Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Energy as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs, Jonathan Elkind worked as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, focusing on energy security and foreign policy issues. He also founded and headed EastLink Consulting, LLC, an independent consultancy focusing on energy, environment, and investment. From 1998 to 2001, Elkind served on the staff of the U.S. National Security Council as Director for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs. Between 1989 and 1998, he served in a variety of other government positions on the National Security Affairs staff of the Vice President of the United States, at the U.S. Department of Energy, and at the Council on Environmental Quality. Elkind received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Maryland. He also has a Master’s degree in Soviet history from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.