[Virtual] "From Policy to Action"

Leadership Seminar Series presented by the BPIA U.S. Foreign Affairs Leadership Project

In collaboration with the Partnership for Public Service and the Leadership Council for Women in National Security (LCWINS)

Thursday, December 17, 2026 | 6:30–7:30 PM ET | Virtual

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9794618227

Details, session PPT, zoom background here: https://iabpia.org/Leadership-Project

About the Session

A strong policy recommendation is only the beginning. Government leaders must determine who has authority, who owns implementation, what resources are available, which stakeholders can block or accelerate action, and how success will be measured. This session examines how policy moves from an idea on paper to something government can actually execute.

What We’ll Discuss

• Turning policy recommendations into executable plans
• Authority, ownership, funding, personnel, and timelines
• Why good policies often fail during implementation
• Congressional, budgetary, and interagency constraints
• Measuring whether government action is working

Speakers

Alia Awadallah

Senior Managing Director, Creative Defense Foundation | Former Director, Executive Secretariat, U.S. Department of Commerce

Alia Awadallah has held leadership and policy roles across Commerce, Defense, State, the Army, and the Office of the Vice President. Her experience includes translating senior-level priorities into policy, coordinating across government, managing executive decision processes, and implementing national-security initiatives.

Carole House

CEO, Penumbra Strategies | Former Special Advisor for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure, National Security Council

Carole House is a strategic technology and national-security executive whose career spans the White House, financial regulatory agencies, Congress, and military service. She previously served as Special Advisor for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure at the National Security Council and has worked extensively at the intersection of emerging technology, economic security, and government policy.

Jenny Mattingley

Vice President, Public Policy & Stakeholder Engagement, Partnership for Public Service

Jenny Mattingley is a senior leader at the Partnership for Public Service focused on improving the federal government and strengthening the systems that support effective public service. Her work includes presidential transition, federal personnel, leadership, and efforts to improve the capacity of government institutions.

Kristen Edwards Marquardt

Managing Partner, Fortis Vista | Former Intelligence Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security

Kristen Edwards Marquardt brings experience from DHS, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the CIA, offering a perspective on how intelligence, congressional oversight, and executive-branch decision-making shape policy implementation.

Alexandria J. Maloney

Senior Director, BPIA U.S. Foreign Affairs Leadership Project

Alexandria J. Maloney leads BPIA’s work on preparing emerging and mid-career professionals for public-service leadership, with a focus on moving beyond access and professional pipelines toward governing readiness and implementation capacity.