Betsy Schmid joined General Dynamics in February 2015 and was named vice president of Government Relations in January 2018. She reports to Phebe N. Novakovic, chairman and chief executive officer. As head of Government Relations, Betsy and the Government Relations staff work primarily with members of Congress and their staff to educate and promote General Dynamics’ programs and priorities.

She came to GD from the Aerospace Industries Association where she served as vice president for National Security and Acquisition Policy. In that role, she worked with defense industry and the Department of Defense on issues important to the health of industry and was responsible for AIA’s National Aerospace Standards program and the premier aerospace STEM program – Team America Rocketry Challenge.

Prior to joining AIA, she served for 12 years on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee as a professional staff member and staff director. In that capacity, Schmid was the lead Senate staff responsible for analysis, oversight and passage of the annual defense appropriation bill, which accounts for 60 percent of the nation’s discretionary budget and includes funding for the intelligence community.

Schmid was a Presidential Management Fellow in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where she had assignments in the offices of OSD Policy, Comptroller, and Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. In addition, she served as a research associate for the U.S. Commission on National Security.

Her awards include the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service award, the Superior Public Service Medal from the Director of National Intelligence and the Medal of Distinguished Service from the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. She serves as a Board member of the National Defense Industry Association and as GD’s Washington Representative at AIA.

Schmid has a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from West Chester University, Pennsylvania.