Roger Zakheim serves as the Washington Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. He previously practiced law at Covington & Burling LLP where he led the firm’s Public Policy and Government Affairs practice group. Before joining Covington, he was 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, the defense policy bill which authorizes the Defense Department’s budget. Mr. Zakheim’s government experience also includes serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense where he supported the department’s policies and programs related to Iraq and Afghanistan coalition affairs.

Mr. Zakheim serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace and is a Commissioner on the Congressional Commission on the National Defense Strategy of the United States.

His other boards and advisory boards include: Marvel Government Solutions Board of Directors; the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments’ Advisory Council; Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy Advisory Council; and the Alexander Hamilton Society’s Board of Advisors. 

Mr. Zakheim frequently speaks and writes on national security and defense issues. He has testified before a number of Congressional committees and regularly lectures on national security topics. His views have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Politico, National Public Radio, Fox News, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, the Atlantic, National Review, among other media outlets.