As Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs from April 2014 to August 2015, Tanya J. Bradsher oversaw the Department of Homeland Security’s public outreach, media, strategic and incident communications efforts and served as the principal advisor to Secretary Jeh C. Johnson on all internal and external communications.
Prior to joining the department, she held several positions at the White House, including as Assistant Director, Office of Public Engagement, where she was lead for Veteran, Wounded Warrior and Military Family Outreach. She also served as Assistant Secretary for National Security & Defense on the White House National Security Council and as spokesperson for the Department of Defense, Asia, Africa, Western Hemisphere, counter-terrorism, and detainee policies. From 2009 to 2011, Ms. Bradsher was a Defense Press Officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs at the Pentagon.
Ms. Bradsher had a distinguished career in the United States Army before retiring in 2013 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. From 1994 to 2009, she served in multiple locations throughout the United States, Iraq, Haiti, and the Republic of Korea. She is a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star for significant achievement and distinguished service. Assistant Secretary Bradsher holds a B.A. in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.