TRAVERE CITY - Jack Segal, a retired senior U.S. diplomat who helped negotiate major nuclear arms control treaties and taught at Northwestern Michigan College for more than 15 years, has passed away.
Segal was a prominent figure in international diplomacy and a deeply respected educator who co-led the International Affairs Forum in Traverse City.
During a 35-year career, Segal served at the White House, the National Security Council and NATO before transitioning to education. At Northwestern Michigan College, he guided thousands of students and community members through complex global issues, helping to strengthen civil dialogue throughout Northern Michigan.
Segal held high-level positions within the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council and NATO during his 35-year diplomatic career. He was the primary author of the U.S.-USSR Agreement on Nuclear Risk Reduction and served as a negotiator for the START nuclear arms control treaty. His career included diplomatic posts in Russia, Israel, Palestine and Afghanistan.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Segal and his wife, Karen, established the first Western diplomatic mission to 40 million people in Central Russia. The couple later brought this international experience to Traverse City, where they co-led the International Affairs Forum at NMC and expanded partnerships to strengthen regional dialogue on global issues.
Segal’s diplomatic path was influenced by his military service as a veteran of the Vietnam War, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. Nick Nissley, president of Northwestern Michigan College, noted that this experience was life-altering for Segal. “He was a voice of calm reason through his 35 years as a diplomat, in part because he witnessed the ravages of war,” Nissley said.
Alex Tank, director of the International Affairs Forum, said Segal used his background to bridge the gap between high-level diplomacy and the local community. “Jack, imparted a great deal of wisdom and experience into our proceedings in our monthly programs that we hold throughout the semester,” Tank said. Tank added that Segal could “take complex subjects” and “break them down into tangible parts to help, you know, regular people” understand the nuances of international relations.
This expertise made Segal’s courses some of the most popular in the college’s extended education program. Laura Stevens, director of extensive education and training at NMC, recalled how quickly interest in his teaching grew through the community. “It just shows you how that word of mouth spread about Jack so quickly and how he could fill a class, fifty, sixty people, however many people we could fit into the biggest room that we could find on campus,” Stevens said.
Even toward the end of his life, Segal remained engaged with the college’s Student Leadership Team to speak with students individually. Nissley said these interactions reflected Segal’s core belief that understanding comes from listening to those closest to the work. “What defined Jack was not the prominence of the roles he held, but the humility and curiosity he brought to every interaction,” Nissley said. “Yet he was always more interested in listening than in being recognized.”
In 2024, the college recognized Jack and Karen Segal as NMC Fellows, which is the institution’s highest honor. They were selected for their service, leadership and 15 years of support for the NMC Foundation, specifically contributing to programs focused on student learning and civic engagement.
Segal had planned to continue his teaching career into the next academic year. A colleague at the college noted that his work was interrupted by a recent health change. “He had already submitted his classes for the fall of 2025 and was wanting to teach about nuclear arms and those global agreements and unfortunately that is when he got his diagnosis and he emailed us to let us know that he wouldn’t be able to teach and likely not again and that is a true loss,” the colleague said.
Even toward the end of his life, Segal remained engaged with the college’s Student Leadership Team to speak with students individually. Nissley said these interactions reflected Segal’s core belief that understanding comes from listening to those closest to the work. “What defined Jack was not the prominence of the roles he held, but the humility and curiosity he brought to every interaction,” Nissley said. “Yet he was always more interested in listening than in being recognized.”
In 2024, the college recognized Jack and Karen Segal as NMC Fellows, which is the institution’s highest honor. They were selected for their service, leadership and 15 years of support for the NMC Foundation, specifically contributing to programs focused on student learning and civic engagement.
Segal had planned to continue his teaching career into the next academic year. Stevens noted that his work was interrupted by a recent health change. “He had already submitted his classes for the fall of 2025 and was wanting to teach about nuclear arms and those global agreements, and unfortunately that is when he got his diagnosis and he emailed us to let us know that he wouldn’t be able to teach and likely not again, and that is a true loss,” Stevens said.