The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) named Dawn McGuinness, an international relation professional with years of experience in national security, as the new International Capacity Building Advisor.
McGuinness has a wealth of experience in policy, political-military affairs, interagency cooperation, and security assistance. Before her new position, McGuinness served as the deputy director for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since Aug 2019 and was the program manager for Guatemala Assistance at DHS, according to her LinkedIn account.
Additionally, McGuinness brings more than 18 years of specialization as an Asia-Pacific regional advisor, 13 of which were during a 21-year Army career, where she took on various roles and responsibilities. For example, as the country director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia at the Pentagon, she advised senior defense officials on critical East Asian security issues in advance of White House meetings, Congressional testimony, and foreign engagements.
In 2002, McGuinness received a Master of International Affairs East Asian Studies from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. And in 2001, she graduated with honors from Stanford University and received a Bachelor of Art in Cultural Anthropology.
