Monica Medina


Monica Medina is an American lawyer and environmental activist who served as Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Deputy Associate Attorney General, General Counsel of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission.

Early life and military service

Medina received an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship in 1979 and graduated from Georgetown University and received her J.D. degree with honors from Columbia University Law School. Medina began her career in the Army General Counsel’s Office, where she served on active duty in the United States Army.

Career

Capitol Hill

From 1989 to 1992, she served as Senior Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Clinton administration

In 1992, she was appointed by Janet Reno to serve as Deputy Associate Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice, with oversight of the Environment Division. Medina was later appointed to serve as General Counsel of NOAA from 1997-1999. While General Counsel of NOAA, Medina represented the United States in several international negotiations, and argued and won significant cases before the United States courts of appeals.

2000–2008

Medina served as a Senior Officer in the Pew Environment Group, where she provided advice and assistance on issues of marine law and policy. Medina also worked in the U.S. Office of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and spent a number of years as a partner at the law firm of Heller Ehrman, with a practice focused on environmental law, corporate law, and biotechnology matters. Medina served on the Presidential transition team of Barack Obama.

Obama administration 2009–2013

In the Obama administration, Medina served as Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Medina also served as the U.S. Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission. Medina led efforts on Arctic conservation, restoration of the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, conservation of endangered species, and fisheries management and enforcement.
Medina later served as Special Assistant to United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, where she played a pivotal role in eliminating discrimination against women in the military and in addressing military sexual assault. Medina also drafted the rule overturning the ban on women from “combat” positions strictly because of their gender. Medina later served as a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.

2013-present

Medina is currently is a Senior Fellow at the Walton Family Foundation and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Prior to joining the Walton Family Foundation she served as the Senior Director of Ocean Policy at the National Geographic Society. Medina is also a board member of the Service Women’s Action Network and the Georgetown Sustainable Oceans Alliance board.

Awards

For her service in the Army, Medina was awarded a Commendation Medal in 1989 and a Meritorious Service Medal in 1990. In 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta awarded Medina the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

Personal life

Medina is married to Ron Klain, a former Chief of Staff to two U.S. Vice Presidents and the former United States Ebola response coordinator. They have three children.