Mr. Charles Carithers is a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs where he advises a diverse set of clients with interests related national security, defense, and Homeland security.

Prior to joining Cornerstone, he served as a Professional Staff Member with the Committee on Homeland Security in the House of Representatives, advising its Chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), on various national security and intelligence matters. Before his time with the Committee, Charles spent 11 years in the United States Intelligence Community (IC). There, he served in various leadership capacities, including the Associate Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI); as a Senior Policy Officer within ODNI’s Policy Division, where he regularly reviewed and developed national level policies for the IC; and as a Senior Intelligence Analyst while stationed in Iraq with the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Prior to joining IARPA, he served as a Brookings Institute Legislative Fellow with the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the United States Senate where he advised then Ranking Member Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE) and Committee staff on matters related to foreign policy and national security.

He received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Morehouse College in 2005, and Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2007 and currently serves on their alumni board.

Mr. Carithers is a term member with the Council on Foreign Relations and the Truman National Security Defense Council. He is the recipient of the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award and Medal, the Secretary of Defense Global War on Terrorism Award and Medal, and was named a 2020 Black American National Security & Foreign Policy Next Generation Leaders by New America and the Diversity in National Security Network. Charles is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University where he teaches a graduate level course on congress and U.S. national security policy.

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