Biographies

Ambassador Richard S. Williamson

Ambassador Richard S. Williamson is a Partner at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, LLP, and a Member of the Board of Directors at the International Republican Institute (IRI). Ambassador Williamson previously served as Ambassador and US Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (2004) and as US Ambassador and Alternate Representative to the United Nations for Special Political Affairs (2002-2003).

Bernard Aronson

Bernard Aronson is a Founder and Managing Partner of ACON Investments L.L.C. Mr. Aronson currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), a leading non-governmental organization engaged in the promotion of democracy worldwide. Mr. Aronson previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (1989-1993).

Paul Behrends

Paul Behrends is a partner at Alexander Strategy Group and has been involved in public policy issues relating to international politics and business for over 14 years. From 1990-1997, Mr. Berhends served as senior advisor for international relations and national security affairs for Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), a senior Member of the House International Relations Committee.

Thomas O. Melia

Thomas O. Melia is Director of Research at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he also teaches courses on "democratic change" in the School of Foreign Service. For more than a dozen years, Melia held senior posts at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).

Daniel Twining

Daniel C. Twining is an Oxford-based consultant to the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a public policy institute dedicated to strengthening transatlantic relations. Previously, Mr. Twining served as foreign policy advisor to U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), for whom he worked for seven years.

Judy Van Rest

Judy Van Rest is Executive Vice President for the International Republican Institute (IRI). She previously served as Senior Advisor for Governance for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq.

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