Mr. Elkind is Senior Advisor to Stonebridge International and the founder and principal of EastLink Consulting, LLC, an independent consultancy focusing on energy, environment, and investment. He advises corporate and public-sector clients on major energy infrastructure projects, energy and environmental policy, and investment opportunities in Eastern European and the post-Soviet countries. From 1989 to 2001, Elkind served in a variety of positions in the U.S. government, including on the staff of the U.S. National Security Council, on the National Security Affairs staff of the Vice President of the United States, at the U.S. Department of Energy, and at the President s Council on Environmental Quality. Elkind frequently writes and speaks on energy and related issues. He is a non-resident senior fellow on energy security issues at the Brookings Institution, a leading Washington think tank. Elkind received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Maryland. He also has a Masters degree in Soviet history from Columbia University and a Bachelor s degree from the University of Michigan.