As Vice President of the Council of the Americas, Eric Farnsworth leads the Washington-based efforts of the Council, including policy development and advocacy, programming, and public affairs. In addition to his Council activities, Farnsworth maintains an active role in policy and trade matters. He is a Senior Associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies; a member of the George Washington University Western Hemisphere Advisory Board; a former member of the Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy of the US Department of State; and the past Chairman (2000-2002) of the Greater Washington Board of Trade Western Hemisphere Task Force. He has written and spoken extensively about United States’ interests abroad, providing commentary to media such as CNN, BBC, NBC, CNBC, etc. and numerous newspapers. Prior to joining the Council, Farnsworth was Managing Director of Manatt Jones Global Strategies LLC, a Washington and Los Angeles-based strategic advisory and business facilitation firm. From 1995-98, Farnsworth oversaw policy and message development for the White House Office of the Special Envoy for the Americas. As an officer in the Department of State beginning in 1990, Farnsworth focused on issues including the restoration of Central America after the conflictive 1980’s and the re-establishment of democracy in Panama after Operation Just Cause. He also served at the Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa. Farnsworth was awarded the State Department’s Superior Honor Award three times and the Meritorious Honor Award once. In 1992, he was detailed to the Office of the US Trade Representative as part of the NAFTA negotiation team. He interned in 1987 with Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) during the Iran/contra hearings, and also with Congressman John Edward Porter (R-IL).Farnsworth holds an MPA in International Relations from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School where he studied economics under Ben Bernanke, and a BA, magna cum laude, from Ball State, where he captained the club soccer team. He is a Harry S. Truman Scholar and an alumnus of the Leadership America, Young Leaders of the (NATO) Alliance, and US-Spain Young Leaders programs. He is active with youth soccer and is a classically trained pianist and harpsichordist. He and his wife Molly have three children.http://coa.counciloftheamericas.org/expert.php?id=16&__utma=1.1463538625.1225487647.1225490075.1225685679.3&__utmb=1&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1225487647.1.1.utmccn%3D(direct)%7Cutmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=263624461
