A revered leader with 25 years of command experience, DeDe has been described by Dr. Brené Brown as one of her “leadership heroes and a total badass.” She has held several pivotal roles, including as an advisor to the Department of Defense’s top leader, commander of Air Force bases in Barksdale and Iraq, a national security fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, congressional fellow advising an Indiana senator, senior advisor to the Air Force chief of staff, and chief public affairs officer for the Thunderbirds.

No stranger to high-stress environments: As a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, DeDe was a trusted influence in developing solutions to the military’s most pressing issues. She also served as the military’s lead spokesperson responsible for implementing plans supporting the Department of Defense’s global communications strategy.

A Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, DeDe is an executive coach certified through Georgetown University’s Executive Leadership Coaching Program. DeDe holds a master’s degree in leadership from American Military University and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Iowa. She is also a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officer School, and Defense Information School.