Adam GarnicaSenior Director, Acquisition Policy

Adam Garnica is the Senior Director of Acquisition Policy for the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). He brings expertise from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) in budget finance, national security policy, and acquisition regulations. Garnica also has extensive experience in program executive offices, where he negotiated and provided detailed advisory services on multiple multibillion-dollar aerospace and software procurements.

In his most recent role, Garnica managed a direct operating budget of approximately $250 million per annum (covering RDT&E, O&M, and Procurement) for the Under Secretary for Research & Engineering. Previously, Garnica served as the Director of the Acquisition Intelligence Division, an organization that reported jointly to the Under Secretary for Intelligence & Security and the Under Secretary for Acquisition & Sustainment. In this role, Garnica focused on bridging the gap between the Defense Intelligence Enterprise and the Defense Acquisition System.

A licensed attorney and government contracts expert, Garnica has advised the Defense Acquisition Regulations (DAR) Council on developing and reforming acquisition rules and guidance for the Department of Defense workforce and industry. His additional professional experience includes supporting the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition in engagements with private industry leaders and White House staff, as well as serving as a Senior Staff Coordinator to House Appropriators.

A native of California, Garnica is an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley; Cornell Law School; and the Cornell University Graduate School, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Bioengineering. He holds the distinction of being Cornell’s first graduate student to concurrently complete a joint Juris Doctor and Master’s in Engineering.