Gregory Michaelidis was a fellow in the Cybersecurity Initiative at New America. After nearly two decades working at the intersection of national and homeland security, communications, and public policy, Michaelidis created Security Awareness Lab in 2017 with two goals in mind: 1) helping organizations and individuals assess, and understand, their likely security risks and vulnerabilities, and 2) using the art and science of communications to equip people with practical knowledge to be more safe, secure, and resilient.
Until January 2017, Michaelidis served as a key Obama Administration communicator on security, public safety, and community preparedness issues. As director of speechwriting for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) he led message development and coordination across the third largest cabinet-level agency of the federal government. Most recently, he advised top DHS officials on communicating with the private sector and the American public about cybersecurity risks.
Michaelidis brings his longtime passion for translating complex issues for general audiences, and is a regarded expert on evidence-based approaches to security awareness efforts. He is a Truman National Security Fellow, advisor to the Human Behaviors in Cybersecurity program at ideas42, and part of Dūcō Experts, a startup marketplace of leading international affairs and security experts.
Before joining the Obama Administration in 2009, Michaelidis spent a decade creating compelling policy campaigns at a major public research university, influential think tanks, and a growing public affairs firm. An outside foreign policy advisor to the 2008 Barack Obama and 2004 John Kerry presidential campaigns, he has BA and MA degrees from the University at Buffalo, SUNY, and a PhD in history from the University of Maryland, College Park. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two daughters.