Ms. Joanna M. Esty serves as Vice-President and Director of Alumni Relations at the Inter-American Defense College Foundation (IADCF). Her leadership roles are a testament to her inspiring achievements. Graduating with distinction from the Inter-American Defense College (IADC) in 1997, Ms. Esty made history as the first full-time Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) civilian Intelligence Officer assigned to the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. This pioneering role set the stage for her illustrious career. Ms. Esty’s DIA career began in the Defense Attaché Offices in Venezuela and Argentina. Ms. Esty focused on political-military, biographic, transportation, and counter-drug issues. Among her DIA accomplishments, she led the way for civilians to deploy to USSOUTHCOM Tactical Analysis Teams. Ms. Esty also conceptualized and established Dominant Chronicle, a cross-agency, cross-service drug document exploitation project. She served on CJCS/J2 task forces, to include with merit on the CJCS/J2 Yugoslav Taskforce in 1996 and the Iraq Task Force during Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Provide Comfort.

Joanna Esty’s dedication to the IADC is evident in her continuous involvement. In 2007, she was nominated to the IADC Foundation (IADCF). She first served as its Secretary in 2008. In 2009, she became President of the Board of Directors, a position she held until 2014. As IADCF president, Ms. Esty’s strategic planning and fundraising skills were instrumental in quadrupling the IADCF treasury. She achieved this through personal fundraising efforts and participating in OPM’s Combined Federal Campaign (2014), iGive.com, Amazonsmile.com, and Framing Success sales. She established a successful internship program, incorporating IADC dependents and the Washington Center interns. She identified opportunities for the IADCF to introduce companies to the College, leading to its first Industry Day in April 2014.

Ms. Esty’s dedication to the Inter-American Defense College (IADC) is further demonstrated in her former US Alumni Chapter President role. Her close work with the College’s Alumni Liaison and her regular overseas travels to support the IADC highlight her leadership and dedication. She has been instrumental in planning and organizing the first in a series of international class reunions, starting with Peru in 2011. She attended the inaugurations of the IADC Alumni chapters in Mexico and the US. Voted “Class President for Life,” she remains active with her Class XXXVI “Sabiduría y Amistad.” In 2023, she met with the IADC Ecuador Chapter president while attending her class reunion in Quito, and she attended her class reunion in Guatemala in 2024. Her class has been recognized as being at the forefront of IADC class reunions. Ms. Esty volunteered with the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital for 13 years. She consults, tutors, and is a substitute teacher at the secondary school level with Fairfax Country Public Schools in Virginia.