The Honorable Maureen Cragin '85

Board-Selected Trustee

Maureen Cragin is vice president of Communications for Defense, Space & Security (BDS). Based in Arlington, Va., Cragin is responsible for leading all communications strategy and planning for the business. Prior to her current position, Cragin led communications for BDS Network & Space Systems business from December 2007 to October 2009. She was previously vice president of Communications for Boeing’s Washington, D.C. Operations office.

Before joining Boeing in 2002, Cragin was appointed by former President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), beginning in 2001. While serving at the DVA, Cragin directed policies governing the department's public and internal communications programs as well as intergovernmental and consumer affairs activities.

Prior to her presidential appointment, Cragin was director of congressional relations for Raytheon, overseeing advocacy efforts for Raytheon's U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps programs. From 1995 to 2001, she was director of communications for the Committee on Armed Services in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the committee's principal spokesperson, developing communication strategies for advancing committee goals, such as the passage of the annual defense authorization bill.

Previously, Cragin provided consulting services to the U.S. Department of Energy and served as public affairs adviser and spokesperson for the Women’s Bureau and Glass Ceiling Commission at the U.S. Department of Labor. She also served as director of volunteer administration at the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston.

Cragin holds a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. She served seven years on active duty and continued serving as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve until her retirement at the rank of captain in 2009. Cragin is a member of the Reserve Officers Association, the Association of the United States Navy, the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion. She also serves on the board of directors of the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore.