Penn Washington Names Mike Nelson as Inaugural Chief of Staff and Director of Communications

Penn Washington is delighted to announce that Michael D. Nelson has joined its leadership team as the inaugural chief of staff and director of communications.  Mike has held senior leadership positions in the U.S. government, academia, and public policy organizations.   He is an expert on national security, military science, defense operations, and energy security.  During his service as a special operations officer, Mike led teams in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and as a senior military officer in U.S. Central Command, he served as Deputy Director of the Commander’s Action Group from 2017-2019. He has served as Professor of Military Science at George Mason University, and directed operations and communications at the Institute for the Study of War and the Global Security Institute.

“Mike is a gifted and experienced leader in national security and public policy,” said Celeste Wallander, the Executive Director of Penn Washington.  “His deep knowledge of complex operations and effective communications will advance our mission of bringing the University of Pennsylvania’s evidence-based policy insights and solutions to the Washington, DC community.”