Mr. Roenicke has served as a Russia policy advisor within the U.S. Department of Defense for the past 25 years, and has served 7 Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate. He specializes in Russian political-military developments and their impacts on U.S. and NATO policy, plans, force structure and international cooperation initiatives. He provides Russia-related counsel to senior U.S. government officials and engages in policy and strategy formulation efforts in support of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director, J-5.

In December 2011, Mr. Roenicke was selected to be the Director for Russia Affairs at the White House where he served as the principal director advising the President of the United States on Russia-related security, defense, and military matters. His areas of responsibility included issues associated with missile defense, strategic nuclear and conventional arms control, nonproliferation, counterproliferation, logistics support for Afghanistan, counterterrorism, counterpiracy, cybersecurity, and Arctic-related collaboration. His duties entailed planning, directing, and coordinating the implementation of policies and programs to enhance U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic interests.

From 1988 to 1997, he worked in support of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Air Force as a defense and arms control advisor with expertise in START, CFE, INF and ABM Treaty negotiation, compliance and implementation matters. Prior to this, he served on the staff of U.S. Senator Carl Levin where he researched and analyzed U.S. and NATO defense and foreign policy issues.

Mr. Roenicke has conducted educational seminars involving students from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Harvard University, Yale University, the National War College, and the George C. Marshall Center. He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan in Russian and East European Studies, an M.A. from the George Washington University in Security Policy Studies, and an M.S. from the National Defense University in National Security Studies.

Mr. Roenicke’s professional awards include official letters of commendation from the President of the United States and the U.S. National Security Advisor, and selection for the DoD Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the National Security Staff Achievement Medal, the Joint Civilian Service Achievement Medal, the Joint Staff Special Act Award, the Joint Staff J-5 Civilian of the Year, and the Excellence in Writing Award from the National Defense University.