CNAS Welcomes Jennifer Hendrixson White, Ian Bryan, and Jonathan Rue as Adjunct Senior Fellows 

Washington, June 17, 2025 — The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to announce the addition of three adjunct senior fellows: Jennifer Hendrixson White, who joins the Indo-Pacific Security Program, and Ian Bryan and Jonathan Rue, who join the Defense Program.

Jennifer Hendrixson White brings to her role more than 15 years of experience in national security, foreign affairs, international economic policy, and emerging technologies, with deep expertise in China and the Indo-Pacific. From 2010 to 2025, she held senior roles across the U.S. government, including at the State Department, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, both chambers of Congress, the Pentagon, USINDOPACOM, and the National Security Council.

White has played a pivotal role in negotiating the passage of major bipartisan legislation, including the Australia-UK-U.S. (AUKUS) Security Partnership, the 20-year renewal of the Compacts of Free Association, and sanctions targeting North Korea under the 2017 CAATSA Act. She also led efforts to eliminate double taxation for U.S.-Taiwan business partnerships and strengthen U.S. investment in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer to the team,” said Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program. “Her cross-sector leadership and deep knowledge of the Indo-Pacific will significantly enrich our program’s work.”

White’s full bio can be viewed here.

Ian Bryan is an attorney, retired U.S. Air Force colonel, and former legislative director to Senators Dianne Feinstein and Laphonza Butler. He advised Senator Feinstein on foreign policy, defense, and veterans affairs during her tenure on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and the Intelligence Committee.

Bryan brings several years of Pentagon experience in procurement and legislative affairs, including his role overseeing congressional engagement for the chief of the National Guard Bureau. As a professor at the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, he taught military theory and defense policy, drawing on a career that includes strategic planning in Baghdad and piloting a variety of aircraft, including the B-1, KC-135, and C-17.

Bryan’s full bio can be viewed here.

Jonathan Rue is an advisory partner at MVP Ventures and formerly served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for force development and emerging capabilities. At the Pentagon, he led the development of the annual Defense Planning Guidance, managed force planning assessments, and advanced key elements of the AUKUS trilateral agreement. He also directed the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Policy’s involvement in the Replicator initiative.

Previously, Rue served as chief of staff to the director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation and spent nearly five years in the U.S. Senate, including as national security advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren. In that role, he drove bipartisan legislation and oversight on the Senate Armed Services Committee. His earlier positions include service as a legislative advisor at Headquarters Marine Corps and as a senior policy advisor at the Punaro Group. Rue is a former Marine Corps officer and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Rue’s full bio can be viewed here.

“Jonathan and Ian both bring a unique combination of operational insight and policy acumen,” said Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director of the Defense Program. “Their experience will greatly contribute to the program’s emphasis on developing actionable defense policy recommendations.”