Amb. James Jeffrey Rejoins Washington Institute as Philip Solondz Distinguished Fellow
Washington, DC – Ambassador James F. Jeffrey, one of America’s most experienced diplomats, is rejoining The Washington Institute as its Philip Solondz Distinguished Fellow, the research organization announced today. A veteran of the Institute from 2013 to 2018, Ambassador Jeffrey will focus on U.S. diplomatic and military strategy in the Middle East.
"Jim’s return comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. strategy in the Middle East," said the Institute’s Segal Executive Director Robert Satloff. "His unmatched experience — serving as senior White House official, ambassador to three countries and coordinator of the global effort to defeat ISIS —will enrich our analysis and be an invaluable source of guidance to policymakers navigating today’s volatile regional landscape."
In more than five decades of public service, Ambassador Jeffrey rose through the diplomatic corps to serve as U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Iraq and Albania. During the George W. Bush administration, he also served as assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor. And in the first Trump administration, he held dual roles as U.S. special representative for Syria and special envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Most recently, Ambassador Jeffrey served as chair of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
A former U.S. Army infantry officer, Ambassador Jeffrey served in Germany and Vietnam from 1969 to 1976. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Northeastern University and a master of business administration degree from Boston University.
Media Contact: Shelby Weiss, 202-230-9550, email.
About The Washington Institute: The Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution funded exclusively by U.S. citizens that seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.