William McIlhenny is a foreign policy professional with over  three decades of experience in government and civil society.  He served as Director on the National Security Council staff during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.  As a career Foreign Service Officer he served on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff, and as Director of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination for the Western Hemisphere.  As U.S. representative to UNESCO in Paris he coordinated the participation of 14 U.S. agencies in the organization's work.  A former U.S. Consul General in Florence, Italy, he holds the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and other U.S. and international awards and distinctions.  As a senior non-resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. he advanced efforts to strengthen cooperation throughout the wider Atlantic.