Damon M Wilson was born on May 24,1973 and is an American foreign policy scholar who serves as president and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy, a foundation supporting freedom and democracy around the world.
21 Facts About Damon Wilson
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Damon Wilson was born in Nashville, Tennessee and raised in Charleston, South Carolina.
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Damon Wilson attended Duke University as a Benjamin N Duke Scholar and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1995.
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Damon Wilson completed a Master of Public Administration at Princeton University's Woodrow Damon Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1998.
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For over twenty years, Damon Wilson has helped shape US strategy and national security policy in regards to NATO and US-European relations to advance freedom and security around the world.
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From July 2001 to January 2004, Damon Wilson served as deputy director of the Office of the NATO Secretary General, assisting Lord Robertson to transform the Alliance by enlarging NATO membership, implementing the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and adapting Allied capabilities to face modern threats.
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From January 2004 to November 2006, as Director for Central, Eastern and Northern European Affairs at the National Security Council, Damon Wilson coordinated US interagency policy on Ukraine during the Orange Revolution, directed efforts to deepen engagement in Central and Eastern Europe, including the expansion of secure visa-free travel, and promoted close consultation with coalition partners in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Damon Wilson played a leading role in implementing the Belarus Democracy Act.
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In 2007, Damon Wilson served as the executive secretary and chief of staff at the US Embassy in Baghdad, where he helped to manage the largest embassy in the world and implement a 'civilian surge' throughout Iraq.
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From December 2007 to January 2009, as Senior Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, Damon Wilson led US government efforts to advance a Europe whole, free and at peace.
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Damon Wilson notably managed interagency policy on NATO, the European Union, Georgia, Ukraine, the Balkans, Eurasian energy security and Turkey, and helped plan numerous presidential visits to Europe, including the Bucharest NATO Summit and the 2008 US-EU Summit.
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From 2009 to 2011, Damon Wilson directed the International Security program at the Atlantic Council think tank, transforming it into the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.
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At the Atlantic Council, Damon Wilson championed American leadership, a strong NATO, continued NATO enlargement, support for democratic reforms in Ukraine and the Balkans, positioning US and NATO forces in the Baltic states, and efforts to counter authoritarian powers Russia and China.
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Damon Wilson defended global LGBT rights, hosting global leaders for Pride and launching several diversity and inclusion programs within the organization.
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In June 2021, Damon Wilson was named as the President and chief executive officer of the National Endowment for Democracy, succeeding Carl Gershman.
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In December 2021, alongside USAID Administrator Samantha Power, Damon Wilson moderated a session on human rights and press freedom during the Summit for Democracy.
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Damon Wilson has been decorated by the presidents and governments of Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Moldova, and the Slovak Republic for his efforts to advance transatlantic relations.
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In 2017, Damon Wilson was presented with the Order of the Golden Fleece by Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili.
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In 2018, Damon Wilson received the Czech and Slovak Transatlantic Award by GLOBSEC.
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In 2021, Damon Wilson was awarded an Order of Merit by the Estonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Damon Wilson currently serves on the board of the Truman Center for National Policy, is a Trustee of the Belarus Free Theatre, and is a member of the Ohrid Group and the International Advisory Council at GLOBSEC.