What to Expect
Join us for J Street Colorado’s Annual Event, The Future of Middle East Policy, featuring a deeply informed and nuanced conversation between former United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, career Senior Foreign Service officer and former senior advisor to the Department of Defense Jennifer Gavito, and J Street Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg, .
Comprised of three of the most informed voices on the future of Israel, Palestine, and U.S. foreign policy, our panel will offer a timely and incisive analysis of the wars that have reshaped the Middle East, a respectful and perceptive appraisal of the defining challenges posed by the Trump administration, and how the results of the 2026 midterm elections and Israeli elections will impact the region and for American policy. Looking ahead, they will explore how policymakers can navigate these challenges, and how we can work to propel the pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy movement forward.
The evening will be a powerful forum for the honest, urgent discussion our moment demands. Join us and be part of the dialogue that’s shaping our future by supporting J Street’s important work.
All proceeds benefit the J Street Education Fund.
Speakers
Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman, served three presidents and five secretaries of state, retiring as the 21st U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. As Deputy Secretary, Sherman was the point person on China. As Undersecretary for Political Affairs, she led the negotiating team that reached an agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. As Counselor, she led on North Korea and was engaged on Middle East negotiations. President Obama awarded Sherman the National Security Medal for her diplomatic accomplishments. Currently, Sherman is a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a Hauser fellow at the Center for Public Leadership, where she previously served as Director and as a professor of practice. In 2002, along with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Sherman built a global consulting business, serving as vice-chair for a decade. A frequent media commentator, Sherman is the author of “Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power and Persistence”.
Jennifer Gavito is a national security and strategic communications executive who served over 25 years at the intersection of international and economic policy on the staff of the National Security Council, as a senior advisor to the Department of Defense, and in senior diplomatic positions in Washington and throughout the Middle East and Europe. She is, since 2024, a Senior Advisor with the Cohen Group where she co-leads the firm’s Middle East practice and is concurrently a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. She has extensive experience in crisis management and in developing and executing multi-million dollar budgets and programs. Gavito is a frequent contributor to U.S. and international media. Throughout her career in the U.S. Foreign Service (retiring in 2024 with the rank of Minister‐Counselor), Gavito held a number of senior roles including Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq, Iran, Press and Public Diplomacy. In 2024, was nominated by President Biden to serve as US Ambassador to Libya. Other overseas assignments include senior diplomatic positions in London, Jerusalem, Dubai, and Beirut, as well as US Consul General to Bavaria and Foreign Policy Advisor to the U.S. Africa Command. She also served previously on the staff of the White House’s National Security Council as Director for Syria, Lebanon, and North Africa. Gavito’s current focus lies in leveraging her deep regional knowledge to advise governments, companies and the media on Middle East security, geopolitics, and strategic communications.
Ilan Goldenberg is Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at J Street. He is a seasoned foreign policy and national security expert with two decades of experience advising American leaders on the Middle East, US-Israel relations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran.During the October 7 Hamas attacks and the early months of the war in Gaza, he served as Special Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris on the Middle East. Subsequently, he became the National Director for Jewish Outreach and Policy Advisor on Harris’s 2024 Presidential campaign.Ilan previously served at the State Department as part of the small negotiating team supporting Secretary of State John Kerry’s initiative to conduct permanent status peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. At the Department of Defense, he was the Iran Team Chief, advising department leaders on all issues pertaining to Iran’s nuclear program and regional behavior.A prolific writer and commentator, Ilan has authored 15 reports on US policy in the Middle East when he served as the Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. His writing has been featured in leading publications, including The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico, The Atlantic, and Haaretz. He has also appeared as a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, and CBS. He is currently the author of the Dialogue and Dissonance Substack Newsletter. Born in Jerusalem to American parents who made Aliyah after meeting at Jewish summer camp, Ilan moved to New Jersey at age eight.