The Washington Foreign Law Society
cordially invites you to its 2025 Gala Dinner
Honoring
Rafael Mariano Grossi
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
at the
University Club of Washington, D.C.
1135 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Date & Time: Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 6:00 PM
The Washington Foreign Law Society is proud to present Director General Grossi with the Society’s Harry LeRoy Jones Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to international peace, nuclear security and the global rule of law.
Director General Grossi will be introduced by Richard S. Goorevich
Rafael Mariano Grossi –
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi has served as the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 3 December 2019. A seasoned diplomat with nearly four decades of experience in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, Mr. Grossi has held a series of high-level roles in both national and international institutions.
Before his election as Director General, he was the President-Designate of the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
From 2014 to 2016, he served as President of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), becoming the first to hold the post for two consecutive terms. In 2015, he also presided over the Diplomatic Conference of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which led to the unanimous adoption of the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety—a milestone following the 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident.
From 2013 to 2019, Mr. Grossi served as Argentina’s Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the IAEA and other Vienna-based international organizations. He had earlier held key positions within the IAEA, including Assistant Director General for Policy and Chief of Cabinet from 2010 to 2013.
Mr. Grossi has also contributed significantly to the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), where he served as Chief of Cabinet from 2002 to 2007.
Prior to that, he held senior diplomatic roles in Argentina’s Foreign Ministry, including Political Affairs Director General (2007–2009), Head of Mission in Belgium and Luxembourg (1998–2002), and Representative to NATO (1998–2001). He joined the Argentine Foreign Service in 1985.
He holds a Master’s and a PhD in International Relations, International History, and Politics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, University of Geneva. He began his studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and trained at the Argentine Diplomatic Academy.
As a champion of equal opportunities for women and men in the nuclear sector, Mr. Grossi launched the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme in 2020 and the Lise Meitner Programme in 2023. These initiatives aim to support women in entering and advancing within the nuclear field, helping to build the future nuclear workforce. In 2024, the IAEA Secretariat achieved gender parity in professional and senior management roles, fulfilling a goal set by Mr. Grossi when he took office in 2019, at a time when women represented only 30 percent of the Secretariat.
Mr. Grossi has received numerous accolades, including Brazil’s Order of Naval Merit, Austria’s Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold with Sash, Italy’s Order of Merit, and Kazakhstan’s National Medal on the 30th Anniversary of its independence. In 2023, he was named an honorary citizen of Rome and was recognized by the City of Buenos Aires as an Outstanding Personality in Political and Social Science. In 2024, Paraguay’s Honorable Chamber of Deputies awarded him the Orden Nacional al Mérito Comuneros. That same year, he received the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award from the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the Nuclear Energy Institute. In 2022, ANS also awarded Mr. Grossi and the IAEA a Presidential Citation for their work in Ukraine.
Richard S. Goorevich —Assistant Deputy Administrator
Office of Non-proliferation and Arms Control
National Nuclear Security Administration
Richard S. Goorevich is currently serving as the Assistant Deputy Administrator for the Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control at the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). In this capacity, he is responsible for implementing programs to strengthen multilateral nonproliferation treaties and agreements, meet export control obligations, enable verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons, and enhance international nuclear safeguards and security of nuclear materials and facilities worldwide.
Prior to rejoining the NNSA, Mr. Goorevich was the Director for Government Affairs for Urenco, USA from 2017 to 2020. In this capacity, Mr. Goorevich was responsible for interacting with Federal and State officials, as well as Congress, to support the operations of America’s only operating commercial uranium enrichment plant. Mr. Goorevich was also a member of the Board of Directors for the US Nuclear Infrastructure Council.
Before joining Urenco, USA, Mr. Goorevich was the Senior Policy Advisor for Nuclear Fuel-Cycle and Regulatory Issues at NNSA.
He was responsible for providing policy and technical guidance to the U.S. Government on international nuclear affairs, nuclear safeguards, nuclear and WMD Dual-Use export control policies, and international physical protection requirements. He frequently served as a negotiator for U.S. agreements for nuclear cooperation and has served as a delegate to the IAEA General Conference and the NPT Review Conference.
Mr. Goorevich served as the Chairman of the Nuclear Suppliers Group Consultative Group for over 10 years and was a member of the U.S. Government's delegation to the NPT Exporter's Committee. His office was also responsible for the issuing of U.S. export authorizations for nuclear technology and assistance, commonly referred to as “Part 810 Authorizations”.
Mr. Goorevich also previously served as Office Director in NNSA’s Office of International Regimes and Agreements and spent two years working in the Department of Energy's New Production Reactor Program.
Mr. Goorevich is a recipient of the NNSA Administrator’s Award of Excellence Gold Medallion, the NNSA Distinguished Career Service Award, and the U.S. Flag. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Miami University and a Master of Arts in History from the University of Buffalo.
Individual tickets for the 2025 WFLS Gala are available at the following prices:
· General Admission: $175
· WFLS Member Admission: $135
· Student Admission: $120 (must show current student ID upon entrance to the Gala dinner)
· Student WFLS Member Admission: $100 (must show current student ID upon entrance to the Gala dinner)
The WFLS greatly appreciates the financial support of its members, individual supporters, and Sponsors. Sponsorships for the WFLS Gala are available at one of the following donor levels: Platinum ($10,000), Gold ($5,000), or Silver ($2,500). Sponsors and their levels will be recognized at the Gala and in announcements, publicized in the program and the WFLS website, and given a table at the Gala.
Corporations, law firms, universities, and others interested in becoming a Gala sponsor should direct any questions to washingtonforeignlawsociety@gmail.com
Revenue from the annual Gala helps the WFLS increase its capacity to pursue its mission of promoting discussion of and scholarship on international law and comparative legal issues through its monthly programming, at which speakers from the U.S. Government, international institutions, foreign countries, and private practice address topics of current interest in the international arena.
The Washington Foreign Law Society wishes to thank the following organizations and individuals for their generous support:
DEBRA AND MICHAEL DECKER
* Dress Code & Parking
Professional business attire is required for all guests in accordance with the University Club’s dress code. Valet parking is available on-site for $25.
