Susan Corke

Susan Corke is a senior international affairs leader, democracy advocate, and former State Department official with a proven record over two decades in policymaking, program management, and diplomacy. Currently, she is a Senior Fellow and Executive Director of the bipartisan Transatlantic Democracy Working Group (TDWG) with The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). In this role she leads the strategic initiatives of a broad, respected, bipartisan coalition of experts and elected officials to advance policies, legislation, funding, and advocacy campaigns in defense of democracy. She is the co-host biweekly podcast, TheCable, with former NPR correspondent, Greg Feifer, which is a public channel for discourse on the threats facing democracy. She has been a guest lecturer on democracy promotion at top American and European universities. Prior non-profit leadership positions included: Director of Countering Antisemitism and Extremism at Human Rights First and Director of Programs for Europe, Eurasia, and Southeast Asia at Freedom House. She has been a regular commentator in American and European media, authored and published numerous reports and articles on foreign policy democracy issues, and testified on Capitol Hill numerous times to bear witness to urgent human rights issues. Susan has held senior positions at the U.S. Department of State, for which she received Superior and Meritorious Honor awards; most recently in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). She also served at U.S. Embassy Moscow, U.S. Embassy Prague, and in the Bureau of Public Affairs as a Presidential Management Fellow. Susan founded and managed the U.S. Foreign Policy Institute at George Washington University. She serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Ascend International, an Advisory Board Member of the Reves International Center at the College of William and Mary, and a Truman Security Fellow. . Susan has a M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and a B.A. from the College of William & Mary.