James Schreiber Elected Chairman of Washington Institute’s Board of Trustees

Washington, D.C. – James Schreiber — attorney, businessman, and philanthropic leader — was elected chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the organization announced today. Mr. Schreiber succeeds Board Chairman Martin J. Gross who becomes chairman emeritus.

Mr. Schreiber, a longstanding member of the Institute's Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, served previously as an Institute senior vice president. He lives in Greenwich, CT, and New York City.

"It is a true honor to be elected chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Washington Institute," said Mr. Schreiber. "Now, more than ever, I believe the Institute contributes to the vital national security interests of the United States by providing analysis and ideas to our nation’s leaders. Indeed, it is fair to characterize the Institute as both a 'think and do tank,' given that its policy prescriptions carry such weight with senior government officials who make and implement U.S. policy in the region. As chairman, I look forward to strengthening its capacity to provide policymakers with solutions that will advance security and peace in this critical region of the world."

"For more than 20 years, Jim has been selflessly devoted to the mission of the Institute," said Chairman Emeritus Gross and Institute President Shelly Kassen. "We look forward to his leadership as chairman of the Board of Trustees."

Following his service as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1969 to 1974, Mr. Schreiber worked in private practice in New York City for nearly 30 years before becoming the chairman, chief executive officer, and principal shareholder of Dairy Enterprises, Inc., at the time the largest dairy processor in the Northeast. He sits on many nonprofit boards including the Columbia Law School Board of Visitors and the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, of which he previously served as chairman, as well as having served for many years on the Brown University Sports Foundation. He is the founder of the Palestinian Rule of Law Project, a program that brings Palestinian lawyers to the United States for a one-year master's program at prominent law schools to strengthen democratic institutions in Gaza and the West Bank. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Brown University and his law degree from Columbia University. He also graduated from Harvard Business School’s three-year OPM program. Between them, he and his wife Wendy have eight grown children and 15 grandchildren.

About the Washington Institute: The Washington 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.

Media Contact: Ian Byrne, 202-452-0650, email.