BIOGRAPHY

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Amy Garmer has spent more than 25 years in public policy at the intersection of communications, new technology, and democratic society strengthening governance and information ecosystems at the local and regional levels and advancing enabling environments for independent media systems in the United States and globally. Her professional career has been guided by the desire to bring the best available information to bear in support of individual and organizational decision-making to strengthen democracy, promote peace, and build the good society.

Garmer served as Director of Special Initiatives at the U.S. Institute of Peace for five years, where she worked with colleagues across the Institute and key external stakeholders to increase the impact of USIP’s work preventing, managing, and mitigating violent conflict around the world. She provided day-to-day leadership for the Institute’s strategic initiatives, including the Women Building Peace Award initiative, the International Advisory Council, and other high-profile signature events that elevated USIP’s mission and national and global visibility.

Prior to joining USIP, Garmer enjoyed a lengthy tenure as Program Director at the Aspen Institute, where she launched and led a nationally-recognized journalism portfolio for more than 10 years, served as Founding Director of the Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries, and directed multiple other initiatives for its Communications and Society Program. With experience convening dialogues on five continents, she is adept at navigating diverse intellectual, professional, and cultural landscapes and skilled at identifying common ground among stakeholders with different perspectives and priorities.

A trained facilitator and seasoned presenter, Garmer has moderated and spoken at conferences, events, and media programs including NPR’s Studio 1A, the Carnegie UK Trust, Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, the Digital Public Library of America, the American Library Association, Comcast Newsmakers, Wharton Business Radio, San Jose State University, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. She has written widely on topics ranging from journalism, the attention economy, and telecommunications regulation to institutional innovation, community resilience, and public libraries. Garmer began her career in the office of U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and holds an M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Virginia. She and her family reside in Maryland.

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