Eric Jacobstein (CLAS '04) currently serves as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs covering Central America, Cuba and regional migration. He previously served at the White House as the Special Advisor to the Vice President for the Western Hemisphere and as National Security Council Director for Central America and Cuba. In 2021, Mr. Jacobstein joined the Biden-Harris Administration as a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean and as Staff Director of the Northern Triangle Task Force. Before that, Mr. Jacobstein worked in the United States Congress for 15 years, including as a Senior Policy Advisor on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs managing the Western Hemisphere portfolio for Chairman Eliot Engel and Committee Democrats. In this role, he was the lead Democratic advisor handling issues related to Latin America and the Caribbean in the House of Representatives. Mr. Jacobstein also served as the Staff Director of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control working for Senator Dianne Feinstein. In addition, he has worked for the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Representative Jim Kolbe and the Inter-American Dialogue.

When asked about his time spent with CLAS, Mr. Jacobstein said, “My time completing the M.A. in Latin American Studies at Georgetown was extremely meaningful both professionally and personally. I was able to learn from both top scholars and real world practitioners about effective approaches to U.S. policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean. I can still remember sitting in class hearing Arturo Valenzuela’s terrific stories from his time at the Clinton White House. At the same time, I made lifelong friends with an incredible group of classmates from throughout the Americas with diverse backgrounds and experiences. More than anything from my time at Georgetown, I am grateful to have met this incredible village of people during my many hours spent within the walls of the ICC.”