Denis McDonough
Encyclopedia
Denis R. McDonough is a foreign policy
advisor in the Obama Administration
. He currently serves as Deputy National Security Advisor
.
. He was one of eleven children of William and Kathleen McDonough. McDonough attended Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he played safety on the Johnnies football
team for Hall of Fame
coach John Gagliardi
. McDonough was a member of teams that won two conference titles in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
. McDonough graduated from Saint John's University summa cum laude with a history degree in 1992.
After graduation, McDonough traveled extensively throughout Latin America
and taught high school
in Belize
. He then attended Georgetown University
and graduated with a master's degree in 1996.
. After Daschle's re-election defeat in 2004
, McDonough became legislative director for newly elected
Senator Ken Salazar
. McDonough later served as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress
.
In 2007, Senator Barack Obama's chief foreign policy advisor, Navy reservist
Mark Lippert
, was called into active duty and recruited McDonough to serve as his replacement during Lippert's deployment to Iraq. McDonough continued to serve as a senior foreign policy advisor to Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign
. After Obama's election
, he joined the administration as the National Security Council's
head of Strategic Communication
. He also served as National Security Council
Chief of Staff.
On October 22, 2010, President Obama announced that McDonough would be replacing Thomas E. Donilon
as Deputy National Security Advisor, who was leaving his position to succeed General James L. Jones
as National Security Advisor
. McDonough was seen in photos of the White House situation room taken during the monitoring of the SEAL operation in Pakistan that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden
in May 2011.
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
advisor in the Obama Administration
Presidency of Barack Obama
The Presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 when he became the 44th President of the United States. Obama was a United States Senator from Illinois at the time of his victory over Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election...
. He currently serves as Deputy National Security Advisor
Deputy National Security Advisor
The Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor is a member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, serving as deputy to the President's National Security Advisor....
.
Early life and education
McDonough was born on December 2, 1969, in Stillwater, MinnesotaStillwater, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,340.0 people per square mile . There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile...
. He was one of eleven children of William and Kathleen McDonough. McDonough attended Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he played safety on the Johnnies football
Saint John's Johnnies football
The Saint John's Johnnies football program represents Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. They compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference....
team for Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
coach John Gagliardi
John Gagliardi
John Gagliardi is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, a position he has held since 1953. From 1949 to 1952, he was the head football coach at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. With a career record of...
. McDonough was a member of teams that won two conference titles in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member schools are located in the state of Minnesota...
. McDonough graduated from Saint John's University summa cum laude with a history degree in 1992.
After graduation, McDonough traveled extensively throughout Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and taught high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
. He then attended Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and graduated with a master's degree in 1996.
Career
From 1996 to 1999, McDonough worked as an aide to the House International Relations Committee, where he focused on Latin America. McDonough then served as a senior foreign policy advisor to Senator Tom DaschleTom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
. After Daschle's re-election defeat in 2004
United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2004
The 2004 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Daschle ran for re-election a fourth term, but lost to Republican John Thune.-Campaign:...
, McDonough became legislative director for newly elected
United States Senate election in Colorado, 2004
The 2004 United States Senate election in Colorado took place on November 2, 2004 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ben...
Senator Ken Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
. McDonough later served as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action." It has its headquarters in Washington D.C.Its President and Chief...
.
In 2007, Senator Barack Obama's chief foreign policy advisor, Navy reservist
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
Mark Lippert
Mark Lippert
Mark W. Lippert is the former Chief-of-Staff for the National Security Council in the Obama administration.- Biography :...
, was called into active duty and recruited McDonough to serve as his replacement during Lippert's deployment to Iraq. McDonough continued to serve as a senior foreign policy advisor to Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
. After Obama's election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, he joined the administration as the National Security Council's
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
head of Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication can mean either communicating a concept, a process, or data that satisfies a long term strategic goal of an organization by allowing facilitation of advanced planning, or communicating over long distances usually using international telecommunications or dedicated global...
. He also served as National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
Chief of Staff.
On October 22, 2010, President Obama announced that McDonough would be replacing Thomas E. Donilon
Thomas E. Donilon
Thomas E. “Tom” Donilon is the National Security Advisor in the Obama Administration, and has had a career as a U.S. political advisor, government official and lawyer...
as Deputy National Security Advisor, who was leaving his position to succeed General James L. Jones
James L. Jones
James Logan Jones, Jr. is the former United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps General....
as National Security Advisor
National Security Advisor (United States)
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...
. McDonough was seen in photos of the White House situation room taken during the monitoring of the SEAL operation in Pakistan that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
in May 2011.