Cara Abercrombie *03 SPIA
Former Acting U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Cara Abercrombie is a national security professional who has held senior Pentagon and White House roles over 20 years of federal government service. Most recently she served as acting deputy under secretary of defense for policy, where she advised the secretary of defense on national security policies and led the development and coordination of defense policy across the Defense Department. In 2024, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as assistant secretary of defense for acquisition, responsible for overseeing Pentagon procurement policy for an acquisition workforce of 150,000 personnel. From 2021 to 2023, she served as deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for defense policy and arms control at the White House National Security Council, where she advised on nuclear and military space policy, arms transfers and security assistance for Ukraine and other U.S. foreign partners, as well as support to military families. Abercrombie is a passionate advocate for epilepsy awareness and research. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College. She resides in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband and daughter.