FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2025
Washington, D.C.— Meridian International Center today announced Max Bouchet as its new Director of Subnational Diplomacy. As part of Meridian’s commitment to advancing Open Diplomacy, this role reflects the growing importance of city, state, and local leaders in shaping international connections and addressing global challenges. Bouchet’s leadership will help strengthen Meridian’s work at the intersection of diplomacy, policy, and cross-sector collaboration.
“As global challenges grow more interconnected, U.S. state and local governments are playing an essential role in shaping international partnerships—advancing not only economic ties, but also shared values like democratic governance, innovation, and cultural exchange,” said Frank Justice, Vice President of Meridian’s Center for Diplomatic Engagement. “Max Bouchet brings deep expertise at a pivotal moment for subnational diplomacy, and his leadership will be key to advancing Meridian’s mission to connect local leaders with global opportunities through collaborative, forward-looking engagement.”
In this role, Bouchet will lead Meridian’s subnational diplomacy initiatives, which equip city, state, and local leaders to engage globally through strategic partnerships, convenings, and thought leadership. His work will further strengthen Meridian’s role as a hub for multi-level diplomatic engagement.
"Local leaders’ ability to think globally and navigate complex geopolitical challenges plays a key role in bringing jobs, investment, and innovation at home and in ensuring the safety of their community," said Bouchet. " I am honored to join Meridian International Center to build platforms across government, business, academia, and civil society that help address our most pressing global challenges. By connecting subnational actors across borders, we can forge innovative solutions that complement traditional diplomatic efforts."
Bouchet joins Meridian from the Truman Center for National Policy, where he served as Director for City & State Diplomacy. His previous experience includes positions with the State and Local Government practice at Guidehouse and as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Brookings Institution. At Brookings, he helped develop and coordinate global networks of cities, including the SDG Leadership Cities Community of Practice and the Global Cities Initiative, establishing himself as a thought leader in subnational diplomatic engagement.
Meridian International Center is a nonpartisan center for diplomacy founded in 1960 and headquartered on a historic campus in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to empower the next era of leaders to advance diplomacy for a better future. Our programs strengthen American leadership by accelerating collaboration on shared challenges, increasing economic competitiveness, and building geopolitical resilience. We equip leaders from business, science and technology, cities and states, culture and sports with the insights, networks, and resources to navigate a complex world.
For questions, please email communications@meridian.org.
