Payton L. Knopf

Senior Adviser, Crisis Management Initiative; International Affairs Fellow in Residence, 2010-2011

Payton Knopf was a 2010-2011 international affairs fellow in residence at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

Mr. Knopf is a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State. He most recently served as the political officer on the staff of U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell.

He previously served in the Department of State's Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs with responsibility for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations launched at Annapolis, Maryland in November 2008. From 2006 to 2008, Mr. Knopf was based at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum covering the conflict in Darfur, and he worked as an advisor to U.S Special Envoys for Sudan Andrew Natsios and Richard Williamson to support their efforts to re-start negotiations between the Darfur rebel movements and the Sudanese government. He formerly served in the Department of State's Office of Egypt and the Levant and at the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining the Department of State, Mr. Knopf was a program officer at the National Democratic Institute, where he managed political party development programs in the Maghreb and in Yemen and as a program officer at the International Center for Journalists.

Mr. Knopf holds a BA in international relations from Boston University and is proficient in Arabic and French.

Top Stories on CFR

India

The election date for the world’s largest democracy is set to begin April 19 and last six weeks. What would the results of a third term for Prime Minister Modi mean for India’s economy, democracy, and position in the Global South? 

RealEcon

The response to the temporary closure of the Port of Baltimore—from a deadly tanker collision—demonstrates the resilience of U.S. supply chains despite fears of costly disruptions.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Violence around U.S. elections in 2024 could not only destabilize American democracy but also embolden autocrats across the world. Jacob Ware recommends that political leaders take steps to shore up civic trust and remove the opportunity for violence ahead of the 2024 election season.