Jeff Rathke Joins CSIS as Deputy Director and Senior Fellow of the Europe Program
September 10, 2015
WASHINGTON, September 10, 2015 – The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is pleased to announce that Jeff Rathke has joined the center as the deputy director of its Europe Program.
Prior to his position at CSIS, Mr. Rathke was a member of the U.S. Foreign Service for twenty-four years and served in a variety of senior positions. Most recently, he served as the Director of the State Department Press Office from May 2014 to June 2015 and briefly as acting Deputy Spokesperson. During a career focused primarily on Europe, Mr. Rathke was Deputy Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General in Brussels (2009-2011) and Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin (2006-2009), along with assignments in Moscow, Riga, and Dublin. His Washington assignments included Deputy Director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs, as well as posts in the White House Situation Room and the State Department Operations Center.
“I am delighted that Jeff is joining the CSIS family at a moment of inflection for the transatlantic relationship,” said Heather A. Conley, CSIS Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic and Director of the Europe Program. “From Russia’s rapid transition from partner to adversary to a growing migration crisis and ongoing economic challenges, Europe is confronting a multitude of challenges that shake the very foundations of European unity. With insights gleaned from over two decades of diplomatic service, Jeff’s experience and analytical skills will strengthen CSIS’s research and activities and also deepen the Washington policy community’s understanding of the importance of NATO and evolving European political, economic and institutional dynamics.”
“Although transatlantic policy debates have faded, it is time for Washington to return NATO to its rightful place as a key pillar of U.S. national security,” said John J. Hamre, CSIS President, CEO, and Pritzker Chair. “Jeff Rathke’s extensive knowledge and understanding of NATO and European political and security issues will contribute to CSIS’s continued leadership on driving cutting edge research on critical European issues.”
Mr. Rathke holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Princeton University and B.A. and B.S. degrees from Cornell University. He has received state awards from the governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, along with several State Department Superior Honor and Meritorious Honor Awards. He speaks German, Russian, and Latvian.
The CSIS Europe Program produces forward-looking analyses on transatlantic relations, the process of European integration, and political developments in individual countries across Europe. The CSIS Europe Program research and activities seek to strengthen the transatlantic relationship by bringing together senior EU and member state officials, European policy experts, and foreign policy experts to examine current and future items on the transatlantic agenda. In building this network, the Europe Program has developed as a signature forum for open and honest dialogues regarding the immediate and long-range challenges facing Europe and the United States.
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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1962 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It seeks to advance global security and prosperity by providing strategic insights and policy solutions to decisionmakers.