Ms. Lisa Heald, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Director, Strategy and Force Design, Deputy Chief of Staff for Force Modernization, Headquarters Air Force. In this role, Ms. Heald is responsible for developing force design, strategy, and assessments to drive modernization priorities, requirements, capability development, and resourcing decisions to deliver effective operational capabilities for tomorrow’s Airmen. Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Heald served as Deputy Director for Concepts and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Design, and Requirements.
Previously, Ms. Heald served as the Associate Chief for Strategy at Headquarters Air Force, advising on National Defense Strategy implementation. This included linking NDS intent to future Air Force design, capability development, and the integration of allies and partners into strategy, concepts, capabilities, and requirements.
Before joining Headquarters Air Force, Ms. Heald spent over 15 years in the private sector, including more than a decade in senior leadership roles advising executive clients and overseeing business units and multi-disciplinary teams delivering strategy, policy, and organizational design services for federal and private sector clients. Before joining the private sector, Ms. Heald worked for many years in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense. Previous assignments include overseeing bilateral defense relations with Turkey, helping develop the 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review, and serving as Special Assistant to the second most senior policy official at the Pentagon. Ms. Heald began her career in the federal government at the U.S. Department of State.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish, Haverford College, Haverford, Pa.
1995 Master of Science in Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1995–1997, Presidential Management Fellow, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
2. 1997–1997, Member, Balkans Task Force, OSD (Policy), Arlington, Va.
3. 1997–2000, Special Assistant to the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, OSD (Policy), Arlington, Va.
4. 2000–2003, Defense Strategist, OSD (Policy), Arlington, Va.
5. 2003–2005, Country Director for Turkey, OSD (Policy), Arlington, Va.
6. 2005–2010, Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va.
7. 2010–2014, Senior Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va.
8. 2015–2020, Senior Associate, The Cadmus Group, Arlington, Va.
9. 2021–2021, Principal, The Cadmus Group, Arlington, Va.
10. 2021–2025, Associate Chief for Strategy, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. September 2025–April 2026, Deputy Director, Concepts and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Design, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. April 2026–present, Deputy Director, Strategy and Force Design, Deputy Chief of Staff for Force Modernization, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
OSD Medal for Exceptional Civil Service
Secretary of Defense Joint Meritorious Unit Award (Group Award) for Exceptionally Meritorious Service, OSD Balkans Task Force
State Department Superior Honor Award (Group Award)
(Current as of July 2026)