Monica Medina

Monica P. Medina is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and a Senior Associate on the Stephenson Ocean Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of Our Daily Planet, an e-newsletter on conservation and the environment. A former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, she also served as General Counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. Earlier in her career, Medina served as the Senior Counsel to former Senator Max Baucus on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, as the Senior Director for Ocean Policy at the National Geographic Society, and in senior roles in other environmental organizations. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the nonprofits SkyTruth and the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Army Meritorious Service Medal. She attended college on an Army R.O.T.C. scholarship, and began her career on active duty in the Army General Counsel’s Office, after being selected for its Honors Program. Medina has a Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.