Board of Directors

Brandi C. Vann, PhD

Brandi Vann is Vice President for Corporate Strategy at Draper, a nonprofit engineering innovation company, which she joined in July 2025. Prior to Draper, she had a long and distinguished government career, with responsibility for the strategy and implementation of nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs at the United States Department of Defense (DoD).

Brandi was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense from January 2022 until July 2025, and in April 2024 added, Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs. In this capacity she was the principal advisor on nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, chemical and biological defense programs, chemical demilitarization, and treaty management. From September 2019 through January 2022, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense.

Brandi also held positions at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), part of the DoD, including Chief of the Advanced and Emerging Threats Division from 2017 to 2019, where she led efforts for the characterization of advanced and emerging chemical and biological threats. She also served in other capacities at DTRA including Chief of the Detection and Diagnostics Systems Development Branch from 2014 to 2017 and Chief of the Assays and Biomarkers Branch from 2008 to 2012. She also served as Director of Laboratories at Nephron Pharmaceuticals from 2013-2014.

As a career member of the senior executive service in the DoD, Brandi was awarded the 2023 Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and received her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of South Carolina.