David Schenker was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Near Eastern Affairs in June 14, 2019. Prior to joining the Department of State, from 2006-19, Schenker was director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. From 2002-06, he served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Levant country director. In that capacity, he was responsible for advising the secretary and other senior Pentagon leadership on the military and political affairs of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. He was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service in 2005. Before joining the government in 2002, Schenker was a research fellow at the Washington Institute and a project coordinator of large, centrally funded USAID projects in Egypt and Jordan.

Schenker attended the University of Vermont, University of Michigan, and American University in Cairo.