Jon Wolfsthal
Jon Wolfsthal is a national security consultant, government appointee, and columnist, who currently serves as Senior Advisor to Global Zero, where he directs the Nuclear Crisis Group project. He served as special assistant to former U.S. President Barack Obama and as senior director for arms control and nonproliferation at the National Security Council. In his role, he was the most senior White House official, setting and implementing U.S. government policy on all aspects of arms control, nonproliferation, and nuclear policy. Prior to that, he served as the deputy director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute for International Studies. Jon is a leading authority on the subjects of nuclear weapons policy, regional proliferation, arms control, and nuclear deterrence. He is the author of dozens of scholarly articles and op-eds, and also co-authored the book Deadly Arsenals: Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction with Joseph Cirincione. He has also appeared on or been quoted in some of the most leading domestic and international news media outlets.
Jon Wolfsthal Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Non-resident Fellow
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Deputy Director, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
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Professorial Lecturer
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Director
Academic History
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B.A., Political Science
He was involved in almost every aspect of U.S. nuclear weapons, arms control, nonproliferation and security policy.
He helped negotiate and secure the ratification of the New START arms reduction agreement with the Russian Federation.
He supported the development of nuclear policy, including the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review.
AFFILIATIONS
Science and Security Board Member, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Nonresident Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
EARLY CAREER
Jon served as the special adviser to the U.S. VP Joe Biden for nuclear security and nonproliferation and as director for nonproliferation on the National security Council.
He served in several capacities in the U.S. Department of Energy, including an on-the-ground assignment in North Korea during 1995-96.
He was the Deputy Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies.
His work has included extended assignments in Russia, North Korea and travel to Iran.