Ambassador David Smith (Ret.) joined the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies as a Senior Fellow in 2005. In 2012, he became Director of the Potomac Institute Cyber Center. Ambassador Smith has had a distinguished career in defense and foreign affairs, is an expert on international security issues, and in recent years has focused on the emerging field of cyber security. He writes and lectures frequently on cyber issues and their role in international affairs, and his address to the International Cyber Defence Conference in Istanbul, Turkey in May of 2011 was entitled, "Russia, Georgia and the Shape of Cyber Wars to Come."

Ambassador Smith’s other areas of expertise include U.S. strategic missile defense, arms control, European security policy, and security relationships with China, Russia, and Korea. He also has in-depth expertise and experience in building stability and security in the South Caucasus region. Ambassador Smith is currently involved in a major project to assist the Republic of Georgia in reforming its national security institutions, and serves as Director of the Georgian Security Analysis Center in Tbilisi.