conventional Arms Control, represents the United States at NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Forum for Security Cooperation.

Additionally, he served in the National and Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, Bureau of Europe and Eurasia’s Office of Russia working on human rights issues and as a Political Attaché at U.S. Embassy Beijing where he was responsible for arms control and non-proliferation issues. Prior to the Department of State Daniel served in the United States Navy, and later managed the closure of the first Russian ICBM base with U.S. funding at Aleysk, Russia.

Clinton Canady IV is a Commissioned Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. He is currently serving in his first domestic assignment in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance’s National and Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (AVC/NNRRC) as a Watch Operations Officer. Clinton speaks English, Arabic, and Spanish, and he has served overseas in Harare, Zimbabwe (General Services Officer); Abu Dhabi, UAE (Consular Officer); and the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center (Contracting Officer’s Representative). Prior to joining State, Clinton worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the White House Office of Management and Budget. At the SEC, Clinton managed complex operational and technological projects. At the White House, Clinton oversaw the operational budgets of the U.S. Agency for Global Media and several international commissions and was instrumental in developing these agencies' FY2017 federal budget request.

Born and raised in Michigan, and named after his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Clinton IV earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and his MBA from the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business. Clinton completed domestic and international internships at the Michigan state legislature, the U.S. Department of State, and Canadian Parliament. After undergrad, Clinton worked as a door-to-door salesman for the Southwestern Company, selling educational books and software, and saved enough money to spend a year teaching English to underprivileged children in small mountain town in central Mexico.

After Mexico, Clinton moved to Washington, DC, to work for Michigan's Senator Debbie Stabenow, where he served Michiganders for nearly two years. After leaving Capitol Hill, Clinton continued working in advocacy and international affairs. After earning his MBA at the University of South Carolina with a focus on Global Operations and Supply Chain Management (GSCOM) and Arabic Language & Culture. Outside of government, Clinton has worked for two Fortune 500 companies and started a consulting business and a performing arts non-profit (Hamiltunes DC). Clinton is currently living in Arlington, VA during his domestic assignment, along with his wife, their son, and their dog, a Zimbabwean-rescue.

Major Bolboaca-Negru was born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, on February 8, 1977. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 13, 2001, attending Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he earned the MOS of 71L, Administrative Specialist. After earning the rank of Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, he attended the Officer Candidate Course (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia. He earned his commission in the Adjutant General Corps on April 13, 2010. In 2019, he was accepted into the Foreign Area Officer Program.

Bolboaca-Negru’s military education includes the NATO Staff Officer Course, French Army Reserve Staff Officer Course (FARSOC), Defense Language Institute French Course, Joint Foreign Area Officer Course, Adjutant General’s Officer Basic Course, Officer Candidate School, Advanced Leadership Course (ALC), and the Warrior Leadership Course (WLC). Bolboaca-Negru has an Associate’s Degree in Business and Management (2007) and an Associate’s Degree in French (2019), a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Services (2008), a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management (2009) and a Master’s Degree in International Studies (2022), and a Ph.D. Degree in Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in Public Management and Leadership (2013). He also speaks four foreign languages: Romanian, Italian, Spanish, and French.

Bolboaca-Negru’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (x4), Meritorious Honor Award, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (x4), Army Achievement Medal (x3), Army Good Conduct Medal (x2), National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (x3), Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (x2), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (x7), NATO Medal (x4), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, and Meritorious Unit Citation (x2). His military career includes deployments to Kosovo (2002-2003), Iraq (2004-2005, 2006-2007), Kuwait (2011-2012), and Afghanistan (2013).

Bolboaca-Negru has been a part of the American Society for Public Administration since 2010, the Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association since 2010, and the American Translators Association since 2012. In addition, he is an Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Research in Commerce and Management Studies (IJRCMS), a member of the Board of Directors for the Ohana Homefront Foundation, a Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and Adjunct Faculty at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California. 

Jeff Gibbs is a Senior Advisor in the Office of Regional Security Cooperation of the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability in the U.S. Department of State. For over 30 years he has been engaged in both nuclear and conventional arms control, including US-Russian nuclear negotiations, and as legal adviser on U.S. delegations for the Anti-Ballistic Missile, Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Chemical Weapons, Biological Weapons, and Open Skies Treaties, and the Dayton Peace Accords. He is currently engaged in promoting international risk reduction and confidence building measures and the use of unmanned air vehicles to provide transparency in troubled regions, reduce tensions and advance stability.

Prior to his State Department tenure, Mr. Gibbs served in various U.S. Government agencies, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff, and private legal practice.