CNAS Welcomes Shana Mansbach and Liza Tobin as Adjunct Senior Fellows

Washington, April 30, 2025 — The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to welcome two new adjunct senior fellows: Liza Tobin, who joins the Energy, Economics, and Security Program, and Shana Mansbach, who joins the Technology and National Security Program.

Liza Tobin is managing director at Garnaut Global, a geopolitical risk advisory firm. She previously served as a senior director at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), where she led work on economic strategy amid intensifying U.S.-China competition. Her distinguished career in government service includes roles as China director at the National Security Council during the Trump and Biden administrations, senior advisor at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. She has been featured on Bloomberg, Fox Business, NBC, In the Room with Peter Bergen, Behind the Markets, The President’s Inbox, and more.

“Liza has deep expertise on China, U.S. policy toward China, and the shifting geoeconomic landscape,” said Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program. “Her thought leadership and analytic chops bring much needed clarity and nuance to debates over the future direction of the U.S.-China relationship. I am thrilled to welcome her to the team.”

Tobin’s full bio can be viewed here.

Shana Mansbach has worked to shape technology policy at the highest levels of government as a senior advisor to former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Currently, Mansbach serves as a special government employee for the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) to support its final report on advancing U.S. biotechnology leadership. As a speechwriter and senior advisor to Secretary Blinken, Mansbach authored groundbreaking remarks to elevate critical and emerging technologies as a U.S. foreign policy priority, including the first-ever speech by a U.S. secretary of state at the annual RSA Conference, along with high-level remarks on artificial intelligence (AI), subsea cables, cloud computing, export controls, and technology alliances. As deputy communications director for Speaker Emerita Pelosi, Mansbach led communications strategy for all science, space, and technology-related legislation, including the landmark CHIPS and Science Act. She also served as a researcher and collaborator on Industries of the Future, a book surveying technology shaping the U.S. economy, from robotics to AI to synthetic biology.

“Shana brings rich experience at the highest levels of shaping U.S. technology policy at home and abroad with senior roles at the State Department and on Capitol Hill,” said Vivek Chilukuri, senior fellow and director of the Technology and National Security Program. “She has worked to elevate emerging technologies in U.S. foreign policy and has a rare ability to translate complex, fast-moving developments in AI, biotechnology, semiconductors, and more for policymakers and the public. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome her to the team.”

Mansbach’s full bio can be viewed here.

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