Across the Middle East, key crises have reached a critical moment. With Iran nuclear negotiations at an impasse, the clock toward possible military confrontation grows louder each day. In Syria, the assassination of three members of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle could tip the balance toward his overthrow, but ethnic tension and the influx of jihadist fighters raise the prospects of chaos and violence in the aftermath. With the election of an Islamist president in Egypt, tensions have risen across the Sinai Peninsula, the former peace buffer that has turned into a hot zone of potential conflict. And, like last year, the Palestinian Authority once again threatens to take stalled diplomacy to a showdown at the United Nations.
For an in-depth briefing on these key issues -- and insight into the Obama administration's approach to them in the weeks before our presidential election -- please join this trustee call-in with Ambassador Dennis Ross, the Institute's counselor and a former presidential advisor.
This conference call briefing will also constitute a special Board of Trustees meeting convened, in accordance with our bylaws, for the purpose of voting to endorse the nomination of two new members to the Institute's Board of Directors: Susan Wagner (Chicago) and Jay Bernstein (Long Island). For our records, we request that you clearly state and spell your full name during the call sign-in process.
At its June 2012 meeting, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to nominate Susan and Jay to inaugural one-year terms (renewable), subject to ratification by the trustees.
Susan Wagner, a certified public accountant, is involved in commercial and multi-family real estate, enterprise mobility, IT support, and her family's philanthropic endeavors, including the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Family Foundation. She and her husband, Mike Lippitz, have been trustees since 2002 and are members of the Statesman's Circle. In addition to strengthening the Institute's presence in Chicago, Susan and her family helped launch and sustain Fikra Forum, the Institute's English-Arabic blog that supports Arab democrats in their struggle against authoritarians and extremists. And in honor of their parents, Susan and her sisters generously supported the Institute's special research on Israel and U.S. national interests.
Jay Bernstein has been chairman and CEO of NIC Holding Corp. since 1988. A privately owned company that trades petroleum on futures exchanges and spot markets in the Atlantic basin, NIC owns and operates petroleum and pipeline distribution terminals on Long Island and in the New York metropolitan area. Generous Institute trustees since 2009, Jay and his wife, Jill, are active in the New York area and are members of the Leadership Circle. Jay is a board member of the American Friends of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and of Island Harvest, a Long Island "food rescue" charity. He also serves on the national council of the Aspen Art Museum and the chairman's council of the Long Island Philharmonic.
To access a replay of the call, available for five days after the event, dial 719-457-0820 and enter the passcode 6145418.
Audio of the call will be posted to the Conference Call Archive within a few days after the call, and a notification will be included in the next "TWI at Work" email newsletter.
For more information, please contact Kayvan Chinichian at 202-452-0650 or kayvanc@washingtoninstitute.org.
|