Kate advises clients on navigating the United States government’s national security enterprise, with a focus on prioritizing investments and resource allocations. She provides unbiased, independent assessments of programs and investments.
Kate retired from the federal government in December 2024 after more than 23 years of service, most recently serving as the Majority Clerk for the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee. In that role, she led the committee’s bipartisan work on reviewing, overseeing, legislating, and executing defense and intelligence budgets. She joined the committee in December 2004 and served for 18 years as a Majority Professional Staff Member under multiple chairpersons from both political parties, acting as the lead analyst for a range of Department of Defense and Intelligence Community programs.
As an Adjunct Assistant Professor, Kate teaches a course titled “Budgeting for United States National Defense” at the Center for Security Studies in Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. She is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Army Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, and the Secretary of the Air Force Distinguished Public Service Award.
Kate moved from Germany to Washington, D.C., in 1998 after earning a master’s degree in German linguistics, with minors in political science and United States history, from the University of Cologne. She later completed a master’s degree in security policy studies at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, concentrating on national defense budgeting, the congressional budget process, and transnational security issues.
