Staff
Ngor Luong is a Senior Policy Analyst on the Economics and Trade team at the Commission. She previously served as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the Chief Economist at the State Department where she focused on China’s economy, international trade, and emerging technologies.
Commission Member
Chris Slevin most recently served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Commerce under Secretary Gina Raimondo where he led Commerce through the agency’s expanded role in technology and national security and managed a nearly ten-fold budget increase through the execution of new legislation, including the CHIPS and Science Act. President Biden had earlier appointed Chris as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, where he focused on passage of bipartisan infrastructure legislation, veterans health legislation, and the CHIPS and Science Act. Earlier he served in the U.S. Senate as a senior policy advisor for Senator Sherrod Brown and Senator Cory Booker. Chris was Vice President for the Economic Innovation Group and began his policy career at Public Citizen as communications and deputy director of its global trade division. Commissioner Slevin was appointed by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for a term expiring December 31, 2026.
Commission Member
Josh Hodges currently serves as Senior Director of Corporate Affairs/Senior Adviser to the Chair at VEON Ltd., a multinational telecommunications and digital services company. Previously he was National Security Advisor to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Hodges also served as Special Assistant to President Trump and Senior Director at the National Security Council. In addition, he has held senior roles at the Inter-American Development Bank, National Nuclear Security Administration, both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and served as Military Legislative Assistant for Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), among other roles. Commissioner Hodges was appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson for a term expiring December 31, 2026.
Staff
Lyndi Tsering is a Policy Fellow on the Security and Foreign Affairs team. She previously served at the United States Institute of Peace, first as a research analyst in the Africa Center and then as a program specialist on the China Team.
Staff
Joseph Federici serves as a Senior Policy Analyst on the Security and Foreign Affairs team where he brings over a decade of national security and foreign policy experience to the Commission.
Commission Member
Livia Shmavonian most recently was appointed by former President Joseph Biden as Made in America Director at the Office of Management and Budget. Previously she served as Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs and Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce. On Capitol Hill she worked as Staff Director for the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness and served as a Senior Advisor to former Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). Commissioner Shmavonian was appointed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer for a term expiring December 31, 2026.
Staff
Dr. Kathleen Hawk is the Director of the Security and Foreign Affairs team. Prior to joining the Commission, Kathleen served in a number of roles in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
Commission Member
Dr. Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is also a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and a senior advisor at Macro Advisory Partners. He is the author, co-author, or editor of many books, and, his work has been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and many other outlets. Hal has previously served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Strategic Planning, a member of the Secretary of State's Foreign Affairs Policy Board, and lead writer for the Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States. Commissioner Brands was appointed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for a term expiring December 31, 2026.