Draper’s Jennifer Santos Named to Defense Budget Reform Commission
CAMBRIDGE, MA—Jennifer Santos, a principal director for strategic initiatives in National Security & Space at Draper, has been selected to serve on the Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution Reform (PPBE).
The commission was established under a provision in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act and will have until September 2023 to send a report to Congress. Under the NDAA, the commission will review the current PPBE process, evaluate its effectiveness, consider alternatives and issue policy and legislative recommendations.
Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, named Santos to the 14-member commission.
With more than 24 years of national security leadership experience, Santos has served as a tri-sector leader, across government, military and industry, in roles at the Department of Defense, Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and in the private sector. Santos will continue in her role at Draper during her tenure with the commission.
Before joining Draper in March 2021, Santos was a naval research and development investment executive for the Department of the Navy, responsible for leading the strategic budget analysis of the Navy’s $20 billion research and development investment strategy in addition to being the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Industrial Policy.
Earlier in her career, Santos served as vice president for Air Force and DoD innovation at consulting firm Cypress International; as a professional staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee for Defense; and in a finance and acquisitions roles in the Department of the Air Force.