Charles Ries, Chair
"Ambassador (ret.) Charles Ries is Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation. During his 31 year career at the State Department, Ries was Ambassador to Greece, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, and Coordinator for Economic Transition at U.S. Embassy Baghdad, among many other assignments. Ambassador Ries holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the Johns Hopkins University."

Maura A. Harty
Ambassador Maura Harty is President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic, Inc. Her 27 year career as a Foreign Service Officer Ambassador Harty was distinguished by her six years service as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Consular Affairs and Ambassador to Paraguay. She retired with the personal rank of Career Minister.

Francis X. Taylor
Francis X. Taylor has been Vice President and Chief Security Officer for the General Electric Company since 2005. Ambassador Taylor had a distinguished 35-year career in government service, including serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security and Director of the Office of Foreign Missions, and Ambassador at Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism for the Department of State. During his 31 years in the U.S. Air Force, Ambassador Taylor served with distinction in numerous command and staff positions, rising to the rank of Brigadier General.

Johnny Young
Ambassador Johnny Young is the executive director of Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. His distinguished 37 year Foreign Service career, where he attained the rank of career ambassador, included service as Ambassador to Slovenia, Bahrain, Togo, and Sierra Leone, as well as assignments in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Caribbean and Washington, including as Executive Director in the Office of the Inspector General.

Tracey Jacobson
Ambassador Tracey Jacobson is an active duty Foreign Service Officer who is currently Deputy Director of the Foreign Service Institute. Her prior service includes tours as U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan, U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan, and as Deputy Executive Secretary in the National Security Council.

John Bass
Ambassador John Bass is currently the Executive Secretary of the State Department. An active duty Foreign Service Officer, he has served as the Ambassador to Georgia, Special Advisor on Europe and Eurasia to Vice President Dick Cheney, and Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott. His overseas assignments include Italy, Chad, Belgium, and Iraq, where he led a provincial reconstruction team.

Carol Lancaster
"Dr. Lancaster is Dean of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service,where she is also professor of politics with a joint appointment in the Department of Government. She has had an extensive career in government, including terms as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1993 to 1996 and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the U.S. State Department from 1980-81. In addition, she has been a consultant for the United Nations, the World Bank and numerous other organizations. She is the author of numerous books and articles on foreign policy, foreign aid and African politics and development. She serves on the board of Nyumbani Children's Village, the American Academy of Diplomacy, the Institute for Turkish Studies, the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Vital Voices, and the Society for International Development.”