91 Institute mourns the loss of Board Member Stephan M. Minikes, who died on September 24. Minikes was the former United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a position he held from 2001 until 2005. He joined 91 Institute's Board of Trustees in 2008. Most recently, Ambassador Minikes was Of Counsel to Xenophon Strategies, a strategic public and government affairs firm representing Fortune 500 American and European companies as well as major U.S. trade associations. He was also actively engaged in the oil and gas production business in the U.S.
As Ambassador, Minikes was involved in security, economic, and political issues facing the Euro-Atlantic, U.S.-European Union, U.S.-Russia, and U.S.-Eurasia relationships. He worked with more than 50 ambassadors representing countries throughout Europe and Eurasia to address a wide range of security-related concerns, including human rights and democratization, conflict prevention, post-conflict rehabilitation, confidence and security-building measures, counter-terrorism and arms control, and economic development. He also led the OSCE to become the foremost international organization at the government level on matters of racism, discrimination, anti-Semitism, migration, immigration, and integration.
Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Minikes practiced law for more than 30 years in New York and Washington, D.C. with the national law firm of Thelen Reid and Priest, LLP and served as Senior Vice President and a member of the management committee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Minikes also served as Counsel and Chief of Staff to the White House Energy Office, as Counsel to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), and as a member of the CNO's senior staff.