Chicago Council Promotes Grace Burton to Director, Government Relations

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs announced today that Grace Burton will lead the organization’s Washington DC office as director of government relations.

“We are delighted to have Grace take on this new role,” said Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “She has already done so much to advance our work and has been a critical part of the Government Relations office. Grace will serve as a link between the Council and the US government, helping to generate policy ideas and communicate Council priorities to the Washington audience.”

Burton brings nearly 10 years of professional experience to the position, including half a decade advocating for global food security and agricultural development programs.

“Global food assistance and agricultural development have a long history of bipartisan support from policymakers and the American people, but the world is facing increasing challenges. I look forward to leading the Council’s Washington office and advancing the smart, strategic solutions our research recommends,” Burton said.

Burton, who joined the council in 2014, played a formative role in developing policy recommendations for five annual food security reports and six policy briefs covering topics from trade to US national security, including co-authoring a 2017 policy brief, Reaping the Digital Return: Enhancing Communities through Modern Extension, and has led efforts on enhancing policy support for food aid and nutrition.

Burton brings experience from the nonprofit and private sectors following her time at the US Chamber of Commerce, the Partnership for Public Service, and the International Center for Journalists. Burton has a master’s degree from King’s College London and a bachelor’s degree from Bates College.

Burton’s promotion comes as Erik Pederson steps down after four years as director.