Harvard Club of Sarasota

          Prof. Matthew Spence served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy from 2012 to 2015.  Spence was the Principal Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and Undersecretary of Defense for Middle East policy, including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Israel, Egypt, and the Gulf states.  He also served as on Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s confirmation and transition team.  Spence received the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Public Service.

         From 2009 to 20012, Spence worked at the White House on the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Economic Affairs and as Senior Advisor to two National Security Advisors. He also served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team.

           Spence is the co-founder of the Truman National Security Project, served as a Lecturer in International Relations at Oxford University, and has been widely published in national security and foreign policy.

         Trained as a lawyer, Spence also practiced criminal and international law in California, and served as a law clerk for Judge Richard Posner of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. A Marshall Scholar and Truman Scholar, Spence received his doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University, his J.D. from Yale Law School, and his B.A. and M.A. in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. He was born and raised in southern California.