Government Affairs ▪ International Affairs ▪ Representation & Public Policy Ralph Grunewald knows how Congress works and how grass-roots activists can be successfully motivated and mobilized to influence their elected representatives. ♦ Understands how to effectively represent organizations in Congress, the Administration, and on the state and local levels. ♦ Hands-on international affairs experience representing organizations within the diplomatic and foreign government communities. ♦ Examples include:
David Trone for Congress (Potomac, MD) Washington, DC): Ralph Grunewald serves as the Jewish Affairs & Consultant adviser for David Trone, a candidate for Maryland's 6th Congressional District for the 2018 election. He advises on all matters related to the Jewish community, both locally and nationally; serves as liaison for the campaign with Jewish agencies and institutions and their key volunteer and professional leaders; advises the candidate and senior staff on issues related to Israel and the Middle East; and serves as a strategic adviser related to fundraising, communications, and public policy.
Rwanda Democracy Now & rwandademocracynow.org (Washington, DC): Ralph Grunewald serves as an adviser on strategic matters, public affairs, government relations, and accessing policy-makers and opinion-leaders to former senior Rwandan government officials who seek to create a multi-ethnic and democratic society in that nation. Recent events, underscored in a scathing UN report and incriminating reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom House -- which bring to light human rights abuses and possible "acts of genocide" by the current government -- necessitate the importance of supporting Hutus and Tutsis who seek to create a democratic, free, and open society in that nation.
Africa Harvest: Biotech Foundation International (Nairobi, Kenya & Johannesburg, South Africa): Ralph Grunewald serves as Africa Harvest's representative in Washington, DC and elsewhere to promote Africa Harvest's educational and programmatic goals to
overcome hunger, poverty, and malnutrition in Africa.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, DC):
♦ Served as the Museum's primary liaison at the highest levels with foreign governments and international organizations; responsible for visits of heads of state (numbering 62) and other political leaders, many of which were the result of Mr. Grunewald's extensive outreach efforts in the US and abroad.
♦ Coordinated visits of more than 5,000 government, military, and civic leaders from 90 countries to the Museum through personal efforts and contacts with embassies and governmental agencies across the globe, resulting in broad base of support for the Museum's mission.
♦ Negotiated international agreements resulting in access to archives and artifacts, as well as a major historic agreement with respect to the future of the State Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Poland. Other collaborations for which Mr. Grunewald was responsible included: the International Committee of the Red Cross; Czech Committee on the Holocaust; Prague Jewish Museum; Hungarian Ministry of the Interior; Austrian Federal Archives; and cooperation with the nations of Paraguay, Rwanda, and Sweden.
♦ Forged on-going relations with senior Administration officials, as well as leaders on the state and local government level for the purpose of conveying the Museum's mission to leaders in the White House; Department of State; Foreign Service Institute; US Army, Navy, and Marine Corps; the intelligence community; and governors, attorneys general, and mayors.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Washington, DC): Conceptualized and created NACDL's highly-acclaimed State Legislative Office, its State Legislative Network of local citizen-lobbyists, its annual meeting, and the identification and recruitment of grass-roots activists.
The Cormac Group (lobbying and representation firm -- Washington, DC): Strategized and provided technical assistance to a campaign aimed at Congress and the administration to revise US laws and USAID regulations to stimulate and promote cooperation among Israelis, Israeli-Arabs, and Palestinians.
The Cormac Group (lobbying and representation firm -- Washington, DC): Developed strategy and concept document to establish a specialized language charter school within the District of Columbia public school system; researched laws and policies; initiated conversations with stakeholders and public officials.
The Cormac Group (lobbying and representation firm -- Washington, DC): Strategized, researched, and provided a game plan to establish a private medical school in a Middle Eastern nation that lacks sufficient slots for entering students, thus resulting in a large out-flow of talent.
Research!America (Alexandria, VA): Reinvigorated R!A's National Business Initiative, which pairs academia and businesses on the local and regional level to urge Congressional state delegations and Congress to increase federal funding for life sciences research, primarily as an engine to spur economic growth.
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Washington, DC): With two other volunteer leaders, established AIPAC's first-ever Washington, DC-area committee, resulting in a surge of local pro-Israel activity by newly-engaged political activists.
American Jewish Committee (New York, NY): Represented AJC at numerous meetings and seminars in the United States and abroad, including Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Israel, Sweden, and Switzerland.
