Think Tanker to Replace Think Tanker at NSC?

Steven Simon, formerly at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and now President Obama's senior director at the National Security Council (NSC) for the Middle East and North Africa, is reportedly returning to IISS to be executive director of the US and Middle East offices.

Possible replacements for Simon include:

• Jon Alterman, Zbigniew Bzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy and Director, Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
• Colin Kahl, a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

In other think tank personnel news, Kristin Lord, Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at CNAS, is said to be heading to the US Institute of Peace (USIP) to be Executive Vice President, taking the job once held by Tara Sonenshine, now Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

Here is the press release from USIP on Lord's new position.  She will assume her new duties on January 28, 2013.  Lord previously worked at the Brookings Institution.

Lord will be replaced by Shawn Brimley, who is currently a Senior Fellow at CNAS.  He will become Vice President and Director of Studies at CNAS as of February 1, 2013.