Biographies

Amanda J. Dory served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She is a career member of the Senior Executive Service on a faculty assignment with the National War College.

Past Experience:
Amanda served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2008-2011, where she was responsible for strategy articulation, development of force planning scenarios, policy planning, and analysis of long-term trends and the future security environment.  She received a Presidential Rank Award for her work on the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review and the security implications of climate and energy trends.  She previously served in the same office as the Principal Director for Policy and Planning from 2007-2008 and as a Strategist from 1999-2002.

Following the publication of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), Amanda served as the Chief of Staff for the Irregular Warfare and the Building Partnership Capacity QDR Execution Roadmaps, overseeing a broad range of implementation activities across the Department in these two focus areas.

From 2003-2006, Amanda served in the newly-established Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense as the Director for Planning and Integration.  In this capacity, she was responsible for working with the Homeland Security Council/National Security Council, Congress, public affairs, strategic planning and analytic support, and education and training initiatives.

In 2002, Amanda was selected as a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow.  Based at the Center for Strategic and International Studies during her fellowship tenure, she conducted an independent research project on civil security – the role of the American public within homeland security post-9/11.  She authored a CSIS report and related Washington Quarterly article on civil security.  She also participated in the Beyond Goldwater-Nichols project on defense reform.

From 1996-1999, Amanda served as the Country Director for Southern Africa and the Country Director for West Africa in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.  In the former capacity, she helped establish the post-apartheid defense relationship with South Africa.  She also participated on the security working group of the National Summit on Africa.

Amanda joined the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 1994 as a Presidential Management Intern.  Her non-governmental experience includes positions with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Foreign Policy magazine and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Project.  She received an M.A. in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with concentrations in international economics and African studies.  She received a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University with a certificate in African studies.  She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.