For more than 20 years, Dave Lapan has served in strategic leadership positions and public affairs inside and outside the government. He was the press secretary and deputy assistant secretary for media relations at the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary John Kelly. A retired Marine colonel, Lapan served as a spokesman and in advisory roles for several secretaries of Defense and to the 18^th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Lapan briefed National Press Foundation fellows in October 2025: As U.S. Limits Press Access, Strong Reporter-Source Networks Key. He also briefed fellows in March 2026: Inconsistent Reasoning for Iran War ‘Unthinkable’: Former Pentagon Official.