Chris Howell joined Amazon in January 2022 and is the lead on US National Security Policy for AWS Public Policy.  In this role he regularly engages with Capitol Hill, the US Intelligence Community, and other parts of the Executive Branch.  Prior to joining Amazon, Chris was a staffer on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) for four years, serving as Senator Susan Collins’ designee; in this role he was Senator Collins’ staff lead on intelligence and related foreign policy issues.  He was also the Committee’s Republican staff lead or co-lead on a range of portfolios, including the CIA budget, Intelligence Community analysis, and anomalous health incidents (also known as the Havana Syndrome).  Before that in 2017 Chris was detailed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from the CIA and served as one of Chairman Bob Corker’s Middle East experts.  Chris was a CIA analyst for 12 years, covering topics related to Iraq, Syria, and terrorism in the Middle East as well as insurgent leadership in Afghanistan.  Chris grew up in East Tennessee and lives in Alexandria, VA, where he is involved in local politics.  He has a BA from Lipscomb University in Political Science and History, a Master’s in International Affairs from Texas A&M’s George HW Bush School of Government and Public Service, and a MBA from UNC Chapel Hill.