Cristina Killingsworth serves as Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development, guiding the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s work supporting and investing in communities and regions to help them build the capacity for economic development through infrastructure investments, workforce development, technical assistance, and many more programs designed to elevate an entire region’s economic competitiveness. Previously, Cristina served as EDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs, responsible for EDA’s national programs, including Tech Hubs, Recompete, the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, and the Good Jobs Challenge, as well as the legislative, public affairs, and policy portfolio. Earlier in the Biden-Harris administration, Cristina served as Chief of Staff for the International Trade Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Cristina’s extensive service career includes serving as Director for Strategic Planning at the White House National Security Council (NSC), Director for African Affairs at the NSC, and an Examiner in the International Affairs Division of the White House Office of Management and Budget. She started her career as a staffer in the Massachusetts State Senate. Cristina holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts in humanities and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She is the proud mom of Simon and June.