Mrs. Rachel Richey joined the College of International Security Affairs (CISA) at National Defense University as the Digital Media Specialist in January 2025. She brings extensive experience in creative media strategy, visual storytelling, and digital and print communications.
Prior to joining CISA, Mrs. Richey led impactful media and information campaigns and visual content initiatives at Meta, the Smithsonian, Richey Property Management, and the Firecracker Foundation, a non-profit supporting child survivors of sexual abuse. She also owns and operates a photography business, where she specializes in portrait and commercial photography. Her work spans brand development, multimedia production, content creation, and audience engagement.
Mrs. Richey is the author of Those Who Told the Story: Journalism, Trauma, and the Act of Witnessing a Sex Abuse Scandal, which sheds light on the second-hand trauma experienced by journalists covering the USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University sexual abuse scandal.
A creative by nature, photographer by trade, and visual storyteller at heart, Mrs. Richey is inspired by her grandmother Joanne, a photographer who nurtured her love for the art form. After years of being in front of the camera, she was inspired to step behind it, developing a distinctive photographic style that captures the world and its people with open-mindedness, genuine interest, and respect. Her work explores personal identities, relationships, and the spaces we occupy. This practice of photojournalism and documentary photography continues to guide her work today.
She holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Journalism from Michigan State University, with minors in Media Photography, Peace and Justice Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies. Her education continues to inform her thoughtful approach to storytelling and media strategies.
Mrs. Richey grew up in Attleboro, Massachusetts, but has roots in Grove City and Fairborn, Ohio. She has a deep interest in photojournalism and has a special liking for visual storytelling, with a particular appreciation for Harry Potter and World War II-themed media. In her free time, she enjoys traveling the world and being surrounded by nature, especially alongside her husband and dog, Carmela.