XR Association Names Joan O’Hara Senior Director Of Public Policy

XR Association (XRA), the trade association representing the technology manufacturers that power the virtual, augmented, and mixed reality industries, named Joan O’Hara its Senior Director of Public Policy.

O’Hara joins XRA from Booz Allen Hamilton where she served as a Principal and Director of Government Relations Policy, creating strategies for engagement with the federal government and major trade associations. Prior to joining Booz Allen, O’Hara served at the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, and as Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President. Earlier in her career, O’Hara was General Counsel of the House Committee on Homeland Security, where she developed legislation around issues such as cybersecurity and data encryption.

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“With Joan on board as our first Senior Director of Public Policy, XRA is better positioned than ever to serve our membership and represent the XR industry before policymakers and other crucial stakeholders,” said XRA CEO Elizabeth Hyman. “I look forward to working with Joan to continue raising awareness of the powerful applications of XR technology poised to change the world.”

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O’Hara’s hiring builds on a year of growth for XRA, which recently saw the addition of Laura Chadwick as the Association’s first Senior Director for Industry Relations, and which in 2019 added Microsoft to its membership roster and appointed an inaugural executive leader. With experience in all levels of the federal government, from the halls of Congress to the West Wing, O’Hara is well-positioned to further the Association’s efforts to promote the responsible development of XR technology.

O’Hara holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola College in Maryland, a master’s degree from San Diego State University, and a JD, cum laude, from New York Law School.

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