Lorne Whitney Craner (born 1959) was an American foreign policy expert, has served in key diplomatic and policymaking roles in three administrations and three times as president of major non-governmental organizations.

Life and career

Early life

Craner was born at Bitburg Air Force Base in Germany. He attended

University College School University College School, also known as UCS, is a private day school in Frognal, Hampstead, London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views. ...

in London and graduated from

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

. Craner received a BA from

Reed College Reed College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus in the Eastmoreland, Portland, Oregon, E ...

and an MA in National Security Studies from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

. His father Robert received three Silver Stars as a US Air Force pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam and his mother Audrey was awarded graduate degrees from the Fletcher School and Georgetown University.

Career

In the 1980s Craner worked on foreign policy issues in the US House of Representatives for Congressman Jim Kolbe and in the Senate for Senator John McCain. In 1989 he became a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs and in 1992 a director of Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council in the George HW Bush administration. From 1993-2001 he was vice president, then president of the International Republican Institute (IRI) a democracy assistance NGO. He returned to government as Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor under Secretary of State Colin Powell. His work in the Middle East, Central Asia and China after the 9/11 attacks drew praise from President Bush Amnesty International and

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

and Craner received the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award from Secretary Powell. Craner returned to the IRI as President from 2004-2014. He served two terms on the Board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation and consulted on US-European relations and on political risk in Asia and the Middle East, before serving as President of the American Councils for International Education from 2017 to 2019.

References

External links

IRI President Lorne Craner's account and page at "Comment is Free"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Craner, Lorne 1959 births Living people American activists International Republican Institute Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni Reed College alumni Phillips Exeter Academy alumni People educated at University College School