Wednesday, December 18, 2024
with Ambassador Gary Grappo
DCFR Global Speaker Series
Speaker: Ambassador Gary Grappo
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: Central Denver Location (Please register for details)
Description of Event
After a period of about ten years of relative quiet, the Middle East has quickly moved into one of hyperactivity and conflict, presenting enormous challenges to US foreign and national security policy. The war in Gaza and associated fighting with Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, the Houthis of Yemen, pro-Iranian militia groups in Syria and Iraq, and with Iran itself have forced the US to turn its focus from the war in Ukraine and the challenge of China to the Middle East. With a new administration taking charge, what are the challenges and likely policy options it will be faced with?
Please join us to hear Ambassador Gary Grappo speak on these pressing issues that our new administration is set to face.
Agenda of Event
5:00 pm ~ Cocktails and networking
6:00 pm ~ Start dinner seating
6:05 pm ~ Brief welcome / Dinner service starts
7:00 pm ~ Speaker Introduction
7:45 pm ~ Audience questions
8:00 pm ~ Ending Announcements by DCFR
Bio of Speaker
Gary Grappo is a former U.S. ambassador and since 2016 a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Middle East Studies at the Korbel School for International Studies, University of Denver. Previously, he was Visiting Senior Scholar at the University of Wyoming. He possesses over 50 years of diplomatic and public policy experience in a variety of public, private and nonprofit endeavors. Ambassador Grappo is also CEO and Founder of Equilibrium International Consulting. He provides analysis, guidance and advice on foreign affairs and national security, and writes and speaks frequently on Middle East affairs and foreign policy.
During his Foreign Service Career, Ambassador Grappo served numerous assignments at the State Department in Washington, D.C. as well as in postings in Nicaragua, Portugal, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman (twice), Iraq and Jerusalem. In the latter post, he negotiated with Israelis and Palestinians for the Quartet.
Upon retiring from the State Department in 2011, Ambassador Grappo joined The Keystone Center, a public policy and conflict resolution nonprofit, serving as President and CEO through March, 2013. He founded Equilibrium International Consulting in 2013. He serves on a number of for- and nonprofit boards, and has authored more than 100 articles on US foreign policy, the Middle East, democracy and international affairs.
*Please visit our Global Affairs Speaker Dinenrs page to learn about our policies.
