Team
Kea Matory - Director, Legislative Policy
Kea Matory is Director of Legislative Policy for the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). In her role, Matory works with congressional offices, the Department of Defense, and the defense industry to advocate and educate for the development and support of policies for the safety and security of our nation. Matory joined NDIA after serving as the Legislative Affairs Officer at Headquarters, Marine Corps’ Marine and Family Programs Division.
In the civilian sector, Matory served as the Director of a woman-owned small business government consulting firm; as an attorney providing legal advice to service members; and at a national VSO, securing Veterans’ Affairs and DoD benefits for injured veterans and service members.
Chris Sax - Associate Director, Strategy
Chris joined the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) as a Membership Services Coordinator in June of 2019, and has worked as a Strategy Associate since February of 2021. In this role, he is responsible for developing and managing several strategic initiatives and facilitating collaboration between government and industry experts.
Prior to joining NDIA, Chris worked as a staffer on local Texas elections and as a Research Associate focused on improving the efficiency of various U.S. national security agencies. Chris earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Texas A&M University and his Master of International Affairs from Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service in 2015 with concentrations in Military Affairs and Grand Strategy.
Thomas Low - Strategy Associate
Thomas joined the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) as a Junior Fellow in September of 2021 and has worked as a Strategy Associate since November 2022. Prior to joining NDIA, Thomas interned at the Council on Foreign Relations and worked as an Arms and Security Research Associate focused on improving the transparency of US arms sales to the Middle East. Thomas earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Pomona College in 2016 and a Master’s in International Security from George Mason University. Thomas has written articles featured in National Defense Magazine, Defense One, and The American Conservative on various national security topics.
Robbie Van Steenburg - Regulatory Associate
Robbie joined the National Defense Industrial Association as a Regulatory Policy Associate on July 20, 2020. Robbie is a Texas native and, prior to joining NDIA, he attended both the University of Texas at Austin and George Washington University. In 2018 Robbie graduated from The University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Astronomy, and in 2020 he graduated from George Washington with a Master of Arts in International Science and Technology Policy. During his time in Austin, Robbie interned in the Texas State Legislature. While studying at GW, he worked with a team of other students to complete a year-long research project on behalf of the Secure World Foundation.
Nery Riveiro - Data Administrator
Nery has been with NDIA for over 30 years. She started working at NDIA as an Information Specialist when it was called the American Defense Preparedness Association (ADPA). Nery has filled various positions in different departments at NDIA over the years.
Prior to joining the Policy & Strategy Department, Nery worked in the Meetings and Divisions Department as an assistant to the Vice President of NDIA, and the CDM Certification Program Manager.