Toni G. Verstandig is the executive director of the Middle East Programs at the Aspen Institute and senior policy advisor at the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. Ms. Verstandig has also served as deputy assistant secretary of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department, where she directed and coordinated US bilateral relations and overall policy developments concerning Israel, Jordan, Syria Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority, as well as US economic and commercial policies in the Middle East. As a member of the Peace Team, she worked with the Secretary of State and the Special Middle East Coordinator in bilateral and multilateral Middle East peace negotiations. Prior to joining the Peace Team, Ms. Verstandig served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. In that capacity, she was also responsible for the development and management of U.S. bilateral relations for several countries in the region.

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