Location: American University East Campus Constitution Hall
3501 Nebraska Avenue Northwest Washington, DC 20016
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Please join us for the 2023 Helen and Daniel Sonenshine Lecture, "U.S.-Israel Relations in the Biden Era: Challenges and Opportunities" with U.S. Ambassador Thomas Nides in conversation with David Marchick, dean of American University's Kogod School of Business.
Ambassador to Israel from December 2021 to July 2023, Ambassador Nides was witness to two different Israeli governments and to weekly protests against the Netanyahu government's judicial overhaul plan. He will discuss the US bond with Israel, the state of Israeli democracy, the chain of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and the prospects for a two-state solution.
The discussion will be followed by audience Q&A and a dessert reception.
Ambassador Thomas Richard Nides is an American banker and government official. Besides serving as Ambassador to Israel during the first two years of the Biden Administration, he served as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources during the Obama administration, where he played a pivotal role in overseeing the State Department's budget and resources, as well as managing critical international relationships. With a career spanning both the public and private sectors, Ambassador Nides also held prominent positions at leading financial institutions, including Morgan Stanley, where from 2013 to 2021 he was the managing director and vice-chairman, serving as a member of the firm's management and operating committee. His unique blend of financial acumen and diplomatic expertise has made him a trusted advisor and advocate for U.S. interests on the global stage.
David Marchick joined American University in 2022, overseeing the Kogod Business School's nearly 2,000 students and more than two dozen undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs. He is a prominent leader with decades of experience in global finance, private equity, public policy, and service. He most recently served as chief operating officer and senior Biden appointee at the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). He previously spent 12 years as managing director at the Carlyle Group, where he was part of the firm’s management committee and had broad responsibility for external engagements, including working with Carlyle’s funds, investors, portfolio companies, and other stakeholders.
The annual Helen and Daniel Sonenshine Lecture was created by Israel Studies Council member Helen N. Sonenshine and her husband, Dr. Daniel E. Sonenshine. Helen (economics) and Dan (biology) are both retired professors at Old Dominion University.
This event is hosted by American University's Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies and Kogod School of Business and co-sponsored by the School of Public Affairs and School of International Service's Department of Foreign Policy and Global Security.