Kelli L. Seybolt, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In this position, she provides oversight and guidance for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force international policy and programs in support of national security objectives. As manager of the security cooperation enterprise for the Department of the Air Force, Ms. Seybolt oversees the planning of activities involving training and education, exercises, equipping, information exchanges, personnel exchanges, agreements, and defense and military contacts.

Ms. Seybolt began her career as a Presidential Management Intern with the U.S. Department of State. Today, she is approaching three decades as a member of the Federal Civil Service, with broad experience in U.S. space policy, security cooperation and international affairs. She began her career with the U.S. Air Force as an External Affairs Specialist working on a multiagency environmental satellite program. She subsequently became the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Plans and Policy with responsibility for the development of international space cooperation strategies, policy on orbital debris, and oversight of civil and international space cooperation. She first joined SAF/IA as the Chief for International Space Cooperation, where she worked to build a strong portfolio of Air Force partnerships across space mission areas. This work culminated in her leading the negotiations for a $6 billion collaboration with a major ally, which expanded interoperable communications for both the U.S. and allied warfighter—an effort that has been repeated with numerous partners since.

From 2007-2008, Ms. Seybolt joined the RAND Corporation as an Air Force Fellow, participating in Project Air Force research projects. She was promoted to SES in 2010 as the Director of Strategy, Operations and Resources in SAF/IA, responsible for the development and execution of the Air Force Global Partnership Strategy and the first Air Force Security Cooperation Engagement Strategy. In this role, she oversaw the planning, programming, budgeting and execution of the $100 million-plus portfolio of Operations and Maintenance, Research, Development, Training and Education, and FMS budgets.

Prior to returning to the Air Force, Ms. Seybolt served as the Director of International Affairs and the Foreign Policy Advisor for the U.S. Coast Guard. In this role, she was the Coast Guard senior leadership’s key policy advisor on all agency activities related to international affairs and engagement. She was also responsible for developing, coordinating and implementing agency strategy, policy and programs related to Coast Guard international activities.

EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo
1992 Master of Arts, Public Administration, California State University Stanislaus, Turlock
2008 Air Force Fellows Program, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. November 1993–March 1996, Management Analyst, Resource Management Office, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
2. April 1996–April 1997, External Affairs Specialist, Department of the Air Force, Integrated Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Md.
3. April 1997–April 2002, External Affairs Adviser, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Plans and Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
4. April 2002–June 2007, Branch Chief, International Space Cooperation, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force (International Affairs), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
5. July 2007–June 2008, Air Force Fellow, Project Air Force, the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif.
6. July 2008–July 2010, Division Chief for Space and Cyberspace Cooperation, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force (International Affairs), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. August 2010–December 2013, Director of Strategy, Operations and Resources, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force (International Affairs), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
8. January 2014–March 2019, Director of International Affairs and Foreign Policy Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
9. April 2019–present, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Arlington, Va.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Secretary of the Air Force Award
Exceptional Civilian Service Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1990 Lyndon Baines Johnson Scholarship
2005 Air Force International Affairs Eagle Award
2008 Air Force International Affairs Eagle Award
2008 Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration/Chief Information Officer Group Achievement Award

(Current as of August 2021)