Mr. Kemp Chester is the Deputy Assistant Director for Public Health in the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). In this capacity, he is responsible for developing and implementing evidence-based public health policies that reduce drug use and its consequences throughout the United States. He works across the interagency, with the private sector, and with the Congress on a range of policies and programs to prevent illicit drug use, prevent drug-related overdoses and accidental death, reduce barriers to quality drug treatment, and create opportunities for individuals suffering from substance use disorder to achieve long-term and sustainable recovery.
Mr. Chester was previously the Senior Advisor to the Director for International Relations, where he shaped policy designed to reduce the availability of all illicit or illegally trafficked drugs and their precursor chemicals into the United States by disrupting their global supply chain. He worked with the National Security Council, the Congress, and the interagency to manage relationships with foreign partners, and was responsible for counternarcotics relationships with the Peoples Republic of China and India. Mr. Chester began his service at Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2015 as the Chief of the National Opioids and Synthetics Coordination Group, responsible for managing all aspects of the federal government’s response to the nation’s opioid crisis. From 2021-2022 he served as the Executive Director of the bipartisan Commission on Combatting Synthetic Opioids Trafficking. Prior to joining the Senior Executive Service and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Mr. Chester was the Director of National Security and Intelligence for a private sector consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area.
During a 27-year career as a U.S. Army Officer, Mr. Chester served in a number of command and staff positions in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, including combat service in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. During his two tours in Iraq, he served as a battalion operations officer in the 3rd Infantry Division and a strategic planner for coalition forces in Iraq, and during his time in Afghanistan, then-Colonel Chester served as the Chief of the Ministry of the Interior Intelligence Advisory Team for the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan. Mr. Chester’s final military assignment was as the Chief of the Office of Counternarcotics Worldwide at the Defense Intelligence Agency where he was responsible for all intelligence collection and analysis on global narcotics issues, and the management of all intelligence analysis in support of Department of Defense counternarcotics activities.
Mr. Chester holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Citadel, a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the School for Advanced Military Studies, and a Master of Arts in National Strategy from the National War College.
Prior to joining the Senior Executive Service and the Office of National Drug Control Policy Mr. Chester was the Director of National Security and Intelligence for a private sector consulting firm in the D.C. area. During a 27 year career as a U.S. Army Officer, Mr. Chester served in a number of command and staff positions in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, including combat service in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Mr. Chester holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Citadel, a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the School for Advanced Military Studies, and a Master of Arts in National Strategy from the National War College.