Kent Patton, Deputy Assistant SecretaryBureau of Near Eastern Affairs Kent Patton is responsible for promoting democratic reform, including the President’s freedom agenda, within the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. In addition, his duties include managing the Middle East Partnership Initiative [NEA/PI] and coordinating the G-8’s BMENA initiative. Patton was appointed a Senior Advisor for NEA in 2005 and has focused primarily on political reform projects in the region. Prior to joining the State Department, he managed political party development programs for the International Republican Institute in Palestine, Afghanistan, Slovakia, Serbia, and Macedonia. While in the Balkans, he worked closely with the Democratic Opposition of Serbia in their successful campaign to unseat Milosevic. He also advised the late President of Macedonia Boris Trajkovski, including the period of the Kosovo refugee crisis, the conflict of 2001, and the passage and implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Patton has observed over 20 elections and conducted trainings in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to his time with IRI, he worked for a Member of Congress, as a lobbyist, and also ran political campaigns. Patton is a PhD candidate at the University of Washington, where he also earned an MA. He has a BA from Kent State University. |
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