Regions
Middle EastJennifer Gavito is a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative within the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. Gavito is a senior advisor at the Cohen Group, where she co-leads the firm’s Middle East practice. She was most recently a career Senior Foreign Service officer with the rank of minister-counselor. Gavito has more than twenty-five years of experience working in diplomatic positions in Washington and throughout the Middle East and Europe, on the staff of the National Security Council, and as a senior advisor to the US Department of Defense.
Gavito most recently served as the acting principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Prior to that, she was the deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran. She concurrently served as deputy assistant secretary of state for press and public diplomacy. Prior to retiring from government service, Gavito was nominated to serve as the US ambassador to Libya.
Gavito has also served as minister-counselor for political affairs at the US Embassy in London, US consul general to Bavaria, and political counselor at US Consulate General Jerusalem. She also served as senior foreign policy advisor to the director for strategy, plans, and programs at US Africa Command; deputy consul general at US Consulate General Dubai; director for Syria and Lebanon at the National Security Council; deputy director for North Africa at the Department of State; and head of the economic and commercial section at US Embassy Beirut. She began her career in public service at the US Treasury Department.
Gavito speaks fluent German and has Arabic and French language skills. She received the 2024 Presidential Rank Award for her contributions to public service. She also received Joint Civilian Service Meritorious Commendation Medal from the Department of Defense and is a six-time recipient of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award. She obtained BA in economics and international service from American University.