Study Group Members

Ms. Lise Grande
President and CEO, United States Institute of Peace 

Ambassador David Hale
Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow, Wilson Center
Former US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Former Ambassador to Pakistan, Lebanon, and Jordan
Former Special Envoy for Middle East Peace 

Dr. David Shinn
Professorial Lecturer, Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University
Former US Ambassador to Burkina Faso and Ethiopia  

Ambassador Donald Yamamoto
Former US Ambassador to Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia
Former Acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs 

Ambassador Makila James
Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Africa and the Sudans
Former US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini 

Ambassador Michelle Gavin
Senior Fellow for Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Former US Ambassador to Botswana
Former US Representative to the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Former Special Assistant to President Obama
Former Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council 

Dr. Chester (Chet) Crocker
Fellow in Strategic Studies, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy
Professor of Strategic Studies, Georgetown University
Former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs  

Dr. Michael Woldemariam
Associate Professor, University of Maryland
Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace  

Mr. Michael Phelan
Managing Director, United States Institute of Peace
Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace 

Mr. Thomas Sheehy
Distinguished Fellow, United States Institute of Peace

Dr. Mark Medish
Vice Chair, Project Associates, Ltd
Former Special Assistant to President Clinton
Former Senior Director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs on the National Security Council 

Ambassador Eric Edelman
Chair of the National Defense Strategy Commission
Former Ambassador to Finland and Turkey
Former Principal Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs 

Dr. Andrew Natsios
Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs and Executive Professor, Texas A&M University 
Former Administrator for the U.S Agency for International Development
Former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan 

General Joseph Votel
Former Commander, United States Central Command
Former Commander, United States Special Operations Command  

Dr. Michael Yaffe
Vice President, Civic Engagement and Scholarship, United States Institute of Peace
Former Senior Advisor to Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations
Former Senior Advisor to Special Envoy for Middle East Peace  

Ambassador Johnnie Carson
Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace
Current Special Presidential Representative for US-Africa Leaders Summit Implementation
Former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs 
Former Ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe 

Ambassador Alexander Rondos
Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace
Former EU Special Representative to the Horn of Africa
Former Ambassador to Greece 

Dr. Joseph Sany
Vice President of the Africa Center, United States Institute of Peace 

Dr. Aaron Salzberg
Director, The Water Institute at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Distinguished Professor at UNC Chapel Hill
Former Special Coordinator for Water  

Ambassador Hesham Youssef
Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace
Former Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
Former Senior Official in the Arab League
Former Diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt