Staff BiographiesClick here for the biographies of our regional staff.
Cliff Ainsworth Cliff Ainsworth joined the BENS staff in October 2008. He is responsible for writing and editing BENS publications, including the monthly Update, and updating BENS website content. Cliff has worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers in the Midwest and also has experience in the IT industry. He graduated summa cum laude with a master’s from the Missouri School of Journalism and holds a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Southern Indiana. Cliff has lived and studied abroad in Helsinki, Finland, and Beijing, China. Danielle Camner Lindholm Danielle Lindholm manages a portfolio that includes threat finance/anti-money laundering, intelligence transformation, homeland security, and federal outreach projects. Specializing in economic and commercial aspects of national security, she has worked in a comprehensive range of positions: doing international auto-standard harmonization at the Department of Transportation, as the Country Manager for the Middle East and North Africa at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, as a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs (doing worldwide commercial issues), and as an Advisor for International Economic Policy at the National Economic Council. She has also spent time as the Vice President of Government Affairs for BankUnited, headquartered in Florida. Before joining BENS in January 2005, she served as the Senior Policy Advisor to a U.S. Congressman, working on issues that included financial services, national and homeland security, and foreign affairs. Danielle holds a B.A. (Classics) from Tufts University and a J.D. from the University of Miami. She is a member of the District of Columbia and Florida Bars, a member of the American Bar Association, and served as the Chief of Staff to the Legal Working Group of the Project on National Security Reform (PNSR). Other activities include Term Membership in the Council on Foreign Relations (2002-2007), participation in the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Society (and DC Host Committee Member), and active mentoring with Women in International Security (WIIS) and the Tufts CASE Network. She also serves as a counselor to Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) and is the founder of the Devi Society, a work-life group for women and families in the National Security field. back to top As Senior Vice President for Policy, Butch oversees planning and execution of projects and engagements approved by the BENS Board of Directors. In doing so he works with government client-partners in the executive and legislative branches, leveraging the resources and experience of senior executives from the business community to help improve government operations and save taxpayer dollars.
Devin joined BENS after 15 years of technology experience in a variety of roles at start-ups and large corporations, building innovative, business-driven, technology-savvy organizations. He has led software development and professional services teams globally as well as held executive management team positions at YUDU Media, The New York Times Company and OneSoft Corporation. Most recently, Devin was a consultant at Cisco Systems to help IT and Marketing executives in a $1 billion initiative. Additionally, in the last two years he helped launch several Silicon Valley-based social media start-ups from idea conception through initial funding rounds. Devin holds MBAs from London and Columbia Business Schools and a BS in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has dual Italian (EU) and US citizenship and is fluent in English and Italian. Steven W. Lowe Joining BENS in October 2002, Steve Lowe brings over twenty years of senior managerial experience in operations, finance and information technology. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President and CFO of AIIM International where he oversaw acquisitions and mergers, designed a new Financial Reporting system, and led cost-cutting and consolidation operations. Steve earned his bachelor's and master's Degrees from Purdue University. Susan C. Maybaumwisniewski Susan Maybaumwisniewski is Vice President for Policy. She brings over twenty years of senior management experience with the Department of Defense. During her thirty year career as a Naval Officer, Susan had the leadership responsibility for command at all levels. She has expertise in anti-submarine warfare, education and training, and facilities management. Prior to joining BENS in June 2008, She was a professor of Acquisition at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, a college of National Defense University, Washington DC.
Ms. Moseley has been with BENS as Executive Assistant to the President & CEO since January 1997. She serves as the point of contact for all aspects of the office of the President. From 1987—1996, Ms. Moseley worked at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in their National Security Program office. Her primary responsibilities included curriculum and guest speaker coordination, as well as event planning for the numerous executive education programs conducted under a contract for the Department of Defense. Steven J. Naplan Before joining BENS, Steve Naplan served as a counterterrorism and homeland security policy advisor to former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger. From 1995-2001 Naplan worked at the White House, including service as Director for Multilateral and Humanitarian Affairs at the National Security Council. In addition to advising on policy matters and strategic planning, Naplan represented the White House on diplomatic missions to China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Laos and Thailand. Prior to his appointment at the NSC, Naplan served for two years in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he worked on Operation Restore Democracy ( Haiti contingency) and NATO exercises Cooperative Nugget ’95. For these and other efforts, Naplan was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service. Steve Naplan graduated cum laude from the George Washington University in 1993 and is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Paul E. Taibl Paul Taibl, Vice President for Policy, has been on the BENS staff since 1994. He pursues BENS’ interests in defense industry issues; defense acquisition and management reform; outsourcing and privatization of defense infrastructure; base closure and reuse issues; and the defense budget. Prior to joining BENS, Paul was a senior analyst at Strategic Planning International. From 1992-93, he directed the defense policy and budget research for the independent, not-for-profit Defense Budget Project, now known as the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. At BENS, he has been the project lead and/or editor of many significant study efforts, including: Tail-to-Tooth Commission: Arming the Pentagon to Change its Business Practices; The Report of the Independent Panel on the Central Intelligence Agency In-Q-Tel Venture; Pay for Performance at the CIA: Restoring Equity, Transparency and Accountability; Getting Down To Business: An Action Plan for Public-Private Disaster Response Coordination; and Getting to Best: Reforming the Defense Acquisition Enterprise. A former U.S. Air Force officer, he served for 22 years including duty as a C-141 and C-5 pilot, forward air controller in Vietnam, and, at the Pentagon, as Chief of Plans Integration for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired from military service in 1990 as a senior fellow at the National Defense University where he wrote on defense industrial mobilization and strategic airlift issues. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Paul has a B.S. in economics and a M.S. in operations research. He lives with his wife, Judy, in Burke, Virginia. They have two adult sons.
Josh Wellner Prior to that, he lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for six months as a consultant on a modernization and transformation project. He served in the United States Navy as Surface Warfare Officer for six years, four of those years on Sea duty in various Division officer roles. Following his tours at sea, he was selected to serve as a Senate Liaison Officer for the U.S. Navy’s Office of Legislative Affairs. In that position, he escorted Members of Congress and their staffs on official domestic and international travel. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.
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