Advisory Board

The CMEPP advisory board provides critical strategic guidance and generous philanthropic support for RAND's Middle East research. The board is composed of public policy, nonprofit, and private sector leaders with active interests, knowledge, and experience in the Middle East.

List updated December 2018

• Ryan Crocker (Chair)

  Former Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon

• Howard L. Berman (Vice Chair)

  Former U.S. Congressman

  Senior Advisor

  Covington & Burling LLP

• Robert C. Adler

  Health Policy Analyst – Middle East

  Middle East Policy Analysis Group

• Goli Ameri

  Former Assistant Secretary of State – Educational & Cultural Affairs

  U.S. Department of State

  Cofounder

  Startitup.org

• Nancy A. Aossey

  President and Chief Executive Officer

  International Medical Corps

• Alexander L. Cappello

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

  Cappello Group Inc.

• George N. Chammas

  Director

  Chammas Group of Companies

• Tarek Dajani

  Chairman

  DNY Group

• Diane and Guilford Glazer Philanthropies

• Clifford P. Goldstein

  Founder and Managing Partner

  GPI Companies

• Howard Gordon

  Executive Producer

  Teakwood Lane Productions

• Michal Grayevsky

  Vice Chairman

  Media RSL Management

  President

  JCS International LLC

  The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation

• Stephen Hadley

  Former U.S. National Security Advisor

  Principal

  RiceHadleyGates LLC

• Ray R. Irani

  Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

  Occidental Petroleum Corporation

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

  Ray Investments, LLC

• Ann Kerr-Adams

  Fulbright Coordinator

  UCLA International Institute

• David Kirchheimer

  Advisory Partner

  Oaktree Capital Management

• Sharon S. Nazarian

  President

  Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation

• Younes Nazarian

  Founder and Chairman

  Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation

• John C. Novogrod

  Partner

  McLaughlin & Stern LLP

• Hussain Qaragholi

  Director, Sovereigns and Sovereign Wealth Funds Coverage

  Corporate and Investment Banking, Deutsche Bank

• William J. Recker

  Chair Emeritus

  Energy Innovation Center

• Peter Richards

  Board Member

  Broad Reach Foundation

• Hasan Shirazi

  Managing Director

  Citi Private Bank

• Donald Ellis Simon

  President

  The Lucille Ellis Simon Foundation

• Jay Stein

  Chairman of the Board

  Stein Mart, Inc.