FPI New York Leaders Program

FPI New York Leaders Program

Introducing the Foreign Policy Initiative New York Leaders 

The Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) is proud to announce the members of the inaugural New York Leaders Program.  This program is part of FPI’s efforts to cultivate the next generation of foreign policy leaders.  The members include a diverse group of 39 outstanding participants from a variety of backgrounds and experience in the private sector, government, academia, non-profits, media, and the U.S. military.

The FPI New York Leaders Program was developed to create an opportunity for young professionals in New York and surrounding states to engage in thoughtful and educational conversations on foreign policy and connect with notable thinkers and practitioners in international affairs. Through a series of dinner discussions and private receptions, the program will also provide an atmosphere for these emerging leaders to share their own insights with each other, as well as career and travel experiences.

New York Leaders Program members:

Tamar Abraham, Staff Associate, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations

TATamar Abraham works at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the foreign policy umbrella for over 50 national agencies across the political and religious spectrum on issues ranging from the U.S.-Israel relationship, the United Nations, terrorism, and Iran’s nuclear program. She began her career in public service as an aide to an elected official and has worked on a mayoral campaign. Tamar’s broader interests include defense policy; the relationship among national security decision-making, public opinion, and civil-military relations; and security issues in the Middle East. She is fluent in Hebrew and has extensively studied both Arabic and Russian. Tamar is a graduate of Barnard College with a B.A. in Political Science and spent a year abroad after high school at Michlalah Jerusalem College studying classical biblical texts. In her spare time, she is an amateur genealogist and a calligrapher and artist specializing in illuminated manuscripts and paper-cut designs.

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Matthew Ackerman, Program Specialist/Analyst, The David Project

MAMatthew Ackerman is a New York-based program specialist/analyst for The David Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to positively shaping campus opinion on Israel. He regularly lectures, leads workshops, and serves as a panelist for public panels on Zionism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and related issues for student and adult audiences across North America. Prior to joining The David Project, Matthew served for three years as a research analyst in the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Center on Extremism, speaking and writing on anti-Semitism and related issues on behalf of ADL. He has also lived as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador and worked as a public high school English teacher in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Matthew’s writings have appeared in The Jerusalem Post, The New York Jewish Week, and The Forward, among other publications. He is also a regular contributor to Commentary Magazine’s blog, Contentions. Matthew’s primary foreign policy interest is Israel, but he is also concerned about the future of Europe. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

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Kevin Bell, Student, Princeton University

KBKevin Bell grew up in rural Georgia and attended Davidson College in South Carolina. He graduated as a Spanish major and began work at Farmer's Home Furniture in Athens, Georgia.  Convinced that the military couldn't be worse than sales, he enlisted in the Army, attended Officer Candidate School, and was eventually assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. Kevin deployed with his unit for a year in southeastern Afghanistan and left the Army in 2010. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Near Eastern studies at Princeton University. Kevin’s interests in foreign policy are focused on defense policy and strategy, problems in the effective use of development funds, and general issues relating to Afghanistan and the Middle East.  He speaks the following languages at varying levels of proficiency:  Spanish, Russian, Persian, French, Pashto, and Arabic.

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Brandon Brice, Property Representative, Real Estate and Development Department of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

BBRegarded for his energetic, innovative, and solutions driven leadership in conservative politics, Brandon Brice is a fighter for the American people. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and later relocated to New York City, after attending Howard University, where he received his bachelor’s in business administration, marketing, and management. Brandon later attended Rutgers University where he was awarded the Henry J. Raimondo Fellowship as an Eagleton fellow receiving his master’s degree in international affairs with the New Jersey Eagleton Institute for politics. He is currently completing his Master in Public Administration and Finance from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Brandon has served as a community organizer in New York City, working with at risk youth and low income families as well as advocating school choice and education reform throughout New York and New Jersey. He has served professionally as a business analyst for WWE, Inc., an economic associate for the National Urban League's Economic Opportunity Institute to promote financial literacy and economic empowerment, and served as the director of Education & African American Affairs in the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of the New Jersey Governor. Currently, Brandon is a property representative in the Real Estate and Development Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. As a former educator, Brandon has given lectures at Rutgers University, Baruch College, Princeton University, and the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. He has worked to further "urban economic empowerment," particularly around the issue of education reform. Brandon is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Grand Lodge of New York, the Hamilton Society of New York, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.

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Patrick Bumatay, Associate, Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello, and Bohrer, P.C.

PBPatrick Bumatay has been an associate at Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello, and Bohrer, P.C. since 2010. Previously, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Sandra L. Townes of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 2009 to 2010. In 2008, Patrick worked at the U.S. Department of Justice first as a counsel in the Office of Legal Policy and then, in 2009, as a counsel to the Associate Attorney General. Prior to that, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Timothy M. Tymkovich at the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Tenth Circuit. Patrick earned a B.A. cum laude from Yale College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he was the articles editor at Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy.

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Scott Caputo, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Concord 51 PAC

SCScott Caputo is the co-founder and co-chairman of the Concord 51 Political Action Committee.  Concord 51 is an issue-based federal non-connected political action committee focused on promoting fiscal responsibility, energy advancement in the United States, and a greater emphasis on national security and defense.  Originally, from Greenwich, Connecticut, Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. He also earned an M.B.A. from the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia with a concentration in asset management. Scott has worked as an institutional equity sales trader at Morgan Stanley in both Chicago and New York.  Along with Concord 51, he works in private wealth management for an investment bank in New York.  Scott is additionally a member of the 500 Club PAC of Greenwich, Connecticut and the New York Young Republicans.  When living in Chicago, he was a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. 

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Nathaniel Davis, Academic Instructor, U.S. Military Academy at West Point

NDMajor Nathaniel B. Davis is an active duty officer in the United States Army. His current assignment is as an academic instructor in the Defense and Strategic Studies Program at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Nathaniel’s previous assignments include plans officer and assistant operations officer in 7th Squadron, 10th United States Cavalry; commander of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry; Multi-National Division-Baghdad Information Operations chief of operations; support platoon leader; and tank platoon leader. Nathaniel’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and the Valorous Unit Citation from his time as the commander of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry in Iraq. He has served two combat tours in Iraq and served two and a half years in the Republic of Korea. Nathaniel holds B.A. in Political Science, History, and Religious Studies from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the War Studies Programme at King’s College London where his research focuses on strengthening the Responsibility to Protect by applying the emerging international norm to the rigors of military rationality as embodied by the classical military philosophers.

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Daniel Feith, Student, Yale Law School

DFDaniel Feith is a third-year student at Yale Law School. Before law school, Daniel served as principal speechwriter to Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and as a speechwriter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Prior to that, he served as special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. During law school, Daniel has worked as a summer associate at Williams & Connolly LLP and as a legal intern in the U.S. Department of Justice Counterterrorism Section.  Following law school, he will clerk for Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Southern District of New York and Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Daniel received his B.A. in Government magna cum laude from Harvard University.

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Danielle Frisa, Appellate Court Attorney, New York State Supreme Court

DFDanielle Frisa is an appellate court attorney for the Appellate Term 2nd Department of the New York State Supreme Court. During the George W. Bush Administration, she served in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of State. Danielle has also interned at the Department of Justice and the White House. Her policy interests include international law, national security law, and nonproliferation. Danielle earned her Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law. She is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where she received her B.S. in International Politics with a concentration in Security Studies, and was a Krogh Honors Scholar. A native of New York, Danielle enjoys traveling and has lived abroad in Oxford, Paris, Accra, and Buenos Aires.

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Reggie Gibbs, Manager of Strategic Operations, Starr International Companies

RGReggie Gibbs currently serves as the manager of Strategic Operations for Starr International Companies. In this role he leads and manages business expansion opportunities for Starr Companies in Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Europe. Previously, Reggie served as the director of International Programs for Business Executives for National Security (BENS), a non-profit organization focusing on the development of public-private partnerships pertaining to areas of U.S. national security. In this capacity he oversaw all aspects of BENS’ relationship with the U.S. military and foreign governments. His primary areas of focus were the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, East Asia, and Central/South Asia. Before joining BENS, Reggie was an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years. During this period, he completed four overseas deployments to Southeast Asia and the Middle East with the First Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment eventually serving in Iraq as the head of the Babil Province Iraqi police force in 2003. Reggie’s military decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V,” Combat Action Ribbon, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Presidential Unit Citation. Following his time in the Marines, Reggie served at the Pentagon in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Eurasian Affairs) where he managed U.S. defense partnership programs throughout countries of the former Soviet Union. Reggie holds an M.A. in Russian, Eurasian, and East European studies from Georgetown University, an M.A. in International Security & Commerce from the University of Kentucky, and a B.A. in International Politics from The Citadel. In 2005, he was a visiting scholar on Middle Eastern security issues at Sandia National Laboratories in Amman, Jordan. He is also a member of The Council on Foreign Relations, a former Washington fellow at The National Review Institute, and a member of The Union League Club of New York City where he serves on the Military Affairs Committee.

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Dan Greenwald, Law Student, Columbia University

DGDan Greenwald is a third-year student at Columbia Law School in New York. Prior to entering law school, he worked for three years at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). At AIPAC, Dan focused on initiatives to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, isolate Hamas, and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. During college, he worked summers at the New Jersey Environmental Federation. Dan’s first involvement in political activism came as a high school volunteer on the presidential campaign of former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. He received a B.A. in Government and Near Eastern Studies from Cornell University in 2005. In 2002, the American Mock Trial Association named Dan an “All-American Attorney.” He has also studied at Yeshivat Torat Yosef Hamivtar in Efrat, Israel. Dan and his wife, Becky, live on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

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Khalil Haddad, Senior Manager of Sales Finance, Beam Global

KHKhalil A. Haddad was born in Des Moines, Iowa and grew up in Kuwait and North Carolina. He has also lived and worked in Washington, D.C.; London; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and New York City. Khalil is a senior finance leader whose background in financial and strategic planning implementation ranges within the retail, wholesale, licensing, and manufacturing environments. His corporate career began at Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation, and he has subsequently worked within supply chain finance at Unilever on the Ragu/Bertolli tomato sauce, Bertolli frozen food and olive oil businesses, and within the corporate finance structure of the fight sports company Everlast Worldwide. Khalil’s current role is within sales finance at Beam Global.

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Jay Hallen, Chief of Staff, Moody’s Analytics

JHJay Hallen is the chief of staff of the consulting arm of Moody's Analytics, where he assists financial institutions, including global development banks, on risk management issues. Jay got his start in foreign affairs when he joined the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq in 2003 and served as a chief advisor to the development of the Iraq Stock Exchange. Among other things, he helped establish legal and physical infrastructure and organized key Iraqi stakeholders. For this work, he earned the Defense Department’s Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medal. Jay later moved to Cairo, where he consulted Egyptian financial institutions on a contract from the State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative. He also worked at a New York investment bank, structuring debt transactions for banks in Eastern Europe and Latin America. In his spare time, Jay attends events with Manhattan Institute’s Young Leaders Program and writes foreign policy commentaries on economic freedom and democracy promotion. He has recently published articles with the Manhattan Institute, the American Enterprise Institute, and National Review. A New York City native, Jay received a B.A. from Yale in political science, and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, where he edited the school’s international business journal.

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Crosby Haynes, Raines International

CHCrosby Haynes works at Raines International. Previously, she was an investment representative at Barclays Wealth, an investment management firm.  Crosby is also an active member of the University Club of New York where she is a member of the Younger Members Committee and captain of their women’s doubles squash team.  She is a 2010 graduate of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia where she focused on entrepreneurship and finance. While there Crosby traveled to South Africa and Zambia to study opportunities for social entrepreneurship. Prior to Darden, she worked in real estate development in Washington, D.C.  Crosby worked as a White House intern in 2002 for the Office of Presidential Personnel under Clay Johnson.  She also worked for the Bush-Cheney Campaign 2004 at Headquarters for Political – Central States – Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.  Crosby graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004 with an A.B. in History and a focus on Warfare, Foreign Policy, and Latin American Studies.  Crosby was also captain of the Dartmouth varsity women’s squash team and a member of the Dartmouth varsity equestrian team.  Crosby is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.  She is the oldest of five children from a small town in western Virginia.  When she isn’t working, Crosby spends her time reading novels, playing squash, tennis, golf, or skiing.

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David Ibsen, Executive Director, United Against Nuclear Iran

DIDavid Ibsen currently serves as executive director for United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) – a non-partisan advocacy group that seeks to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to obtain nuclear weapons. UANI develops programs and projects such as Private Sanctions corporate campaigns, federal and state legislative initiatives, and grassroots advocacy campaigns, to increase the economic and diplomatic isolation of Iran and end corporate support for the regime. David previously served as a policy analyst for the U.S. Department of State and as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations under Ambassadors John Bolton and Zalmay Khalilzad. Prior to that, David worked as an advisor for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). He holds an M.A. in International Security Policy from Columbia University and a B.A. in English Literature from Hunter College.

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Kilic Kanat, Assistant Professor, Penn State University

KKKilic Bugra Kanat is a an assistant professor of Political Science at Penn State University, Erie and a non-resident fellow at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in Washington, D.C. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Syracuse University. Kilic earned another M.A. in International Affairs from Marquette University. He completed his undergraduate education in the International Relations Department of the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. Kilic also holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Middle Eastern Affairs and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Conflict Resolution. His main areas of research interests are in foreign policy decision-making, foreign policy change and domestic politics, and foreign policy interaction. Kilic’s writings are published in Foreign Policy, Insight Turkey, Star, Today's Zaman, Zaman Daily, and Radikal Daily. He is also co-editor of a forthcoming book titled History, Politics and Foreign Policy in Turkey.

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Mary Kissel, Editorial Board Member, The Wall Street Journal

MKMary E. Kissel is a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board, where she contributes regularly to the global Journal’s signed and unsigned commentary on finance, economics, and international affairs. Mary joined the Journal in Hong Kong in 2004 to write the Heard in Asia column, the Journal’s premier column on financial markets. From 2005 to 2010, she served as the Journal’s Asia-Pacific opinion editor. Under her direction, the team was twice recognized by Amnesty International Hong Kong and the Foreign Correspondents’ Club for outstanding human rights work. In addition to the editorial page, Mary’s work has appeared in the Far Eastern Economic Review, Global Affairs, and the Spectator Australia. She is a weekly co-host of ABC Radio’s nationally syndicated John Batchelor Show and appears on the Bill Bennett Show. Her television credentials include Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, Australian Broadcasting, and the BBC. Mary began her career at Goldman Sachs as a fixed-income research and capital-markets specialist in New York and London. Mary has a master’s degree in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University. She is a native of south Florida and resides in New York.

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Joseph Lin, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Pennsylvania

JLJoseph E. Lin is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include power transitions, military strategies, and security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region; his dissertation examines the rationale guiding the arms procurement practices of rising powers. Prior to starting his graduate studies, Joseph was a senior consultant at Detica/Defense Forecast Inc. and also a research fellow in its internal think tank, the Strategy & Innovation Group. Additionally, he served as the editor of China Brief at The Jamestown Foundation and on the foreign policy team of the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign. Joseph has published articles on competitive strategies, energy security, and the proliferation of dual-use space technologies. He has also been featured on BBC, CNN, This Week in Defense News (WUSA), Voice of America [Chinese Branch], and Radio Free Asia [Mandarin Service]. Joseph holds a B.A. with honors in International Studies and East Asian Studies from The Johns Hopkins University, a certificate in Advanced Chinese from the Beijing Language and Culture University, and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a native speaker of English and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese (Hokkien).

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Courtney Lutterman, Market Development Executive, International Enterprise Singapore

CLCourtney Lutterman is the market development executive for International Enterprise Singapore’s New York City office. In this role, she helps Singaporean companies in the biotechnology, food, apparel, and furniture industries do business in the United States for the first time. Specifically, Courtney helps them find customers, identify importers and distributors, assess U.S. market potential for their products, and navigate customs issues. Previously, she worked as a consultant for Ernst & Young’s Customs and International Trade practice and as a research analyst for ORC International, a market research and strategy consulting firm. Courtney graduated The University of Chicago with a B.A. in Political Science (focusing on international political economy and state-society relations) and minored in Latin American studies (focusing on comparative politics). She also studied abroad in Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil. Courtney is from Atlanta, Georgia.

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Alexandra Merle-Huet, Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

AM-HAlexandra (Alex) Merle-Huet works at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) in the Special Investments Management Group, which is responsible for overseeing certain portfolios in the Bank’s financial stability efforts. Alex’s main responsibilities include overseeing the TALF portfolio, a portfolio of residential whole loans in the Maiden Lane LLC and running the Group’s administration. Prior to working in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Alex was assistant chief of staff in the Executive Office. She also spent over three years in the Financial Institutions Supervisory Group at FRBNY. Prior to joining the Federal Reserve in 2004, Alex received a Master of International Affairs (MIA) from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), with a concentration in International Finance and Business. While at Columbia, she was a teaching assistant for the MIA program’s financial accounting course. Before attending SIPA, Alex worked as an associate in the Council on Foreign Relation’s Corporate Program. Prior to joining the Council on Foreign Relations, she worked in business development in the technology sector. Alex holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

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DM David Meyers, Student, Columbia Law School

David Meyers served in the White House from 2006 to 2009 and later worked in the United States Senate. He is a regular contributor to The Daily Caller and other publications where he writes on foreign and domestic policy. David has appeared on NPR and other national media programs and lectures on current events at various institutions in New York. He is currently pursuing a law degree at Columbia University with a focus on national security and the American political system.

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Tommy Moll, Associate, Jefferies & Company

A native of Arkansas, Tommy Moll works on a natural resources team at Jefferies & Company, an investment bank in New York. Previously, he worked at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, focusing on U.S. trade policy and economic sanctions. Tommy holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary, a master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

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Alice Newcombe, British Fulbright Scholar, Harvard Business School

ANAlice Newcombe is a British Fulbright scholar to Harvard Business School (HBS), where she is studying for an M.B.A. Prior to HBS, Alice worked for TPG Capital, a leading global private equity firm. She has a First Class degree in mathematics from the University of Cambridge, where she was a scholar of St. John’s College and member of Cambridge Debating Union. Alice has been engaged in varied non-profit work and international projects. She spent summer 2011 at the International Labor Organization in Geneva and attended the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Alice has been involved in voluntary work in Africa and India and has given strategic assistance to Homeless International, a charity aimed at assisting the one billion people worldwide who live in slums. Alice is also trained as a mentor for vulnerable children. In her spare time, she enjoys running marathons for charity, including New York 2011, Paris 2011, and the Maasai girls’ project 2011 half marathon in Kenya.

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Aviva Roland, Program Specialist/Analyst, The David Project

ARAviva Roland is a program specialist/analyst at The David Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to positively shaping campus opinion on Israel. She researches, writes, and regularly lectures on issues pertaining to Israel, the Middle East, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Aviva has worked at The David Project since 2007 as campus programs manager and campus coordinator for New England and Canada. She studied at Rutgers University in her home state of New Jersey for her undergraduate degree, majoring in Middle East studies, anthropology, and religion. Aviva received her M.A. in Government with a concentration in Diplomacy and Conflict Studies from the Lauder School of Government at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. Her foreign policy interests include the U.S. relationship with Middle Eastern and North African countries and, of course, Israel. She speaks Hebrew and has studied Arabic and Spanish. An avid birder, Aviva also enjoys reading, archaeology, and baking. She lives outside Boston, Massachusetts with her husband.

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Andrew Sagor, Associate, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, and McCloy LLP

ASAndrew Sagor is an associate in the Banking and Leveraged Finance Department of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, and McCloy LLP. His practice focuses on representing lead banks and agents on a broad array of domestic and international financings. Andrew is a graduate of Amherst College and New York University Law School. Prior to law school, he served in the Bush administration as a special assistant to the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues within the Office of the Secretary of State. Andrew helped in developing and implementing U.S. policy responses to atrocities committed in areas of conflict, with a particular focus on coordinating policy toward the Balkans and West Africa. He also assisted the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large in negotiating with and engaging nations regarding their nationals held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and captured by U.S. forces in combat. Andrew was responsible for the office’s communications and public outreach program, including drafting press guidance and statements for the State Department spokesperson and responding to press inquiries. He is a recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Meritorious Honor Award. In his free time, Andrew enjoys tennis, running, and skiing.

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Ariella Saperstein, Associate Director, American Friends of The Hebrew University

ASAriella Saperstein is associate director at American Friends of The Hebrew University, where she develops programming with faculty members and students to showcase groundbreaking research being done in Israel. She previously spent five years at the Anti-Defamation League lobbying on civil rights issues, planning public conferences on the Middle East, and facilitating workshops for college students on Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 2008, Ariella was selected for the Germany Close Up program sponsored by the German government to bring young American Jews to Berlin to discuss the country's history and the future of German-Israeli and German-American relations. In 2009, she took part in the Israel Diplomatic Fellowship program through the Israeli Consulate in New York. Ariella is particularly interested in America's role in the Middle East, Israeli-Palestinian relations, and national security issues. She received a B.A. in Philosophy from Haverford College in 2004 and currently lives in Brooklyn.

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Michael Sellman, Vice President, Morgan Stanley Principal Investments

MSMichael Sellman works in New York as a vice president in Morgan Stanley Principal Investments, the firm’s on-balance sheet private equity and special situations trading effort. Prior, he worked as a currency derivatives trader and strategist for the firm in New York and London. Michael holds an A.B. in History and Government from Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, where he served as class marshal, chairman of the Senior Class Commencement Committee, and vice president of the student body. He is treasurer of the Board of Directors of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy and helped found the New York branch; participated in the Council for the United States and Italy's 2010 Young Leaders Program; and served as the associate editor for three books on contemporary American art containing over 600 pages, 2000 color plates, and more than 25 essays. Michael is an Eagle Scout and enjoys shooting, squash, skiing, and the opera.

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Carrie Sheffield 

CSCarrie Sheffield is a writer and political analyst in Manhattan. She previously worked in the credit research group at Goldman Sachs after graduating with a master’s degree in business policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Before graduate school, Carrie was a D.C.-based journalist who worked as an editorial writer for The Washington Times and a reporter for POLITICO and The Hill. In 2009, she won funding from Harvard’s Joan Shorenstein Center to serve as a correspondent for The Jerusalem Post in Israel, where she covered the Knesset (parliament) and U.S.-Israeli relations. Passionate about foreign policy, Carrie completed a Fulbright journalism fellowship in Berlin, the European Journalism Institute in Prague, and the Middle East Journalism Bootcamp in Doha and Cairo. She reported internationally about the 25th anniversary of perestroika in Moscow, North-South Korean relations in Seoul, the Beijing Olympics in China, and political reforms in Egypt, including an interview with senior leadership at the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters. Carrie’s writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, American Spectator and The Daily Caller. She earned a B.A. in Communications from Brigham Young University.

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Tiffany Shorter, Business Development Associate, British Consulate General

TSTiffany Shorter is a business development associate at the British Consulate General in New York. She primarily focuses on U.K. energy and environmental companies succeeding in the U.S. market. Tiffany also serves on the board of directors at Earth Rights Institute – Kechie’s Project and previously served as the director of communications at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy in New York. Taking an active interest in U.S. domestic policy, she has been a regular guest on FOX News Live and featured on Sean Hannity, BBC, CNN, Inside Edition, Information.dk (Denmark), The Telegraph (United Kingdom) and Avui (Spain). Tiffany’s career began in Europe after graduating from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign with a B.A in Political Science. In Belgium, she promoted promising start-up technology companies to venture capital firms and later earned a LL.M. in International Law and International Relations at the University of Kent. Currently Tiffany is pursuing an Executive Master of Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University.

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Sam Siegel, Analyst, Goldman Sachs

SSSam Siegel works in the Mortgage Department at Goldman Sachs. His group helps its American and European bank clients maximize returns on their portfolios of mortgage-backed securities. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Sam worked as a project analyst at the law firm Mintz Levin, where he primarily worked with the white-collar defense group on a number of high-profile cases. Outside of work, Sam is a board member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Young Leadership Group, where he gets to help deepen the U.S.-Israel relationship and also to learn about some of the most pressing issues facing Israel and the Middle East. Additionally, in his spare time Sam has written about domestic and foreign affairs for Commentary Magazine, FrumForum, and Jewish Ideas Daily. He has run many races, including the 2010 New York City Marathon. Sam graduated from Princeton University in 2009 with a degree in politics (focusing on American politics).

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Andre Stein, Director - International, Structured Finance Partners

Andre Stein works in the international financial markets where he researches, analyzes, and advises on the impact of global political, security, economic, and regulatory risk on investment strategies and instruments. His expertise includes scenario-planning and identifying signals and patterns in non-economically motivated behavior which affect market prices and volatility. Andre previously served as a senior advisor to a global professional services company, focusing on political/security risk, sovereign decision-making, and capital flows, including in Europe and Africa, where he led meetings with Cabinet Ministers and other senior officials. Andre also worked as a staff adviser to a Cabinet minister in the Australian Federal Government and was a practicing attorney. He was an election observer for the International Democrat Union in South Asia and is a former visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Andre is a graduate of Harvard University with a master’s degree in international security and political economy. He also holds a First Class Honors degree in political science and a degree in law from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Andre’s interests include East European, German, British, Eurasian and Middle East politics, security sector reform, and the impact of infrastructure development on ethno-religiously divided communities. Andre speaks German, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, and Afrikaans. His opinion articles on a range of policy matters have been published in The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian Financial Review as well as national newspapers in South-East Europe.

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Dana Stern Gibber, Student, Yale Law School

DSGDana Stern Gibber is a student at Yale Law School, where her focus is national security law.  Before law school, she worked in the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, where her research concentrated on the role of the United States and international institutions in global conflict prevention, and the political and military implications of the U.S. targeted killing program.  Dana also served as the assistant director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, a research institute devoted to promoting the lessons of the Holocaust through the advancement of international justice. She is an alumna of the Tikvah-Hertog Summer Institute on Law and National Security. Her other experience includes working in the Chambers of Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research; the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor in Israel; the Office of the Prime Minister in Israel; and the White House Office of Political Affairs.  Dana graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in Government and English Literature.

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BSBrian Stewart, Editorial Associate, National Review

Brian Stewart is a political journalist whose articles and reviews have appeared in The Wall Street Journal and National Review, among other publications. He focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy, especially in the Middle East. Raised in Geneva, Switzerland and educated at Indiana University, Brian currently resides in Manhattan.

 

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Matthew Swift, Co-Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Concordia LLC

MSBased in New York, Matthew Swift is the founder and CEO of The Concordia Summit Group as well as co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Legacy Management Group, a management company for former Heads of State. He has principal responsibility along with Nicholas Logothetis. For the past eight years, Matthew has worked alongside Nicholas as they developed their own food supply company in high school, participated in the launch of a business education program for inner-city high school students called E360, and served in various positions at News Corporation. While at News Corporation, Matthew worked for the Fox News Channel, The New York Post, British Sky Broadcasting, and in the corporate offices of News Corp. in New York. He has also worked under Senator John Warner of Virginia and for the Business Roundtable in Washington, D.C. Active in American politics, Matthew has also recently co-founded and serves as chairman of Concord 51, a political action committee for young professionals. He is responsible for the management of Legacy Management Group and The Concordia Summit, the non-profit subsidiary.

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Robert-John Tasker

RJTRobert-John Tasker has worked in communications at a trade and investment entity since moving to New York City in late 2011. He was previously a local government councillor for five years in Kingston-upon-Thames, south west London, representing the Conservative Party and being promoted to the shadow executive role for Young People's Services. Since graduating from university, he has worked in corporate public relations advising a number of FTSE 200 companies. Robert has also written for online political publications and helped run non-political campaigns in both the U.S. and U.K. His main interests in foreign policy are the Middle East, Africa, America, and South East Asia.

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Christian Vanderbrouk, Senior Director of Global Affairs and Government Relations, NYSE Euronext

CVChristian Vanderbrouk is senior director of Global Affairs and Government Relations for NYSE Euronext, the world’s leading exchange group and operator of the New York Stock Exchange. In this role, Christian manages relationships with government officials and policy makers worldwide, with a focus on the Americas and East Asia. In addition, he advocates on the company’s behalf before international and domestic audiences and coordinates special projects with an international or policy component. Previously, Christian held several positions as a political appointee during the administration of President George W. Bush. While at the U.S. Department of State, Christian was responsible for coordinating presidential delegations abroad, including the trip by former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton to the tsunami-affected countries of South and East Asia in 2005. At the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an international development agency, he worked to develop and implement policy reform programs in Africa and Eastern Europe. Earlier, he served as a White House intern. Christian is a graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and a native of Houston, Texas. He currently resides in New York City.

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Baylene Wacks, Consultant

BWMost recently a macro research manager at a New York-based global investment fund, Baylene Wacks provided investment professionals with information that covers geopolitical impact on financial markets. She also worked with the CEO's philanthropic, policy, and political entity with a focus on building out disbursement strategy. While living in Israel, Baylene served as the director of development for a Jerusalem-based think tank and participated in an intensive Hebrew language program. Prior to that, she managed a team of legislative staff in the Policy & Government Affairs department of a leading grassroots lobbying organization in Washington, D.C. Born and raised in south Florida, Baylene studied international affairs and Judaic studies at the George Washington University. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Young Leadership of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as well as on the leadership committees for multiple organizations in her community. Baylene is interested in the intersection of business and government and the opportunities provided by the cooperation of the two industries. She is particularly engaged in foreign policy issues related to the Middle East.

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Zack Wasserman, Ph.D. Candidate, Yale University

ZWZack Wasserman is a Ph.D. candidate in History at Yale University, where he studies American foreign relations, as well as international political economy and technology during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His dissertation, “The Postindustrial Superpower,” explores the relationships between the information revolution, the military-academic-industrial complex, and American national security strategy during the Cold War. Prior to graduate school, Zack served as managing director of Pacific Stainless, an international specialty steel firm with operations in China, the United States, and the Philippines. He was the 2008 recipient of the Leonard Marks Prize from the American Academy of Diplomacy and a 2010 fellow with the Global Governance 2020. Zack has an M.A. in International Relations from Yale and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He speaks German and Mandarin Chinese.

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