German Marshall Fund Names Clay Doherty as Managing Director, Strategic Convening

WASHINGTON, DC (January 4, 2023) — The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is appointing Clay Doherty as managing director of strategic convening. He joins the GMF strategic engagement team as the organization continues transforming its approach to engaging new audiences and expanding its transatlantic leadership networks.

In his role, Doherty will develop a new convening strategy and oversee its implementation. He will coordinate GMF’s global convening activities, including flagship events such as the Brussels Forum. Working with GMF leadership and colleagues across the organization, he will support fundraising strategies and external relations by strengthening relationships with existing GMF partners, pursuing new partnerships, and liaising with senior government officials and other influential global stakeholders.

“Our work has never been more vital, and GMF events are a critical part of our mission to engage stakeholders and new audiences,” said Paige Ennis, senior vice president of strategic engagement. “Clay brings a robust set of skills and experiences to GMF. He is the right leader for us as we reimagine our approach to global convening.”

Doherty joins GMF after serving as managing director of High Touch Engagement, a strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. From 2010-2016, he served in the Barack Obama administration as the US Agency of International Development’s (USAID) deputy director of public engagement and director of protocol and special events. Prior to working at USAID, he served as senior vice president of Hollenbeck Associates, a California-based public relations firm. Doherty has also served the public interest as a member of the board of trustees of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, NY, from 2016 to 2019. 

Doherty’s first day as managing director of strategic convening will be January 9. He will be based in GMF’s Washington, DC headquarters.