Jennifer Hesterman

Dr. Jenni Hesterman is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University, where she earned not only a Bachelor's Degree in Geography, but also a commission as an officer in the Air Force. During her subsequent 21 year career in the Air Force, she worked in several fields, including Information Management, Logistics and Personnel. She served 3 tours at the Pentagon, and commanded at the squadron and group levels. Her last assignment in the Air Force was at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where she served as the Vice Wing Commander. She retired on August 1, 2007 as a colonel.

She has a Master of Science degree from Johns Hopkins in Applied Behavioral Science (emphasis in Organization Development) and a Master of Science in Military Operational Art and Science, from the Air University. In 2003, she was selected as a National Defense Fellow, and was assigned to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. While there, she worked various projects in the International Security Program, and immersed herself in a year-long study of the nexus between organized crime and international terrorism. Her book, Transnational Crime and the Criminal-Terrorist Nexus--Synergies and Corporate Trends, won a research prize from the Air Force and was published by Air University Press. She is also a 2006 alumnus of the Harvard Senior Executive Fellows program.

Jenni is now working as a senior analyst for The MASY Group, a Global Intelligence and Risk Management firm that supports both the U.S. Government and leading corporations. She is also a contributing editor for The Counter Terrorist magazine and the author of a scholarly blog, www.counterterrorforum.com.

She currently lives in Washington DC with her husband, who is still on active duty with the Air Force, and their daughter Sarah, who is 11.