Garrett Boorojian and Ambassador, Counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy who worked for five U.S. Presidents and four U.S. Secretaries of State, Author, Ph.D. from UCLA, Dennis Ross

Garrett Boorojian and Ambassador, Counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy who worked for five U.S. Presidents and four U.S. Secretaries of State, Author, Ph.D. from UCLA, Dennis Ross

Author: Garrett Boorojian September 11, 2026 Duration: 49:47

Garrett Boorojian and Ambassador Dennis Ross discuss relationship building in a team environment.

Source: THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE for Near East Policy

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/dennis-ross

"Dennis Ross

  • William Davidson Distinguished Fellow
  • Counselor
  • Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship

Expertise

  • Arab-Israeli Relations
  • Democracy & Reform
  • Peace Process
  • U.S. Policy
  • Gulf & Energy Policy
  • Great Power Competition
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • Palestinians
  • Gulf States

Ambassador Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He also teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization. For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He was instrumental in helping Israelis and Palestinians reach the 1995 Interim Agreement; he also successfully brokered the 1997 Hebron Accord, facilitated the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty, and intensively worked to bring Israel and Syria together. Later, he served two and half years as special assistant to President Obama and as National Security Council senior director for the Central Region, spending the first six months of the administration as the special advisor on Iran to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A scholar and diplomat with more than two decades of experience in Soviet and Middle East policy, Ambassador Ross worked closely with Secretaries of State James Baker, Warren Christopher, and Madeleine Albright. Prior to his service as special Middle East coordinator under President Clinton, Ambassador Ross served as director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff in the first Bush administration. In that capacity, he played a prominent role in U.S. policy toward the former Soviet Union, the unification of Germany and its integration into NATO, arms control negotiations, and the 1991 Gulf War coalition. Ambassador Ross joined the Institute in 2001.

During the Reagan administration, he served as director of Near East and South Asian affairs on the National Security Council staff and deputy director of the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment. Ambassador Ross was awarded the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service by President Clinton, and Secretaries Baker and Albright presented him with the State Department's highest award.

A graduate of UCLA, Ambassador Ross wrote his doctoral dissertation on Soviet decision making and served as executive director of the Berkeley-Stanford program on Soviet International Behavior. He received UCLA's highest medal and has been named UCLA alumnus of the year. Ambassador Ross is the author of six books on the peace process, the Middle East, and international relations..."


Garrett Boorojian hosts WaveCapital's Guest Speaker Series on Relationship Building in a Team Environment, a podcast that digs into the human dynamics behind high-stakes success. Each conversation moves beyond typical interviews to explore how trust, communication, and genuine connection are forged under pressure. The guest list is a testament to the universal application of these principles, featuring Hall of Fame athletes from football, basketball, and baseball, Olympic medalists, Emmy-winning media figures, and top coaches and executives. These are individuals for whom "team" is not a corporate buzzword but the fundamental mechanism of achievement. You'll hear firsthand accounts of navigating locker rooms, boardrooms, and creative collaborations. The discussions are grounded in real stories-from the tension before a championship game to the delicate negotiations of a major business deal-revealing the practical methods these professionals use to build cohesive units. This isn't abstract theory; it's lived experience dissected to uncover what actually works. Whether you're leading a sports team, a business department, or any collaborative project, this podcast offers a rare look at the relational craftsmanship required to excel. Garrett guides these explorations with a focus on actionable insight, making each episode a masterclass in the subtle art of working with others.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

WaveCapital's Guest Speaker Series on Relationship Building in a Team Environment
Podcast Episodes
Garrett Boorojian and 1996 NCAA Division I Runner–Up / NBA First Round Draft Pick, former Consensus Second–Team All–American, former McDonald's All–American, Executive Board Member of the 501(c)(3) Heavenly Productions Foundation, John Wallace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:46
Garrett Boorojian and John Wallace discuss relationship building in a team environment.https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/alumni/john-wallace/https://www.legends-mag.com/for-john-wallace-hard-work-mental-healthGarrett a…
Garrett Boorojian and 4x Emmy Award winner, National Sports Media Association (NSMA) Hall of Famer, National Jewish Sports Hall of Famer, International Jewish Sports Hall of Famer, ESPN SportsCenter Anchor of 33 years, Linda Cohn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:16
Garrett Boorojian and Linda Cohn discuss relationship building in a team environment.https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/cohn_linda/"Linda CohnSportsCenter AnchorHall of Fame sportscaster Linda Cohn has served as a SportsC…
Garrett Boorojian and former Chief of Staff to Second Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Kamala Harris (Harris for President) / former Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Education, Sheila Nix [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:19
Garrett Boorojian and Sheila Nix discuss relationship building in a team environment.Sheila has one of the most complete and accomplished professional careers in local, state, and national politics, from the campaign tra…
Garrett Boorojian and National Political Reporter and former White House Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, former Reporter at the Associated Press, Georgetown University and Columbia Journalism School Alumnus, Ken Thomas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:17
Garrett Boorojian and Ken Thomas discuss relationship building in a team environment.https://www.wsj.com/news/author/ken-thomas"Ken ThomasNational Political Reporter, The Wall Street JournalKen Thomas is a national polit…