Retired Army Lt. Gen. E.P. Smith has been selected to be president of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies at Fort DeRussy in Waikiki.

The center is a Defense Department regional study, conference and research forum where "current and future military and civilian leaders from Asia-Pacific nations gather to enhance security cooperation through programs of executive education, professional exchange, and policy-relevant research," according to its Web site.

A primary focus of the center is the interrelationship of military, economic, political and diplomatic policies relevant to regional security.

Last year, the center had a $13.8 million budget. One of five such regional institutions, the Asia-Pacific Center last week co-hosted a "biosecurity threats" conference. More than 35 military and civilian experts attended the conference.

Smith replaces H.C. "Hank" Stackpole, a retired Marine general. Smith served in the U.S. Army for 35 years, was a colonel in the Operations Directorate at U.S. Pacific Command and commanded U.S. Army Pacific at Fort Shafter from 1998 to 2002.

"I'm honored and excited to be joining an organization focused on security cooperation among nations in the Asia-Pacific region," Smith said. "The value-added of (the center) to this region in leader development and long-term relationship building is very high."

According to the online newsletter "Inside the Pentagon," the Defense Department in May requested legislation to consolidate management of the five centers, including the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, and the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies.

The centers had been operating independently under different administrative and policy chains, according to "Inside the Pentagon," but it wanted "a more consistent, unified program, recognizing that the value of a collaborative set of centers with a coherent message exceeds the sum of their individual contributions."