Center for a New American Security

Kay King is a Senior Advisor and the Director of External Relations at the Center for a New American Security, where she oversees strategic communications and outreach. Previously, she served as a vice president at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) where she led the Washington office, ran special projects and authored a study on Congress and national security. Earlier in her career, Ms. King held several positions on CFR’s staff in New York, including as Associate Director of the European-American Relations project and as editorial assistant at Foreign Affairs.

Prior to returning to CFR in 2007, Ms. King worked extensively in the non-profit arena in Washington. She was Vice President for External Relations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Director of Congressional and Public Affairs at the U.S. Institute of Peace and the first Executive Director of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, which she headed for nearly a decade.

Ms. King has also served in both the executive and legislative branches of government. She was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs from 1999 to 2001 and was Senior Legislative Assistant for Foreign and Defense Policy to former Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Ms. King is also a consultant, providing advice on strategic planning and communications to international education non-profit organizations. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Vassar College and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.