Former Secret Service Special Agent Evy Poumpouras Named 2023-2024 Guth Leader in Residence

Poumpouras will visit campus on Nov. 8 & 9, giving a community keynote address at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8. During her visit, she will also enjoy meals and conversation with students, visit classes, engage in small group discussions, and more. 

“We are deeply honored to be able to welcome Evy Poumpouras to campus as our next Leader in Residence,” said Dean of Academics Martha Griswold. “At a time when communication and understanding others is so crucial, her expertise in how we present ourselves and read others — as well as her life experiences — make Evy the perfect person to engage with our students. Chatham Hall students will benefit from the intelligence, fortitude, and compassion she has demonstrated throughout her career.”

Poumpouras served as a special agent of the U.S. Secret Service for 12 years, during which she was part of the protective details for Presidents Barack H. Obama, George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, and George H. Bush. She also worked on complex criminal investigations and undercover operations, executed search and arrest warrants, and investigated both violent and financial crimes. Additionally, Poumpouras was an interrogator for the agency’s elite polygraph unit and trained by the Department of Defense in the art and science of lie detection, human behavior, and cognitive influence.

Poumpouras holds a Master of Science from Columbia University in journalism, Master of Arts in forensic psychology from Argosy University, and Bachelor of Arts in political science and overseas studies from Hofstra University. She is a former New York City Police Academy recruit and graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Secret Service Academy, and the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. Poumpouras is also the recipient of the Secret Service Medal of Valor Award for her heroism on Sept. 11, 2001.

Today, Poumpouras is a multimedia journalist who often covers national security, law enforcement, and crime on NBC, MSNBC, “The Today Show,” and “Good Morning America.” She is currently the co-host of Bravo TV’s competition series “Spy Games,” and was also cast on HLN’s “Dr. Drew On Call” and CBS’s “The Hunted,” among others.

Outside her role as a television correspondent, Poumpouras is a TEDx speaker, international advisor, and author whose expertise is sought worldwide. She has been a keynote speaker for NASDAQ, SOCOM, Yankee Stadium Series, United Technologies, Corcoran Group, Tyco, Skanska, and Deloitte. In 2020, she penned the best-selling book Becoming Bulletproof: Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, Live Fearlessly. Poumpouras also serves as an adjunct professor for the City University of New York where she teaches criminal justice and criminology.

“The Polly Wheeler Guth ’44 Leader in Residence program allows us to personally connect our students with women who are leaders in their fields,” Griswold noted. “During their visits, these leaders share how they’ve built their careers, the obstacles they have conquered, comfort zones they have left, and how they live lives of impact. We cannot wait for Evy Poumpouras to share her experiences with our students this fall!”

Past Polly Wheeler Guth ‘44 Leaders in Residence have included former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, primatologist Jane Goodall, former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, professional tennis player Venus Williams, writer and activist Gloria Steinem, and WNBA superstar Lisa Leslie, among others.