Gregg Rickman

Rickman received bachelor's degree in 1986 and a master's degree in 1988 from John Carroll University. He received his Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Miami.[2]

Rickman began working at the U.S. Capitol in 1991 as the Legislative Director for U.S. Senator Al D’Amato (R-NY).[2] The Republican Party won control of the U.S. Senate in the 1994 elections, and D’Amato became chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Under D’Amato's chairmanship from 1995 to 1998, Rickman was Holocaust Projects Director[3] for the committee's Swiss Bank Inquiry, a 3-year investigation into the disposition of assets of Holocaust victims that had been held by Swiss banks since World War II. The investigation resulted in a $1.25 billion settlement on behalf of the survivors.[1]

After D’Amato lost re-election to Chuck Schumer in 1998, Rickman joined the staff of Sen. Peter Gosselin Fitzgerald.[2]

From 2001 to 2003, Rickman was the Director of Congressional Affairs for the Republican Jewish Coalition, where he worked on legislative issues of concern to the Jewish community. He also led outreach to Jewish social action groups and coalitions as well as constituent member groups.

From 2004 to 2006, Rickman was a staff member of the House International Relations Committee, first on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia where he handled numerous issues including Antisemitism and Holocaust restitution. Later, Rickman was Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, where he directed the committee's investigation into the UN Oil-for-Food program and was the main author of the committee's report on the investigation.

The Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 created the position of a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice appointed Rickman as the first occupant of the position, and he was sworn in on May 22, 2006.[1]

Swearing-in of Gregg Rickman, Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism

During his tenure, Rickmann was involved in winning visas for Yemeni Jews and was also very critical of the United Nations for its approach to Israel. In December 2007, Rickman traveled to Yemen to assess the condition of the Jewish community there and to investigate a report of abduction, forced conversion to Islam, and marriage of a young Yemenite woman. Over 57 Yemeni Jews were resettled in the United States due to the efforts of Rickman's office and organizations such as HIAS.[4]

Rickman was critical of his successor Hannah Rosenthal’s criticism of then Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren for snubbing lobby group J-Street in 2009.[5]

After stepping down as Special Envoy at the end of the Bush Administration, Rickman was hired as the Director of Foreign Military Sales for National Air Cargo. In 2010, he became the Director of Policy and Government Affairs for pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. He served in this position until 2014.

From 2010 to 2015, Rickman was Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for Sen. Mike Rounds.[2]

• Swiss Banks and Jewish Souls (1999)
• Conquest and Redemption, A History of Jewish Assets from the Holocaust (2006)