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Short bio

Shawn VanDiver is a U.S. Navy veteran, national security advocate, and civic leader based in San Diego, California. He is the founder and president of #AfghanEvac, the nation’s leading civil-society coalition on Afghan resettlement, which has helped resettle more than 195,000 Afghan allies and their families. He is also Principal at Gaslamp Consulting and Chairman Emeritus of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.

Long bio

Shawn VanDiver served twelve years in the United States Navy, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and the Global War on Terrorism. After leaving active duty, he built a career at the intersection of security, technology, and public affairs, including roles at Sony Computer Entertainment America, the Three Wise Men Veterans Foundation, and Deloitte, where he led government relations across California and Arizona.

In August 2021, as Kabul fell to the Taliban, Shawn founded #AfghanEvac, now the nation’s leading civil-society coalition on Afghan resettlement. Under his leadership, the coalition, now more than 250 organizations strong, has partnered directly with the White House, the National Security Council, and federal agencies, and has been party to the resettlement of more than 195,000 Afghan allies and their families, one of the largest humanitarian operations in American history.

Shawn is Principal at Gaslamp Consulting and Chairman Emeritus of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. He has advised presidents, senators, members of Congress, and mayors, and his commentary has appeared in USA Today, The Guardian, The Hill, HuffPost, and The Daily Beast, among others. Full biography and career timeline available on the About page.