Ambassador Elizabeth McKune, former U.S. Ambassador to the State of Qatar (1998-2001) and an expert on the Persian Gulf, will speak about challenges in the Arabian Gulf. Qatar has played a unique role as a neighbor of Saudi Arabia in the Gulf region. It has coordinated with the U.S on a range of regional and global issues related to security and stability in the region, as well as serving as an intermediary between the U.S. and Afghanistan.

Ambassador McKune was the first female ambassador from any country accredited to Qatar in this capacity. During her 33 years as a career Foreign Service officer, Liz spent 17 years abroad with postings including Israel, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, the Sultanate of Oman, Iraq and Great Britain. Stateside she held a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State position as Deputy Executive Secretary. Other senior positions included Director of the Office of Northern Arabian Affairs, Director of the Office of Pacific Island Affairs, Director of the Media Outreach Center, and International Affairs Advisor to the Commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF). Following the State Department, Liz became the Executive Director of the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center from 2007-2011. Part of Chevy Chase At Home's Guest Speaker Series.