Prior to moving to Washington, D.C. in 2019, Acadia gained experience in the corporate advertising and non-profit sectors in New York. She graduated with a Masters degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University in 2021. At Georgetown, Acadia served on the School of Foreign Service graduate Student Government Association, published multiple articles for the Georgetown Security Studies Review, and worked as a research assistant to Dr. Tammy Schultz. She also completed a certificate with the Arab Studies program and gained full professional fluency in Arabic in two years.

Before joining SIGAR, Acadia was the MENA graduate fellow at McLarty Associates. She has also reported extensively for the independent publication Foreign Brief.

Her current work on topics such as the future of women’s rights under the Taliban and the demise of the independent media in Afghanistan can be found at www.sigar.mil.

He was the military aviation analyst for the Congressional Research Service, Congress’s in-house policy shop, for 12 years, where he testified before Congressional committees; briefed members and staff on all related policy, budget, technical, and other matters; and wrote and maintained reports on major military aviation programs (manned and unmanned, all services.)

In previous Capitol Hill billets, he oversaw the entire defense procurement and missile defense budgets on the professional staff of the House Committee on Armed Services for FY2000 through 2005, responsible for $78 billion a year, and earlier served as military legislative assistant to a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

As senior fellow at CSIS, he was principal author or co-author of major reports on Department of Defense reform and missile defense, and initiated studies on reserve component roles and missions, systems acquisition, military logistics, and Special Forces aviation. Subsequently, Gertler established a defense policy and analysis center for the Aerospace Industries Association.

Gertler was extensively involved in the 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review while in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He was senior analyst for the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission during its 1995 round, and began his career in 1984 as a national security analyst with the RAND Corporation.

An award-winning writer, Gertler’s commentaries have appeared in Defense News, Naval Institute Proceedings, Air Force magazine, and the Washington Post, among others, and on national television and radio. He has also written many speeches, op-eds, and other public policy statements for members of Congress and Administration officials and is principal author of a popular book explaining the defense establishment for laypeople.

He is a graduate of Amherst College, the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University, and the United States Naval War College. He was named a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2021.

Before completing his graduate education, he served as an inaugural Senior Fellow at the Hungary Foundation, in residence in Budapest, as well as the first Associate Director of the Center for the Future of Liberal Society at the Hudson Institute. Dr. Bogden’s commentary has appeared in The Atlantic, GMFUS’s Paper Series, The Wall Street Journal, War on the Rocks, The American Interest, The Wavell Room, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and the Marine Corps University Press. Before defending his dissertation, he undertook a Fulbright Fellowship in Kosovo.

Dr. Bogden’s research has been recognized by the Brussels Forum Young Writers Award and the Trench Gascoigne Essay Contest. He is a Rockefeller Fellow at the Trilateral Commission, a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as a member of Chatham House and IISS.

LT Grant completed his first tour at Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) San Diego from 2019 to 2021 where he served as the Division Officer of the Mental Health Unit of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. In addition to this role, he co-led the base’s Psychological Health Committee. He additionally served as the chair of the Grand Rounds Committee for NMRTC San Diego’ Directorate of Mental Health and co-chair of the Naval Medical Forces Pacific Transgender Care Team. In the fall of 2019, LT Grant deployed to the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN during its time in the Fifth Fleet. He served as the lead for a Mental Health Augmentation Team which spent the final three months of the ship’s record-breaking deployment supporting the crew. In the spring of 2020, he deployed again, this time serving as lead mental health clinician aboard the USNS MERCY during its defense support of civilian authorities mission to provide hospital relief to Los Angeles in response to COVID-19.

LT Grant commissioned into the US Navy via the Navy Psychology Licensed Direct Accession program in 2019. He is a native of Southern California and prior to joining the Navy, he worked as a Clinical Psychology Subject Matter Expert at the Defense Health Agency’s Psychological Health Center of Excellence and as a clinical researcher in the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences supporting research on military suicide prevention.

LT Grant obtained two master’s degrees prior to completing his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University in 2015. As a part of his doctorate, he completed his pre-doctoral internship at Tulane University’s School of Medicine. He then completed a fellowship focused in minority mental health in the Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Residency at the VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California, San Diego Program. LT Grant then served as an American Psychological Association (APA) Congressional Fellow in the Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), supporting the Senator’s military, veteran and healthcare legislative portfolios as well as her role on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In 2021 LT Grant became the first US Navy lieutenant and earliest career psychologist to be elected as Fellow of the APA. He currently serves as President of the board of directors for GLMA, a national nonprofit organization focused on LGBTQ+ health equality. He is the recipient of Presidential Citations from both the APA and Society for Military Psychology, Arthur W. Melton Early Achievement Award from the Society for Military Psychology. Early Career Achievement Award from the APA, Distinguished Contribution to Public Policy Award from The Society of Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, and Distinguished Alumni Award from Palo Alto University.

Previously, Priya was the Assistant Director at The Asia Foundation overseeing the portfolio to prevent gender-based violence (GBV), including violence against women and girls and LGBTQIA+ persons. She has worked in East and West Africa, Central America, Asia, and the Pacific Islands to advance the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda, address GBV in conflict, and integrate trauma-informed and survivor-centered approaches.

Priya started her career at a grassroots organization called FAIR Girls as a case manager providing direct services to survivors of human trafficking, where she became the Director of Prevention Education. Further, she served as the Board Chair for the Asian Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project and is a member of the Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation.

Priya incorporates the theory of oppression and power to fundamentally address GBV and decolonize the field of international development and security. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Gender Studies from Georgia State University and a master’s degree in Sociology from George Washington University, where she was also a part-time sociology professor.

After completing primary and intermediate naval flight training in Pensacola, Florida, he reported to Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 120 in Norfolk, Virginia for training in the E-2C Hawkeye, earning his wings of gold in 2014.

Upon completion of his initial training, Sawyer reported to VAW-113 at Naval Base Ventura Country (NBVC), Point Mugu, California in February 2015. While assigned to the “Black Eagles” he deployed aboard the USS George Washington (CVN 73) on her Southern Seas Deployment and aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) for a Western Pacific (WESTPAC) Deployment in support of numerous Multi-National Exercises fostering security and stability in the Fourth and Seventh Fleet Areas of Operation.

Following the completion of his initial sea tour, he attended the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS) Hawkeye Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) Course. He then reported to VAW-120 as a staff WTI, Tactics Phase Head, and finally, Assistant Training Officer. He additionally acted as a NATOPS instructor in the E-2C and E-2D from July 2018 to February 2021. During this tour, he served on the Hawkeye Tactical Analysis Team and assisted CAEWWS in tactics development at the Virtual Warfare Center in St. Louis, MO. Following his instructor tour, he reported as the Training Officer for VAW-115 at NBVC, Pt. Mugu in February of 2021, joining them on their WESTPAC Deployment and participating in Joint Exercise Northern Edge.

He was selected as a Navy Fleet Scholar and attended the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, graduating with a master’s degree in International Public Policy. Following Graduation, he reported to his current role as a Department Head in VAW-123.

Sawyer has accumulated more than 1,200 flight hours in five different aircraft platforms. In 2012 he received the Admiral Robert B. Carney Award for academic excellence at the Naval Academy and in 2020 he received the Lieutenant Cameron Hall Leadership Award for transformational leadership at VAW-120. His personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), Armed Forces Service Medal, and various unit and service awards.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Seth was part of the team that worked to reestablish U.S.-Cuba ties from 2014-17. During this time, he coordinated with the Commerce and Treasury Departments on updates to U.S. sanctions regulations, and supported bilateral talks on civil aviation, environmental protection, and health and science cooperation. He also completed shorter stints as desk officer for Sri Lanka and Maldives, and at the U.S. missions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Santiago, Chile.

Seth has B.A. degrees from American University in Washington, D.C., and completed undergraduate coursework at the Catholic universities in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. He also holds a master’s degree in Latin American studies from Georgetown University.

Seth has received the State Department’s Superior Honor Award twice, as well as the Sinclaire Award for excellence in language study. He is from New York’s capital region and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Estonian.

Prior to joining HRC, Gillespie was the Sexual Health and Rights Policy Advisor with American Jewish World Service and served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Turkey.

Gillespie earned both her bachelor’s degree and Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.

After a study abroad program with Duke Law, in 2005, Mr. Checketts was selected for an Office of the Judge Advocate General, internship at the Pentagon for the summer of 2006. He was ultimately selected to become a Navy JAG and commissioned in Nov. of 2006 in the Navy Reserves; receiving an Honorable Discharge in May of 2015. Carson earned his Naval War College Masters degree in National Security and Strategic Studies in 2017. In July of 2019, Mr. Checketts earned a Certificate from MIT in Artificial Intelligence.

After working on a National Presidential Campaign in 2008, Carson attended the Institute of World Politics, where he focused his graduate studies on information warfare. Carson remains an active alumni and volunteer for the Institute. Mr. Checketts also spent a year serving at a National Security consulting firm in 2009, Mr. Checketts was recruited by ODNI in the Summer of 2009.

Mr. Checketts began his federal service in July of 2010, and is currently working for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security. Carson has received four National-Level Intelligence Community Awards, and is one of the founding members of DoD-Pride. He is also the OUSD(I&S) representative to Intelligence Community Pride.

He served twice in Europe. He now supports federal clients with as a managing consultant for strategy and management with Guidehouse Federal Inc.

He is a graduate of George Washington University (MA 95) and American University (BA 92).

He is originally from Aurora, Illinois.

Prior to this role, Jesús served as a career analyst within the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) where he produced analytic papers on Latin American and Caribbean security, political, and migration issues. He has traveled to Mexico and Guatemala in service of the DHS mission, and has a broad network across the US intelligence and policy communities.

He is also the founding member, former co-chair, and current Recruitment Chair for DHS I&A’s LGBTQIA+ employee association, PRISM. He has received multiple recognitions for his work, including the 2023 Secretary’s Award for Team Excellence, 2022 Secretary’s Meritorious Service Silver Medal Award, the National Military Intelligence Foundation’s LTG Patrick M. Hughes Award for Exceptional Homeland Intelligence, and a National Intelligence Council – Western Hemisphere Achievement Award.

Prior to his career at DHS, Jesús interned for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. House of Representatives, and a public affairs firm in Washington, DC. He received his B.A. in International Affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University.

He is a proud gay, person of color, a first-generation college student, and a first-generation American. He is a native from Chicago, Illinois and Guadalajara, México.

Previously, Bojan served in various policy positions advising governments at the United Nations on political, security and disarmament issues. He co-founded CityInclusive, a social-impact organization leveraging ‘Smart City’ technology to bring greater inclusion in cities, and served as a Futurist-in-Residence at the Institute for Urban Futures at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada. He started his career as a community organizer working with immigrant and undocumented communities in Chicago.

Bojan is a graduate of NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, Carnegie Ethics Fellows, Humanity in Action Senior Fellow, and Jeanne Sauvé Public Leadership Fellow.

He previously served as interim diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor to the CEO. Before joining World Learning, he worked at the European Union’s Delegation to the United States, overseeing a portfolio of public-facing initiatives spanning the transatlantic agenda, including trade, security, climate change, the digital economy, gender equality, and educational exchange. Previously, at the British Council, he contributed to programs on religion and international affairs, intercultural dialogue, and common European cultural relations initiatives.

In addition to his work at World Learning, Tim is concurrently an affiliate of the Transatlantic Policy Center at American University, a security fellow at the Truman National Security Project, and a member of the Foreign Policy for America’s NextGen Initiative. He received his master’s degree in international relations from King’s College London and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University.

He studies how Global South countries navigate inequalities and asymmetries in international orders and their attempts to level the playing field in global governance. Luis focuses on the positions and actions of developing countries in nuclear, humanitarian, and cyber governance negotiations.

He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University.

Seven years ago she and her wife discussed it and decided to see if transition was the right option for her. She transitioned in place at her employer and met some expected and unexpected issues, in general it has been a good experience.

Willow has four remarkable kids, and currently one grandchild. Willow and her wife, Cynthia, have been married for almost 34 years. Willow has also taken up figure skating as a hobby, following in the footsteps of her daughter, and has skated at Theatre on Ice Nationals twice.

Willow helped found her Pride Inclusion and Diversity council, which has transitioned to a Business Resource Group. The Pride Council has had many successes lobbying for pronouns, policy changes, and increased coverage for LGBTQIA+ fertility, and increased benefits for transgender care.

She works with a few non-profits working to support trans youth and their parents, lobbying school boards, speaking at the county board of supervisors, and in Virginia’s state legislature.

Prior to joining G2 Global Solutions, JP completed internship rotations at the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Health and Biodefense and HHS’s Office of Global Affairs while pursuing his master’s degree full-time. At the State Department, his work focused on implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda and at HHS he engaged with domestic and international partners to promote pandemic influenza preparedness. During his master’s program, JP’s research centered on defining best practices across the human, animal, and environmental sectors in the event of a deliberate biological incident and identifying roles of international stakeholders.

JP is a doctoral student in the Health Security Track of the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He holds an M.S. in Public Health Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Diseases from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health and a B.S. from the University of Miami.

As a senior official in Biden-Harris Administration, Justin is on the leadership team at FEMA as Director of the Office of External Affairs which includes Congressional Affairs, Public Affairs and Communications, Intergovernmental Affairs, Private Sector Affairs, Tribal Affairs, Disaster Response Communications, and the Nation’s Ready Campaign.

Recently, Justin became a Truman Project National Security Fellow.

Previously, Justin held several senior positions in the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as global media and public affairs director of the Harvey Milk Foundation. He supported Harvey’s nephew, Stuart Milk, and political campaign manager, Anne Kronenberg, to launch the foundation.