Heather Salinas Email & Phone Number

Arlington, Va, Us

Washington, D.C., Us

• Conducts non-partisan performance audits, investigations, and policy reviews into Intelligence Community (IC) programs. o Authored a report regarding a failed IC acquisition effort, which led to changes to that agency’s acquisition policies and +$250M in projected cost savings. o Analyzed the National Counterintelligence and Security Center’s role in the U.S. counterintelligence enterprise, which resulted in 17 recommendations to Congress, legislation to update the 2002 Counterintelligence Enhancement Act, and helped shape the 2024 National Counterintelligence Strategy. • Manages the relationship between the committee and GAO, including drafting 10 request letters and legislative mandates commissioning GAO reviews and proposing legislation to update GAO’s report distribution protocols; manages the relationship between the committee and various Inspectors General (IG) within the Intelligence Community, including commissioning a study on the independence of IC IGs that contributed to greater budgetary independence of IGs.• Developed the committee’s whistleblower program to enhance committee accountability, responsiveness, and process rigor.

Washington, Dc, Us

• Rose through the ranks to manage teams of 5-6 analysts and stakeholders, developed audit plans, mentored junior staff, conducted qualitative and quantitative data analysis, identified findings and recommendations to enhance program effectiveness and efficiency and/or identify cost savings for the government, managed project timelines, and briefed agency officials and congressional staff to influence program and policy outcomes. o Performance audits included a variety of foreign policy, IC, and defense programs, including a snapshot of emerging national security and technology threats, U.S. assistance to Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, DOD's Syria Train and Equip Program, DOD missile system programs, international food assistance, trade adjustment assistance, and Export-Import Bank dual-use exports. o Recommendations prompted Executive Branch reforms that yielded +$1.7 billion in savings to the government.

• Served as project manager for an initiative to update 4 USAID policy series and led a multi-functional team of subject matter experts to recommend changes to USAID policy development processes and timelines.• Spearheaded stakeholder meetings, coordinated with the editorial team, clearance officials and others to ensure consensus on policy changes, and ushered the policy chapters through the revision processes

Worldwide, Oo

• Assessed the Department of Energy’s Information Technology Investment Management (ITIM) processes against GAO’s ITIM Framework, authored report on findings and recommendations, and briefed OCIO. Report was highlighted in winning proposal for similar work at the Environmental Protection Agency.• Supervised the Exhibit 53 review process for DOE’s $2 billion IT portfolio submission to OMB.• Developed best practices guide for grants management at the National Science Foundation.

• Provided assistance on several research projects, including a Council on Foreign Relations report on Nigerian democracy and the Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance

Washington, Dc, Us

• Contributed to a comprehensive review of the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S. food aid by collecting and analyzing data, interviewing government officials and NGOs, and proposing recommendations for improving the procurement and targeting of food aid programs

Master Of Arts - Ma, Defense And Strategic Studies

Mpp, Macroeconomics

B.A., Middle Eastern Studies