Esther McClure

Esther McClure is the Country Director for Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands within the office ofthe Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO in the Office of the Under Secretary ofDefense for Policy. She previously led the Arctic, climate, and energy team in the Strategy office for fiveyears and was dual-hatted as the Chief of Staff for Strategy from September 2012 through August 2013.She led Navy’s initial assessments of the impact of climate change on Arctic operations in 2009, led theArctic, climate, and energy assessment for the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), leddevelopment of DoD’s 2011Report to Congress on Arctic Operations and the Northwest Passage,andorchestrated DoD activities supporting the development of the 2013National Strategy for the ArcticRegion.Ms. McClure is a retired Navy officer with 22 years of service including deployments in support ofOperations ENDURING FREEDOM, DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM and EARNEST WILL.During her 11 years at sea she served in five different ships in positions including Damage ControlAssistant, Navigator, Chief Engineer, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer.Ashore, she led the energy and environmental strategic assessment team for the 2010 QuadrennialDefense Review (QDR) as a military detailee in the Strategy office. She also served in Navy’sassessment division (OPNAV N81) in a variety of functions, including as leader of the assessment teamfor Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance(C4ISR) in support of the 2006 QDR. She has also served as an operational planner, developing policyand operational plans for NATO’s Striking Fleet Atlantic (STRIKFLTLANT) and Second Fleetheadquarters, and as an instructor at the Navy’s Surface Warfare Officer School.She retired from the Navy in August 2010. She served as acting Chief of Staff during the establishmentof the Operational Energy Plans and Programs office within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defensefor Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) before rejoining the Strategy office as a civilian.Ms. McClure earned a Bachelor of JournalismSumma cum Laudefrom the University of Texas at Austinand a Master of Marine AffairsSumma cum Laudefrom the University of Rhode Island. She is adistinguished graduate of the Air War College and technical military courses ranging from AEGISCombat Systems Officer to Gas Turbine Engineering. She is also a graduate of the Federal ExecutiveInstitute (2012).