Named in February as one of Colorado’s “50 Top Women to Watch,” George Mason University alum Michelle Lammers has carved out an impressive career in national security, bringing strategic communications expertise to a field where precision and discretion are paramount.
As vice president of communications at Nightwing, a cutting-edge intelligence and cybersecurity firm, Lammers is at the forefront of safeguarding clients’ most sensitive data while shaping the company’s public presence.
She earned her master's degree in International Commerce and Policy—now called Global Commerce and Policy—in 2005 from the Schar School of Policy and Government. The program, known for its rigorous curriculum and distinguished faculty—including professionals with high-ranking intelligence backgrounds—laid the groundwork for her career.
“I had some amazing professors who were full time at the CIA in senior roles,” Lammers recalled in a Zoom call from Denver. “That exposure really helped me understand the intelligence landscape.”
After graduating from the Schar School she worked in strategy, mergers, and acquisitions before pivoting into business development and communications. While her path has been dynamic, she credits her degree with teaching her how to analyze complex policy issues and apply them to real-world business challenges.
“It’s about understanding context,” she said. “I think it brought the ability to step back and look at the picture and ask, ‘How do we fit into what’s going on today, and why does it matter?’”
Those skills, she said, “were what my master’s [degree] was focused on, and it’s really helpful.”
A longtime Denver resident, Lammers has spent years actively engaging with the local community, which has earned her multiple industry recognitions, including a spot on Denver Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list and the current “50 Top Women to Watch” by Women We Admire, a nonprofit providing news and information about women executives and leaders in major U.S. industries.
Closer to home, Lammers was named a “Top MarCom Exec to Watch in 2024” by Washington Executive magazine.
Though she’s based in Colorado, her work at Nightwing keeps her connected to national security hubs across the country. The company, headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, has a presence in 46 states, employing more than 2,200 professionals. Lammers oversees the company’s external and internal messaging, ensuring that its cybersecurity and intelligence missions are clearly communicated to employees, stakeholders, and the public.
“We’re heavily focused on cybersecurity and other intelligence and national security missions,” she said, highlighting the importance of aligning public messaging with the ever-evolving security landscape.
For Schar School students looking to follow in her footsteps, Nightwing presents opportunities. The company actively recruits from George Mason’s highly regarded computer science and cybersecurity programs, offering positions that cater to those with security clearances or aspirations of obtaining them.
“We have some really cool missions,” she said. “If you have a clearance or are interested in national security work, we have jobs in the D.C. metro area and beyond.”
One of her transformative experiences at George Mason was a three-week summer study-abroad program at the University of Oxford’s Mansfield College in the United Kingdom, made possible by George Mason’s Global Education Office’s Mason Oxford Programs. At Oxford, she developed lifetime friendships with classmates, so much so she was in the wedding of one and has attended family Thanksgiving holidays with others.
From her studies in international policy to her leadership role in a major intelligence firm, Lammers’s career highlights the value of combining strategy, policy expertise, and business skills. For Schar School students interested in cybersecurity and intelligence, her message is straightforward: opportunities exist—you just need to pursue them.