Toni Verstandig is a philanthropist and foreign policy expert with extensive government expertise on Middle East issues particularly international development, governance and private sector growth. She distinctly leverages her government experience where she was focused on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict along with broader challenges facing the Middle East.  

Toni Verstandig is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Verstandig Family Foundation which focuses on National Security issues, Healthcare, Education/Entrepreneurship. Previously, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Near Eastern Affairs at the US Department of State and served as a member of the US negotiation team tasked to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the Arab-Israeli conflict and create lasting peace and stability in the Middle East region and foster normalization of relations in the region.   

 She is an active supporter and participant in The Aspen Ministers Forum founded and chaired by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, now Chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which seeks to strengthen diplomatic ties and serves as a preeminent platform regularly convening 20-25 former foreign ministers to discuss critical global challenges. It is a platform that enables candid dialogue and provides thought-leadership in critical areas for advancing outcomes in geopolitical areas of interest from Middle East to the impact of AI.

Ms. Verstandig is actively engaged in the Washington Community and serves on the National Democratic Institute Board, University of Denver’s Korbel Graduate School for International Affairs, the National Cryptologic Foundation, the Middle East Institute Board, and the U.S. Institute of Peace’s International Advisory Board and the Mount Vernon Cabinet.   She is a longstanding member of the Council on Foreign Relations.   

Ms. Verstandig is a graduate of Boston University and holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Seton Hill University. She is married to the Hon. Lee L. Verstandig and they have a son, Grant who is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Red Cell Partners.