Peter Schechter
{{Short description|American political consultant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Peter Schechter
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1959
| birth_place = Rome, Italy
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
Johns Hopkins University
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Consultant
- author
- think tank executive
}}
| title = Executive Producer and Host of Altamar, A Foreign Policy Podcast
| spouse = Rosa Puech
| parents =
| children = Alia, Marina
| nationality = American
| website = {{URL|http://www.altamar.us}}
}}
Peter Schechter (born 1959) is an American political consultant and the executive producer and host of Altamar, a foreign policy podcast. Until June 2017, he was the Atlantic Council's Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and the founding director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, a Washington-based think tank launched in October 2013 to study the trends transforming Latin America.
Born in 1959 in Rome, Schechter first came to the US when he was 16, then spent several years in Bolivia and Venezuela before returning to the US to settle in Washington.{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Adrienne |date=2022-05-09 |title=Immigrant Food's newest DC eatery marries advocacy work, fine dining |url=https://washdiplomat.com/immigrant-foods-newest-dc-eatery-marries-advocacy-work-fine-dining/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Washington Diplomat |language=en-US}} He has a Master's from the Johns Hopkins’ Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} He is fluent in six languages.
Biography
Schechter spent a significant portion of his professional career providing guidance to political candidates in Latin America, such as Henrique Capriles from Venezuela, Alvaro Uribe from Colombia, and Fernando Henrique Cardoso from Brazil.{{Cite web |last=BRASILWIRE |date=2017-12-28 |title=The Atlantic Council & Latin American "Regime Change" |url=https://www.brasilwire.com/the-atlantic-council-latin-american-regime-change/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=BRASILWIRE |language=en-US}}
From 1987 to 1992, Schechter worked as a political consultant for a public relations firm, The Sawyer Miller Group, where he led their international division. In 1991, he and Bob Chlopak were credited with helping Barco Vargas of Columbia get elected.{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Barry |date=1991-11-24 |title=SPIN DOCTORS TO THE WORLD : THE SAWYER MILLER GROUP USES THE TRICKS OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, BIG BUSINESS AND ANY CLIENT IN NEED OF AN IMAGE LIFT |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-24-tm-417-story.html |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} In 1993, he co-founded Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates, a Washington, DC–based public relations company with partners Bob Chlopak and Charlie Leonard.{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Meridian International Center |title=Peter Schechter {{!}} Meridian International Center |url=https://meridian.org/profile/peter-schechter/#:~:text=In%201993,%20Schechter%20founded%20Chlopak,premier%20strategic%20communications%20consulting%20firms. |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=meridian.org |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Sarasohn |first=Judy |date=October 11, 2000 |title=Enron Hire Faces Some Partisan Fire |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/10/12/enron-hire-faces-some-partisan-fire/824df91f-deaa-4ff5-a887-94d5407d5a4f/ |access-date=December 27, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}
According to Foreign Agents Registration filings with the US Department of Justice, the firm received over $292,000 in 2009 to boost the image of the interim government of Honduras in the US after the ousting of President Manuel Zelaya.[https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/51123-honduran-government-hires-pr-shop/ "Honduran government hires PR shop"], The Hill, 27 September 2009; retrieved November 2009.[http://www.fara.gov/docs/5774-Exhibit-AB-20091021-8.pdf Contract filing for Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates, Inc.], Foreign Agent Registration Unit, 21 October 2009; retrieved November 2009. The contract was signed by Schechter. The firm's lobbyists interacted with members of the US Congress, including Senator Jim DeMint, who became a supporter the interim government, later expressing his support to the Wall Street Journal and Fox News.{{Cite web |title=Foreign agents lobbied on issues raised in Wikileaks cables : Sunlight Foundation |url=https://sunlightfoundation.com/2010/12/02/other-side-wikileaks-fara-disclosures-show-how-foreign-governmen/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=sunlightfoundation.com}}{{Cite news |last=Davis |first=Susan |date=2009-07-02 |title=Sen. DeMint Supports Honduran Coup |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-WB-11030 |access-date=2025-01-17 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite news |date=2009-10-08 |title=Leader Ousted, Honduras Hires U.S. Lobbyists (Published 2009) |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/world/americas/08honduras.html |access-date=2025-01-17 |language=en |last1=Thompson |first1=Ginger |last2=Nixon |first2=Ron }} The Obama administration stated that they saw the coup in Honduras as a dangerous development in the region. Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates received negative publicity in the US and Honduras for their involvement and a protest was held outside of their Washington DC office.{{Cite web |date=2009-10-19 |title=Honduras rights curbs lifted |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/honduras-rights-curbs-lifted-20091020-h5nu.html |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}
In 2013, The Atlantic council launched it’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center. Peter Schechter was chosen to be their founding director due to his experience in the region. He also served as the Atlantic Council’s Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives until June 2017.{{Cite web |last=Council |first=Atlantic |date=2013-09-16 |title=Peter Schechter Named First Director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/news/press-releases/peter-schechter-named-first-director-of-the-adrienne-arsht-latin-america-center/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Atlantic Council |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=BRASILWIRE |date=2017-12-28 |title=The Atlantic Council & Latin American "Regime Change" |url=https://www.brasilwire.com/the-atlantic-council-latin-american-regime-change/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=BRASILWIRE |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Adrienne |date=2022-05-09 |title=Immigrant Food's newest DC eatery marries advocacy work, fine dining |url=https://washdiplomat.com/immigrant-foods-newest-dc-eatery-marries-advocacy-work-fine-dining/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Washington Diplomat |language=en-US}}
Schechter is an adjunct professor at George Washington University in DC and a visiting professor at Ben Gurion University’s Faculty of Business and Management. He also serves on BGU's Board of Directors{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://americansforbgu.org/americans-for-ben-gurion-university-a4bgu-2/board-of-directors/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=A4BGU |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Peter Schechter {{!}} HuffPost |url=https://www.huffpost.com/author/peter-schecter |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=www.huffpost.com |language=en}}
He was on the board for Jose’ Andres's ThinkFoodGroup, which includes more than 30 restaurants across the US{{Cite web |title=First Look: Immigrant Food Is Fast-Casual Fare With An Activist Bent |url=https://dcist.com/story/19/11/18/first-look-immigrant-food-is-fast-casual-fare-with-an-activist-bent/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=DCist |language=en}} Schechter opened his own restaurant, Immigrant Food, with Ezequiel Vazquez-Ger in 2019. The restaurant is located a block away from the White House in Washington DC.{{Cite news |title='Immigrant Food' Restaurant, Trump's New Neighbor |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/12/01/784005867/immigrant-food-restaurant-trumps-new-neighbor |access-date=2025-02-06 |work=NPR |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Carman |first=Tim |date=November 12, 2019 |title=A new D.C. restaurant will promote immigrant causes right in Trump's front yard |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/a-new-dc-restaurant-will-promote-immigrant-causes-right-in-trumps-front-yard/2019/11/11/dc31d598-0001-11ea-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html |access-date=February 6, 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Immigrant food hosts virtual events and produces a monthly digital publication called "The Think Tank," which focuses on complex immigration issues.{{Cite web |title=Two Beating Hearts: D.C.'s Immigrant Food Combines Gastronomy + Advocacy |url=https://districtfray.com/articles/immigrant-food-gastronomy-advocacy/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=District Fray - Making Fun Possible |language=en-US}}
Schechter is also an author. He published his first novel, Point of Entry, in 2006. which received accolades from The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, and Newsweek. He published his second novel, Pipeline, in 2009.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-03 |title=Peter Schechter |url=https://www.vjbooks.com/Peter-Schechter-s/535.htm}}{{Cite web |title=Books by Peter Schechter |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/collections/books-by-peter-schechter-880000024285 |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=HarperCollins |language=en}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.altamar.us/ Altamar's official website]
- [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/30/AR2010043002104.html Washington Post article on Peter Schechter]
- [http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/29948/Peter_Schechter/index.aspx Peter Schechter's page at HarperCollins]
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Category:American thriller writers
Category:Jewish American novelists
Category:American political consultants
Category:Communications consultants
Category:20th-century Italian Jews
Category:American male novelists
Category:Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies alumni