Scott Rasmussen
Director of Democracy Initiatives
Scott Rasmussen is IA’s Director of Democracy Initiatives. Scott served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State from 2009-2019, with overseas assignments in Eritrea, Poland, and Jerusalem and domestically in Washington, DC. As a diplomat, Scott led programs to facilitate people-to-people exchange and understanding, and supported peacebuilding efforts between Israelis and Palestinians. Scott also served as Executive Director of Hands of Peace, a Chicago-based nonprofit that helped American, Israeli, and Palestinian teenagers learn to see the humanity in the “other.” Scott earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan and a BA in Political Science at the University of Utah. Originally from Salt Lake City, Scott lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife Brooke and their 8 children. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading, and finding adventures near and far with his family.
