Eileen O’Connor

Attorney and award-winning former journalist and government official

Eileen O’Connor is founder and CEO of Garnet Group Public Affairs, specializing in crisis management and strategic communications. She recently retired as Senior Vice President at The Rockefeller Foundation, where she led pandemic response initiatives including the National Testing Plan and vaccine distribution coalitions used by both Trump and Biden administrations. Previously, O’Connor served as VP for Public Affairs at Yale University and in the Obama administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, where she managed $400 million in diplomatic programs while stationed in Afghanistan. Before government service, she built legal crisis management practices at major DC law firms, representing Fortune 500 companies in complex litigation across the US and Eastern Europe, including post-9/11 settlement cases. O’Connor began her career as an award-winning journalist for ABC News and CNN, covering global conflicts and politics from London, Tokyo, and Moscow bureaus. She holds degrees from Georgetown University and the London School of Economics, as well as an honorary degree from Yale University. She serves on several international boards focused on journalism, education, and environmental advocacy. O’Connor joined the Spirit of America Board of Advisors in 2025.