Michele R.
Weslander Quaid

NEW LEADERSHIP DELIVERING RESULTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Wife | Mother | Educator | Scientist | Engineer | Entrepreneur | Executive

Michele has an American dream story. She was raised in beautiful Santa Barbara, California, by a single mom who told her she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to do. Michele worked hard to get a good education and took advantage of the opportunities America has to offer.

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Her family moved to Seattle, Washington, when she was in high school. Michele served in student body leadership, was involved in extracurricular activities, and graduated as the valedictorian of her class. 

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She earned a B.S. in Physics and Engineering Science (double major) from Seattle Pacific University and graduated with honors. Michele earned an M.S. in Optics from the University of Rochester in New York.

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Michele was recruited out of graduate school into the national security community. She served for over a decade as an industry partner supporting government programs and was promoted to the rank of Chief Engineer at her company.

Following the terrorist attacks of 9-11-2001, Michele was recruited into government service to lead innovation and organizational transformation. She was sworn in as a senior executive in defense intelligence on her 33rd birthday.  

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As a government official, Michele served as a peer to generals and flag officers in the military and led the integration of the intelligence community in support of the national decision-makers and warfighters. She willingly traveled downrange to the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the troops to spend time "boots on the ground" to determine how best to support their mission, and then returned home to take the necessary actions.

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When the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) was established, Michele served as the first Intelligence Community Deputy Chief Information Officer working across the 17 organizations that comprised the U.S.  intelligence community. She also served as the Deputy Technical Executive for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the Chief Technology Officer for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the DNI's senior representative to the Secretary of Defense's Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force leading information sharing and collaboration initiatives in support of global coalition stability operations.

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As a senior government policymaker, Michele worked across the Federal government and with State and Local governments. She also served as a member of official U.S. delegations internationally. Michele interfaced with the U.S. Congress and testified as a subject matter expert in Congressional hearings.

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Her perspicacious leadership -- both in industry and government -- has had a lasting positive impact on the U.S. and its Allies, and her support of the troops both at home and abroad earned her the call sign “Warrior Goddess.”

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After nearly a decade in government service, Michele joined Google Inc. where she served as their Chief Technology Officer for the Public Sector, interfacing with U.S. and foreign government officials. She also served as Google's Chief Innovation Evangelist speaking at conferences and working with partners and clients around the world.

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In 2015, Michele founded her own company, Sunesis Nexus.

She is a gifted communicator, Certified Professional Coach, and independent consultant who works globally with both the public and private sectors, utilizing her experience and expertise in executive leadership, strategic planning, coalition building, mission operations, technology, innovation, leading change, and organizational transformation.

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Michele has extensive experience creating new entities, enabling and leading cross-functional teams and cross-community groups of individuals with diverse perspectives and experience, ranging from small teams to offices of over 500 people. She has managed budgets up to $150M and contracts up to $0.5B and had oversight of budgets over $10B.

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Honors and awards Michele has received include: 

• National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation (2001)

• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Meritorious Civilian Service Medal (2005)

• Seattle Pacific University Medallion Award (2014)

• "DC's Top 50 Women in Tech" (FedScoop, 2014)

• "Power 100" list of influencers (Washington Life, 2014)

• "The 7 Most Powerful Women to Watch" (Entrepreneur Magazine, 2014)

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She is a graduate of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Managers in Government and a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CAPSTONE Fellow.

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In addition to advising high-level leaders in both the public and private sectors, Michele has served on the Board of Directors of various commercial businesses and nonprofits, and on Strategic Advisory Groups and Federal Advisory Committees. She is a professional member of the National Speakers Association.

An educator seeking to inspire the next generation, Michele is a Classical Conversations Challenge Program director (homeschool). She has engaged in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and leadership outreach for students in K-12 and at universities.

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Michele is the widow of U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel Christopher N. Quaid, with whom she served in the national security community. Chris was a space operator and battlefield airman who was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and retired after over 22 years of honorable service to our country.  He died of a service-connected illness (glioblastoma) within 24 months of his retirement at the age of 47. Their daughter Sophia is an American patriot, homeschooled, and in 9th grade. 

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She remarried a widower, Michael English, a software engineer who has two sons, both of whom reside in Santa Barbara.

Michele once again has a calling to serve her country, this time in political office. She is running for U.S. Congress to help ensure that America remains the land of liberty and opportunity for all American citizens. Her family wholeheartedly supports this endeavor. Michele is a constitutional conservative and loves her country -- the United States of America -- home of the free, because of the brave.