September (Tembi) Secrist is an advisor to the DoW’s CIO on Cyber Workforce and Academic Engagement, creating strategy on talent pipeline, personnel qualifications, and performance standards.
September has served in various public and private sector positions. She was Chief of Staff to the CFO and Chief AI Officer of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she established the CFO Academy for workforce development and training, including AI governance and implementation. Previously, she was the Director for Global Healthcare Initiatives for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, overseeing an international team of 200 supporting U.S. exports through global events, information, and influencing foreign policy decisions to provide American companies greater access to international markets.
She served as the board chair for the University of Washington’s Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) from 2005-2015 and was a regular guest lecturer at several universities from 2003-2020.
September left government in 2018 to start a management consultant project, working with international non-profit organizations in 23 countries across Asia and Africa. She then founded a private consulting firm focused on training, strategy and implementation for clients including government, private sector, non-profit, and academia.
September has degrees in International Business from Northwest University and National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
