Laura Katz Cutler is Managing Director of the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies at American University. A former commercial banker with Wells Fargo Bank, Ms. Cutler is a community activist and active member of the Washington, DC, Jewish community, where she has been a tireless advocate for innovation in Jewish education. She is past chairman of the board of PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values. Ms. Cutler serves on the boards of Moishe House and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. She holds a masters degree in international relations from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.