CHRISTOPHER STARLING, USMC

Chris Starling retired from the Marine Corps as a Colonel with 26 years of service as an infantry officer, completing ten overseas deployments including three combat tours. His post retirement work has been focused on the veteran community. Currently he is the Executive Director, NPower California, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of creating pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from under-served communities.

While on active duty, Chris commanded the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines in Camp Lejeune, NC, and the 23rd Marine Regiment in San Bruno, CA. His staff assignments included instructor duty at the US Military Academy, West Point, NY; Chief of the Partnership Division at US Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany; and the senior US Military Advisor to the Emirati Presidential Guard in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Chris earned his BA in Modern Languages from the Virginia Military Institute and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the City University of New York. Additionally, he spent one year as a Hoover Fellow at Stanford University where he wrote about China’s expanding influence in Africa.