Dear Atlantic Council Community,

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Atlantic Council is extending its period of remote work to March 1, 2021.

During this period, Atlantic Council staff will have limited use of our Washington headquarters, based on voluntary, on-demand, and approved access only, for special purposes and in accordance with local and federal guidelines.

Despite this extension of remote work, the Atlantic Council has never reached more people through our publications, our events, and our outreach as we have in the last eight months.

What’s more, we are doing this at a crucial moment, when the United States faces the quadruple challenge of the worst pandemic in a century, the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, the most widespread anti-racism protests in more than fifty years, and the most consequential presidential election cycle of our lifetimes.

We have embraced these new challenges, and we have done more than survive—the Atlantic Council is thriving.

As we reimagine our operations in the face of these challenges, what is clear to us is that a return to our offices, whenever it will come, isn’t the same as a return to work. We’ve been working effectively all along.

Looking back upon the Atlantic Council’s last day in our office on March 12, we all put our lives as we knew them on hold and have since wrestled with personal and professional challenges in some shape or form. In many cases, we are coping with being cooped up in our homes and apartments, sometimes far from our friends and families, and in a few cases dealing with the loss of friends, family, and loved ones.

As challenging as this period has been to each of us personally, nothing in my thirteen years at the Atlantic Council has inspired me more or left me more energized for the future of our institution than the performance of our staff and wider community since March.

In the past months, we’ve unveiled new digital products, produced compelling content, and expanded our global audience through more than 560 events since we shifted to telework, reaching more than 1.7 million viewers. We have put in motion key initiatives to evaluate our operations for the future and launched a world-class paid internship program, on top of a host of other strategic improvements and other enhancements across the organization.

Our team members have been responding to these historic times, while taking care of themselves, their families, their loved ones, and one another. This is no easy feat. Sadly, this COVID-19 period will continue for some time more before we have access to an effective and widely available vaccine, universal and regular testing, and a better understanding of the pathogen’s spread. As such, we have made the decision to extend our period of remote work to March 1, 2021.

Seldom has the work of the Atlantic Council been so robust. Seldom have the simultaneous issues we face been so challenging.

We appreciate the support and engagement of all those who are helping us advance our mission at this historic moment.

All my best,

Frederick Kempe
President and CEO
Atlantic Council

For more information about the Atlantic Council’s coronavirus programming, please sign up to our Coronavirus Alert and make sure to visit the section of our website dedicated to our coronavirus coverage. For information on how you can support the Atlantic Council’s work, please click here. If you have any questions, please email us at coronavirus@atlanticcouncil.org.