Ms. Carla N. Zeppieri

Ms. Carla N. Zeppieri currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). She is responsible for assessing the health of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and recommending key policies, investments, and actions designed to strengthen the capacity and resilience of the DIB. She oversees the Policy, Analysis, and Transition (PA&T) organization, which evaluates the ability of critical DIB sectors to meet warfighter needs, identifies emerging risks, and informs key policy, program, and budget decisions. Ms. Zeppieri also oversees the Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, which addresses identified supply chain and industrial base risks through investments and prioritization authorities exercised under the Defense Production Act (DPA) and the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program.

Ms. Zeppieri most recently served in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs as the Acquisition and Sustainment Team Chief, developing, and executing legislative strategy in support of Department of Defense priorities. Prior to joining the Department of Defense, she served as a Professional Staff Member on the House Armed Services Committee where she conducted oversight of research, development, and acquisition programs across the military services, and authored legislation in support of congressional priorities in the National Defense Authorization Act.

Previously, Ms. Zeppieri served as Director, Federal Government Relations for Harris Corporation, managing the company’s legislative strategy across the defense, intelligence, space, and transportation businesses. Earlier in her career, she held positions at Raytheon Company, BAE Systems, and as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ms. Zeppieri is a graduate of Cornell University and began her career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy.