CNAS Announces 2023 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellows

Washington, January 30, 2023—The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) announced today the selection of the 2023 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellows. Now in its 14th year, the Next Gen Program is a fundamental component of CNAS’ commitment to ensuring the United States develops a diverse cadre of talented individuals dedicated to preserving and strengthening its national security. After a highly competitive process, CNAS selected a bipartisan group of 24 emerging leaders from multiple sectors. This year’s fellows include members of the military; government professionals, including from the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and Congress; individuals from the private and nonprofit sectors; and think tank experts.

"Each year, I am impressed by the remarkable quality and stories of the applicants. We're excited to have chosen such a diverse array of talent in the 2023 cohort,” said Michèle Flournoy, CNAS Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors, who will co-chair the program along with Christian Marrone, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Lockheed Martin. “These emerging national security leaders are truly extraordinary, and their commitment to service should give us all hope for the future.”

Through this leadership development program and its monthly speaker series and small private discussions, the Next Gen Fellows will engage with those who have led before them, developing a deeper understanding of U.S. national security interests and policies, as well as leadership principles and best practices. Previous classes have met with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, former White House Chiefs of Staff Josh Bolten and Denis McDonough, General Stanley McChrystal, Admiral Cecil Haney, Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and many others. Upon completion of the program, fellows remain connected to the Center through the CNAS alumni program.

The complete list of the 2023 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellows is below. Their full biographies are available here.

CNAS 2023 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellows:

• Asim Ali, Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State
• Tooba Awan, Director for Economy, Special Competitive Studies Project
• Denver Barrows, Senior Product Manager, Amazon
• Michael Cass-Antony, Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Jonathan Clifford, Professional Staff Member for Technology & Innovation, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. House of Representatives
• M.J. Crawford, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
• Lisa Einstein, Executive Director, CISA Cybersecurity Advisory Committee
• Sarath Ganji, Director, Autocracy and Global Sports Project
• Julian Gluck, Major, U.S. Air Force
• Michelle Grisé, Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation
• Ling Guo, Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton
• Kory Hasenoehrl, Major, U.S. Marine Corps
• Polly Kisin, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy
• Carrie Lee, Chair, Department of National Security and Strategy, U.S. Army War College
• James Martin, Executive Secretary, Office of the Vice President
• Daniel O’Sullivan, Budget Planner & Programmer, U.S. Space Force
• Avi Panth, Assistant U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, U.S. Department of Justice
• Sara Plana, USG
• Claire Powell, Communications Director, BAE Systems
• Matthew Romanowski, Major, U.S. Army
• Geo Saba, Chief of Staff, Office of Congressman Ro Khanna
• Kinsey Spears, PhD Candidate, The Fletcher School
• Dustin Volz, Cybersecurity and Intelligence Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
• Jennifer Walters, Major, U.S. Air Force

CNAS would like to thank its partners, Lockheed Martin and the American Express Foundation, for their generous support of the program.

For questions concerning the fellowship, please contact [email protected].

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