Who Is Cait Conley? From West Point Combat Veteran to National Security Leader

Cait Conley has emerged as a prominent voice in national security, public policy, and veteran leadership. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran, Conley's career spans special operations deployments, top-tier executive advising at federal infrastructure agencies, and key policy roles within the National Security Council.
Ballotpedia
+ 1

Understanding her background provides valuable context on how tactical military experience translates into high-stakes governance and national resilience strategies.

Military Service and Special Operations Leadership

Conley spent over 16 years in active service as an Army officer, completing six overseas combat deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan, and other strategic regions. During her career, she served in various specialized tactical and operational roles:
VoteVets

Special Operations Leadership: Served as a special operations team leader and troop commander, navigating complex operating environments.
Combating Terrorism Center - West Point

Task Force Operations Officer (J3): Managed operational strategy and joint synchronization for regional and global counter-terrorism task forces.
Combating Terrorism Center - West Point

Academic Foundation: Earned a Bachelor of Science from West Point, alongside a Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a Master of Business Administration from MIT.
Combating Terrorism Center - West Point

National Security Policy and Election Infrastructure

Following her military service, Conley transitioned into senior civilian roles within the federal government, focusing on domestic resilience, counter-terrorism, and critical infrastructure protection.

Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council

In her role at the White House National Security Council (NSC), Conley led policy development on emerging Middle East threats, domestic extremist threats, and counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (c-UAS) policy.
Combating Terrorism Center - West Point

Senior Advisor at CISA

At the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Conley served as Senior Advisor to the Director. In this capacity, she oversaw the agency’s multi-domain election security mission. Her work directly supported state and local election officials across all 50 U.S. states and territories to bolster both physical and digital defenses against hostile foreign actors and cyber threats.
United States Military Academy West Point
+ 1

Case Study: Strengthening Local Infrastructure Against Cyber Threats

During her tenure overseeing election security and critical infrastructure resilience at CISA, Conley helped lead proactive readiness initiatives aimed at decentralized local governments.

Real-World Impact: Rather than relying solely on top-down federal directives, CISA implemented hands-on tabletop exercises, penetration testing, and direct technical support for local election offices. By bridging the gap between national intelligence insights and ground-level municipal IT departments, local officials were equipped to detect unauthorized access attempts, withstand ransomware disruptions, and maintain public trust in infrastructure reliability.

Key Public Policy Focus Areas

As a candidate for public office in New York’s 17th Congressional District, Conley's campaign emphasizes practical solutions rooted in her risk management and leadership background:
Ballotpedia

Protecting Democratic Institutions: Defending election integrity, election worker safety, and critical infrastructure against cyber and physical threats.
Combating Terrorism Center - West Point

Economic Resilience & Infrastructure: Investing in regional flood mitigation, modern energy grids, and middle-class economic stability in suburban and rural communities.

Veterans' Healthcare & Support: Expanding mental healthcare resources, job training programs, and benefits access for service members returning to civilian life.

Healthcare Access: Protecting reproductive freedom and lowering prescription drug costs for families.

Sources

Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
Combating Terrorism Center - West Point

VoteVets Candidate Profile

Ballotpedia Profile on Cait Conley
Ballotpedia

LuckeLadybug