Drenan Dudley is the Head of State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Partnerships and Senior Advisor for Global Cyber Policy at Zscaler. She brings over 25 years of experience from the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. Government as well as from non-federal governments. Drenan leads Zscaler’s engagement with state and local government partners and advises senior officials around the world on cyber policy.
Prior to joining Zscaler in 2025, Drenan held senior roles in the White House including Deputy Director for Strategy and Budget and Acting National Cyber Director in the Office of the National Cyber Director and Director for Long-term Community Recovery from all-hazards. She coordinated strategic planning for federal cybersecurity and community recovery programs and worked closely with federal and non-federal partners to address resource gaps. Drenan also worked as staff in the U.S. Senate for over two decades where she had appropriations and oversight responsibilities for $25 billion in annual Department of Homeland Security programs and for $196 billion in supplemental appropriations to respond to emergencies and disasters. Federal agencies in her portfolio included, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, the Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Intelligence and Analysis. She also served as Director of Projects and Grants for Senator Hollings of South Carolina ensuring Federal programs were responsive to non-Federal government issues and coordinated over $1 billion in funds to local governments, schools, hospitals, and police and fire departments.
Before working in Washington, D.C., Drenan worked at the Maricopa Association of Governments in Arizona and at the State of South Carolina. She earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in budget, finance, and local government from the University of Georgia and an undergraduate degree in English and Political Science from the University of South Carolina. Drenan was raised in Blacksburg, Virginia.
