Shai Korman
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Montreal, Shai’s story begins like so many of his generation – at summer camp. A second generation Young Judaean, Shai’s summers at Sprout Lake and Tel Yehuda turned into a lifelong journey of leadership development, diplomacy, and a passion for communication. At McGill University, he studied political science by day and moonlighted as the drummer and co-songwriter for the college scene’s fan-favorite band, Bear Left. Following the tragic events of 9/11, Shai chose public service and foreign policy as his professional path. He attended the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs with a focus on conflict resolution. In 2005, Shai received the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) and began more than a decade as one of the U.S. Department of State’s most groundbreaking communicators, nominated twice for the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy. As the State Department’s director of international media engagement, Shai developed and oversaw the expansion of the U.S. government’s communication with foreign audiences, including global media hub branch offices in Brussels, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Manila, and Miami. From 2017 to 2019, Korman served as Director of Public Affairs at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), where he managed and implemented communications strategy for the organization, including for major congressionally directed initiatives, such as the Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States. Shai drove the organization’s digital, press, events, and editorial strategies in pursuit of USIP’s independent, non-partisan mission to promote conflict prevention and peacebuilding as practical and essential elements of U.S. and global security. Shai Korman is currently the Director of Communications at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) where he leads media, digital, and event strategy to advance the Center’s mission of developing innovative and pragmatic national security policies. Shai lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife and two daughters.