Jon Temin is a seasoned foreign policy strategist and national security expert with over two decades of leadership experience across government, think tanks, and non-profit organizations. His work has focused on strengthening democratic institutions, supporting human rights defenders, resolving conflicts, and advancing American interests.
As vice president of policy and programs at the Truman Center for National Policy and Truman National Security Project, Jon developed innovative policy frameworks and led initiatives that shaped principled approaches to complex global challenges. Previously, as director of the Africa Program at Freedom House, he spearheaded efforts to support democracy activists and movements across the continent during a period of significant political upheaval.
From 2014 to 2017, Jon served on the U.S. Department of State’s Policy Planning Staff, where he provided strategic guidance to the Secretary of State. His leadership as director of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Africa program resulted in impactful peacebuilding interventions in conflict zones including Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, and the Horn of Africa.
Jon has written for The New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy, and has testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee. Previously, he was a Fulbright fellow in Ghana and visiting fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a non-resident Senior Associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and graduated from Swarthmore College and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.