Marla Keenan

Marla Keenan is an expert in enhancing operational effectiveness, understanding the civilian environment in military operations, and civil-military relations in armed conflict. Her work has spanned the globe, including working on over a dozen conflicts. She has conducted high-level advocacy with international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, African Union, and NATO. From 2018 to 2023, Keenan ran a project for the Stimson Center focused on strengthening NATO’s operational effectiveness in future operations. From 2005 to 2018, she was senior director of policy and advocacy and previously senior director of programs at the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), a Washington-based NGO working on armed conflict.

Keenan holds a Master of Science in public policy and management with a double concentration in policy analysis and international policy from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.