The Vandenberg Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that intends to protect U.S. national security by advocating for a strong American foreign policy. The Coalition is comprised of foreign policy scholars and leaders who seek to advance national security, prosperity, and freedom. ¹

The Coalition is led by former officials in the Trump administration, ² and its board is chaired by longtime Republican-aligned foreign policy operative Elliott Abrams. ³

Activities

The Vandenberg Coalition promotes public policies that support a strong United States through its action-oriented analysis. The Coalition’s experts develop actionable recommendations made available to elected officials, candidates, the press, and the public. The Vandenberg Coalition also develops future leaders through its active network of foreign policy experts. The Coalition identifies emerging leaders and candidates for government through its partnerships and offers those individuals a platform to be included in foreign policy discussions. ⁴

In reaction to the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas, the Vandenberg Coalition and the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) created the Gaza Futures Task Force. The Task Force, which included former U.S. national security officials who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations, created a report that assessed the impact of the attack and provided strategies for creating a future for Gaza that serves the interests of Israel, the U.S., the Palestinian people, and ultimately establishes stability and peace in the Middle East. ⁵

Funding

The Vandenberg Coalition is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While the Vandenberg Coalition does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the National Philanthropic Trust ($665,000 in 2021), ⁶ the Weiser Family Foundation ($100,000 in 2021), ⁷ and the George E. Seay III Foundation ($50,000 in 2022). ⁸

Leadership

Board of Directors

Elliott Abrams is the chair of the board of the Vandenberg Coalition and a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Abrams formerly worked in foreign policy positions for presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Abrams is a former president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a former member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, and formerly sat on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy. ⁹

Tim Morrison is the treasurer of the board of the Vandenberg Coalition and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Morrison formerly worked as deputy assistant to the president for national security during the Trump administration and as senior director for European affairs at the National Security Council. ¹⁰

Jessica Farrell is the secretary of the board and director of operations at the Vandenberg Coalition. ¹¹

Gabe Scheinmann is the executive director of the Alexander Hamilton Society. Scheinmann formerly worked as a research analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a policy director at the Jewish Policy Center. ¹²

John Hillen is the chief executive officer of the EverWatch Corporation and a professor in the School of Business at George Mason University. Hillen is a former president and CEO of Sotera Defense Solutions, Inc. and a former assistant U.S. secretary of state for political-military affairs during the George W. Bush administration. ¹³

Katie Wheelbarger is a former Rosenblatt visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former policy director and counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services. ¹⁴

Kristen Silverberg is the president and chief operating officer of Business Roundtable. Silverberg formerly worked as managing director at the Institute of International Finance and served as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union during the George W. Bush administration. Silverberg sits on the boards of the International Republican Institute and the Forum for American Leadership, and on the steering committee of the Reagan Institute Strategy Group. ¹⁵

Mark Dubowitz is the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. As an expert on Iran’s nuclear program, Dubowitz has advised the George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. ¹⁶

Matt Pottinger is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. Pottinger formerly held senior roles at the White House National Security Council. ¹⁷

Michael Singh is the managing director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council. Singh sits on the board of the United States Institute of Peace. ¹⁸

Paula Dobriansky is the vice chair of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and a senior fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Dobriansky is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy, and formerly sat on both the Defense Policy Board and the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board. ¹⁹

Other Staff

Carrie Filipetti is the executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition. Filipetti is a former U.S. official who worked as the deputy assistant secretary for Cuba and Venezuela and the senior advisor to the Havana Incidents Task Force during the Trump administration. Filipetti is also a former senior policy advisor for the United States Mission to the United Nations. ²⁰

Amanda Rothschild is the senior policy director at the Vandenberg Coalition and a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Scowcroft Strategy Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Rothschild has held positions at the White House, the National Security Council, and the State Department during the Trump administration. ²¹

1. “Home.” The Vandenberg Coalition. Accessed April 20, 2024. https://vandenbergcoalition.org/home/.
2. “Carrie Filipetti.” The Vandenberg Coalition. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://vandenbergcoalition.org/team/carrie-filipetti/.
3. “Elliot Abrams.” Council on Foreign Relations. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.cfr.org/expert/elliott-abrams.
4. “Home.” The Vandenberg Coalition. Accessed April 20, 2024. https://vandenbergcoalition.org/home/.
5. “The Day After: A Plan for Gaza.” The Vandenberg Coalition. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://vandenbergcoalition.org/the-day-after-a-plan-for-gaza/.
6. National Philanthropic Trust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
7. Weiser Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2021, Part XV, Line 3.
8.  George E. Seay III Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022, Part XV, Line 3.
9. “Elliot Abrams.” Council on Foreign Relations. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.cfr.org/expert/elliott-abrams.
10. “Tim Morrison.” Hudson Institute. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1301-tim-morrison.
11. “Jessica Farrell.” The Vandenberg Coalition. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://vandenbergcoalition.org/team/jessica-farrell/.
12. “Dr. Gabriel Scheinmann.” The Alexander Hamilton Society. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.alexanderhamiltonsociety.org/gabriel-scheinmann.
13. “John Hillen.” The Vandenberg Coalition. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://vandenbergcoalition.org/experts/the-hon-john-hillen/.
14. “Kathryn Wheelbarger.” The Washington Institute. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/kathryn-wheelbarger.
15. “Kristen Silverberg.” Business Roundtable. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.businessroundtable.org/about-us/staff/kristen-silverberg-president-coo.
16. “Mark Dubowitz.” Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.fdd.org/team/mark-dubowitz/.
17. “Matt Pottinger.” Hoover Institution. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.hoover.org/profiles/matt-pottinger.
18. “Michael Singh.” The Washington Institute. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/michael-singh
19. “Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky.” Atlantic Council. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/ambassador-paula-j-dobriansky/.
20. “Carrie Filipetti.” The Vandenberg Coalition. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://vandenbergcoalition.org/team/carrie-filipetti/.
21. “Amanda J. Rothschild.” Atlantic Council. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/amanda-j-rothschild/.