Roger Zakheim was appointed to the Board of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) in 2017 and specializes in national security policy issues. 

Roger Zakheim is Director of the Ronald Reagan Institute (RRI) in Washington, D.C., which promotes the legacy of President Reagan by advancing the timeless principles of individual liberty, national security, economic opportunity, global democracy and national pride. In this capacity, Mr. Zakheim serves on the Executive Committee of the Reagan National Defense Forum, a program of RRI.

Mr. Zakheim also serves as a Commissioner on the Commission on the National Defense Strategy of the United States established by Congress in 2017.

Prior to joining the Reagan Institute, Mr. Zakheim was a partner at Covington & Burling LLP where he led the firm’s Public Policy and Government Affairs practice group.

Mr. Zakheim’s previous experience includes serving as General Counsel and Deputy Staff Director of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee. In this role, Mr. Zakheim managed the passage of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Mr. Zakheim also served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush Administration, where he managed the department’s policies and programs related to the Iraq and Afghanistan coalition affairs.

Mr. Zakheim frequently speaks and writes on national security and defense issues. His views have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Politico, National Public Radio, Fox News, CNN, BBC, The Weekly Standard, National Review, among other media outlets.

Defense News called Mr. Zakheim one of the “100 Most Influential People in U.S. Defense,” noting that he is widely “regarded as one of the top GOP young guns.” Foreign Policy magazine recently named him one of the “Top 50 Republicans in GOP Foreign Policy.”