Erin Buechel Wieczorek

Erin Buechel Wieczorek is the Acting Chief External Affairs Officer at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Before being named to this post, she served as CISA’s Director and Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs from February 2018 – December 2020. In this role, she oversaw the execution of the Agency’s legislative agenda and managed the Congressional outreach during the stand-up of the Department of Homeland  Security’s (DHS) newest component and legislative efforts related to the Agency’s #Protect 2020 election security effort.

Under her leadership, CISA realized an increase of more than $500 million above the Agency’s initial budget request; the successful passage of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Act of 2018, which established CISA as an independent operational component within DHS; the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act which provided CISA with more than 12 critical additional authorities to improve cybersecurity and resilience; and passage of the DOTGOV Act of 2020 which transferred DOTGOV security from the General Services Administration to CISA as part of the FY21 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

Before joining the Department in 2018, Erin spent nearly ten years with various Department of Defense elements working in public and legislative affairs. She served as the Director of the Strategic Communications Division for the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) acquisition organization, managing public affairs, legislative affairs, internal review and social media/graphics. She also served in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Joint IED

Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) combating direct threats from improvised explosive devices (IED) in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters through rapid acquisition. Prior to her Executive Branch service, Erin led Congressional relations and public affairs campaigns at public relations agency Golin (previously GolinHarris) focused on appropriations, technology and higher education.

Erin started her career on Capitol Hill. She is a proud Penn Stater and earned her MA in Government and her MBA from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a Department of Defense acquisition level III certification in program management and was honored to be a Bryce Harlow Foundation Fellow while completing her graduate studies.