Roger Zakheim is the Washington director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. He is the son of prominent defense official Dov Zakheim and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, as the middle of three sons; his older brother Keith runs a public relations firm in New Jersey, and younger brother Scott is a financial consultant. Influenced by family discussions on defense budgets and foreign affairs, Zakheim pursued higher education at Columbia University (BA in History), the University of Cambridge, and New York University School of Law (JD). His career has focused on national security, with early roles including general counsel to the House Armed Services Committee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and subsequent practice as a partner and co-chair of the Public Policy and Government Affairs group at Covington & Burling LLP. He has held influential board positions, including the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace, Marvel Government Solutions, and the National Defense Industrial Association; advisory roles at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy, and Alexander Hamilton Society; and served as a Commissioner on the Congressional Commission on the National Defense Strategy. Zakheim co-founded the Reagan National Defense Forum, hosts the Reaganism podcast, and frequently contributes to outlets like The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Politico, and various TV networks on defense issues, with particular interest in systems like Israel's Iron Dome. He maintains an active presence on social media, including X/Twitter (@RogerZakheim), and is recognized in Jewish media for his pro-Israel advocacy within defense policy circles.