Nicole Kauss joined SLA as its Chief Operating Officer in August 2019. She previously worked for the Department of Defense for 15 years, where she most recently was the Chief Operating Officer of the South and Central Asia mission. She is a former Intelligence Community leader who has deployed numerous times and excels in high pressure situations in challenging environments. She is excited to bring her dedication, drive, and empathy to SLA. She holds a B.A. in Spanish and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a M.A in International Security from The George Washington University.