Meet the 2015 Armed Services
Committee Staff
Adapted from: National Journal’s Meet the Armed Services
Committee’s Majority and Minority Staff
December 22, 2015
First Published: December 22, 2015
Producer: Justin C. Brown, with
contributions from Alexander Perry
Director: Afzal Bari
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Meet the Armed Services Committee Staff
Armed Services Committee Staffers
Committee Leadership Chairman: Rep. John McCain (R-AZ) Ranking Member: Jack Reed (D-RI)
Name
Committee Position
Christian Brose
Majority Staff Director
Cord Sterling
Majority Deputy Staff Director
Katie Wheelbarger
Majority Policy Director
Bill Greenwalt
Majority Lead Staffer for the Readiness Subcommittee
Samantha Clark
Majority Counsel
Diem Salmon
Majority Professional Staff
Elizabeth King
Minority Staff Director
Jon Clark
Minority Counsel
Özge Güzelsu
Minority Counsel
Mike Kuiken
Minority Professional Staff Member
Carolyn Chuhta
Minority Professional Staff Member
Arun Seraphin
Minority Professional Staff Member
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Majority Staff
Christian Brose, Majority Staff Director
Biography
Education: Kenyon College B.A.;
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
International Studies, M.A.
Career: Congressional Aide
Previous Experience
Personal Information
• In college, Christian was a member
of an improv-comedy troupe
• The 9/11 terrorist attacks spurred
his interest in foreign policy
•
Speechwriter at the State Department
for Secretaries Colin Powell and
Condoleezza Rice
•
Senior Editor at Foreign Policy magazine
•
Has been working with McCain since
2009
Comments on Committee
• A large part of his job as staff director
is to work with both young and
experienced committee staff members
to ensure they support and execute
the intent of committee chairman
John McCain
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Majority Staff
Cord Sterling, Majority Deputy Staff Director
Biography
Education: California State University, San
Bernardino, B.A., M.A.
Career: Congressional Aide
Previous Experience
Personal Information
•
•
Began working on the Hill in 1995 under
McCain in the Armed Services
Committee’s Readiness and
Management Support Subcommittee
•
Worked for the Aerospace Industries
Association for nine years
Comments on Committee
•
He spent 11 years working on the
committee under both John McCain and
John Warner before leaving in 2006
•
He returned to Capitol Hill in 2015 to
bring a host of changes to the Pentagon
including adjustments to compensation
practices and acquisition operations
Sterling likes ultra-endurance events; he
has hiked the Grand Canyon and is
currently training for an Ironman race
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Majority Staff
Katie Wheelbarger, Majority Policy Director
Biography
Education: University of California, Los
Angeles, B.A.; Harvard Law School, J.D.
Comments on Committee
•
She is McCain’s designee on intelligence
issues, giving her a broad vantage point to
assess the country’s strengths and
weaknesses
•
She is a believer in working toward a goal
even if it may not seem immediately
achievable, explaining, “In Congress, we
cannot always execute our preferred
policies but we can advocate for the best
policies with vigor and clarity.”
Career: Congressional Aide, Chief of Staff
Previous Experience
Personal Information
•
Katie enjoys doing 20-mile weekend
runs around Washington
•
Deputy Chief of Staff for the House
Energy and Commerce Committee
•
Counsel to Vice President Dick Cheney
•
Counselor to Homeland Security
Secretary Michael Chertoff
•
This is her first year working with the
Senate after moving from the House
Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Majority Staff
Bill Greenwalt, Majority Lead Staffer for the Readiness Subcommittee
Biography
Education: California State University at
Long Beach, B.A; University of Southern
California, M.A.
Career: Public Policy, Accounting
Comments on Committee
•
In charge of the Armed Services
Committee’s proposal to radically
overhaul the Defense Department’s
acquisition system
Previous Experience
•
Department of Defense deputy
undersecretary for industrial policy
•
Dealt with acquisitions policy for
Lockheed Martin and the Aerospace
Industries Association
•
Evaluator at the General Accounting
Office
Personal Information
•
When he and his wife reached their 50th
birthdays, they completed a “50-50
tour”: a visit to all 50 states that year
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Majority Staff
Samantha Clark, Majority Counsel
Biography
Education: Iowa State University, B.A.; Air
Command and Staff Collage, M.A.;
University of Kansas, J.D.
Comments on Committee
•
Lead staffer for the military retirement
system modernization component of the
committee’s defense bill
•
Enjoys finding a balance between giving
retirement benefits to all military
personnel, taking care of those who
sacrifice in combat, and keeping promises
made to those who are serving
Career: Lawyer, Congressional Aide
Previous Experience
•
Worked at the National Guard Bureau’s
Office of the Chief Counsel
•
Worked at the Douglas County, Kansas
District Attorney’s Office
•
Has been a part of the committee since
2013
Personal Information
•
Clark is described as relentlessly upbeat
by her coworkers and was voted most
likely to join the cast of Saturday Night
Live by her high school senior class
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Majority Staff
Diem Salmon, Majority Professional Staff
Biography
Education: University of California, Irvine,
B.A.; Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
International Studies, M.A.
Career: Research Analyst
Comments on Committee
•
Lead staffer in charge of budget issues
•
Currently engaged in the challenge of
attempting to responsibly and sustainably
increase defense spending above what
the current budget caps allow
Previous Experience
Personal Information
•
•
Defense budget policy analyst at the
Heritage Foundation
•
Defense analyst for Avascent Group
•
Joined the committee in March 2015
She enjoys slow-pitch softball and is a
part of the congressional softball league
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Minority Staff
Elizabeth King, Minority Staff Director
Comments on Committee
Biography
Education: University of Pennsylvania, B.A.;
Georgetown University, J.D
•
She is excited to work with the committee
and loves its rich history.
Career: Congressional Aide
Previous Experience
•
Her first job was at the Pension Benefit
Guaranty Corporation
•
Served as counsel on Senator Alan
Dixon’s base-closure commission
•
Legislative director for Rep. Marty
Meehan of Massachusetts
•
Spent six years as the Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Legislative Affairs before
returning to the committee this year
•
Has spent a total of 12 years working
with Sen. Reed
Personal Information
•
King is a cat rescuer, working with the
Washington Humane Society to find
homes for stray cats and kittens
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Minority Staff
Jon Clark, Minority Counsel
Biography
Education: Villanova University, Army ROTC;
George Washington University, J.D.
Career: Military Lawyer
Comments on Committee
•
Clark mainly handles military personnel
issues but also deals with religious
accommodation, assignment policies for
women and POW/MIA issues
Previous Experience
Personal Information
•
•
He served four years active duty in the
Army General Counsel’s office
•
Worked at the Government
Accountability Office before joining the
Armed Services Committee in 2005
Jon is passionate about sports; his
favorite teams include the Dallas
Cowboys, the Washington Nationals,
Arsenal FC and Villanova basketball
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Minority Staff
Özge Güzelsu, Minority Counsel
Biography
Education: Harvard University B.A.;
Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government
M.A.; Stanford University, J.D.
Comments on Committee
•
She handles Asia Pacific foreign policy,
environmental issues and all minority
investigations
Career: Lawyer
Previous Experience
•
When she finished her master’s degree,
Güzelsu spent 18 months in Germany on
a fellowship researching Turkish foreign
policy
Personal Information
•
She is an avid gardener, currently
cultivating tomato plants and pepper
plants
•
She was born in Turkey and is fluent in
Turkish
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Minority Staff
Michael Kuiken, Minority Professional Staff Member
Biography
Education: Calvin College, B.A.; George
Mason University, M.A.
Comments on Committee
•
Kuiken handles the military and foreign
policy in U.S. Africa Command, U.S.
Southern Command and most of U.S.
Central Command
•
His responsibilities include
counterterrorism, international defense
cooperation, counternarcotic, and
sanctions policy
Career: Congressional Aide
Previous Experience
•
Staff assistant for Sen. Carl Levin
•
Has worked on the Armed Services
Committee since 2004
Personal Information
•
Kuiken enjoys Friday-night pizza and
Saturday-morning music lessons with
his two children
•
His wife works in the government as an
aide for Delaware Governor Jack
Markell
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Minority Staff
Carolyn Chuhta, Minority Professional Staff Member
Biography
Education: State University of New York Plattsburgh, B.A.; University of Maryland
School of Public Policy, M.A.
Comments on Committee
•
She is most excited about being a
committee staffer for a major authorizing
panel
•
Currently Reed’s primary adviser on
ballistic missiles and the U.S. Northern
Command/North American Aerospace
Defense Command (NORTHCOM)
Career: Congressional Aide
Previous Experience
Personal Information
•
Carolyn sings with the National
Philharmonic Chorale and has recently
performed Beethoven’s Ninth and
Bach’s St. John Passion
•
Worked with Sen. Barbara Mikulski
analyzing the defense budget
•
Spent almost five years as Sen. Jack
Reed’s main military liaison, dealing with
the annual defense appropriations
process
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown
PRESENTATION CENTER
MEET THE 2015 ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE STAFF
Armed Services Committee Minority Staff
Arun Seraphin, Minority Professional Staff Member
Biography
Education: Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Ph.D.
Comments on Committee
•
Seraphin handles the acquisition and
procurement policy changes proposed in
the Senate Defense authorization bill
•
He oversees matters relating to
technology, science and innovation and
enjoys thinking about the military’s
“future battlefield”
Career: Engineer
Previous Experience
Personal Information
•
•
Worked at the Pentagon think tank
Institute for Defense Analyses
•
Joined the Senate Armed Services
Committee in 2001
•
Briefly left the committee in 2010 to
work at DOD’s Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and
the White House’s Office of Science and
Technology Policy
•
He returned to the Armed Services
Committee in March of 2015
Seraphin is a father of five with ages
ranging from 8 months to 11 years old.
Sources: National Journal Research, 2015 Fawn Johnson, “Meet the Armed Services Committee’s Majority and Minority Staffs,” National Journal, June 17, 2015
December 22, 2015 | Justin C. Brown