Kathleen Hicks
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Kathleen Holland Hicks was born in September 1970 in Fairfield, California. She earned an undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College, and an MPA in national security studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received a Ph.D. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
She was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for three years. She began her career as a civil servant at the Office of the Secretary of Defense during President Obama’s administration, holding a variety of positions from Presidential Management Intern to the Senior Executive Service. She served four years as a senior civilian official in the Department of Defense confirmed by the Senate as principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.
She was nominated by President Joe Biden to be U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense. She was confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office in February 2021.
She is married to Thomas Hicks and they have three children.
In the News…
Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks made holiday video calls to U.S. service members from the Air Force, Army, and Navy before Christmas.
Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon stated, “Deputy Secretary Hicks thanked the service members and their families for their unwavering dedication and sacrifice in defense of the nation.”
He added, “She commended their commitment and hard work toward ensuring the safety and security of the United States, as well as their continued commitment to supporting America’s allies and partners around the globe.“
