Maja Lehnus, Former Director of the National Counterproliferation Center
Nuclear initiatives in Iran and North Korea, among others, has put a heightened emphasis on Counterproliferation, the policies and actions designed to impede the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). This is an active complement to Nonproliferation which uses diplomatic and legal tools to deter state and non-state actors from acquiring WMDs.
Maja Lehnus, our January speaker, served as Director of ODNI’s National Counterproliferation Center (NCPC) integrating the capabilities of the Intelligence Community to deliver on the NCPC mission. Her discussion will focus on the lessons learned from two counterproliferation actions she led.
Ms. Lehnus brings four decades of Intelligence Community (IC) experience, leading, transforming, and driving lasting results at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
Over a 20-year period she led CIA analytic programs, ultimately serving as Director of the Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation, and Arms Control Center (WINPAC). Maja also effectively led in three enterprise functional areas, having served as the Associate Director of CIA for Talent, the CIA’s Deputy Chief Financial Officer, and the CIA’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
Ms. Lehnus currently serves on the Board of Managers of the National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC; the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Global Security External Review Committee; and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Intelligence Committee. She served for three years on the Board of Visitors for the National Intelligence University.
Maja has received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University.