Deputy Secretary for Strategic Initiatives

Denise has more than three decades of experience driving innovation, operational efficiency, and mission success across multiple U.S. government agencies. Most recently serving as the Acting Chief Operating Officer for Federal Student Aid (FSA) at the U.S. Department of Education, Denise was recruited to stabilize and lead the organization during a pivotal time following challenges with the 2024–2025 FAFSA implementation. Under her stewardship, FSA successfully launched the 2025–2026 FAFSA with high user satisfaction and dramatically improved operational performance, restoring trust among stakeholders and ensuring better access to higher education for millions of students.

Prior to that role, Denise served for over a decade as the Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Finance and Operations at the U.S. Department of Education. She led the agency’s core operations, managing a $76 billion budget and overseeing more than 4,200 federal employees and 30,000 contractors. Her leadership was instrumental in streamlining agency operations, cutting overhead costs, and transitioning the organization to a hybrid work model following the COVID-19 pandemic. She also launched workforce planning tools, modernized acquisition systems, and enhanced employee engagement, increasing the Department’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) scores significantly over a three-year period. She previously held executive positions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Human Resources.