Obama nominates Francis Taylor as next under secretary for intelligence and analysis at DHS

Francis X. Taylor, a retired USAF brigadier general, former assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security and the current chief security officer at the General Electric Company, was nominated by President Obama on Feb. 12 to be the next under secretary of the department of homeland security for intelligence and analysis. He will replace Caryn Wagner.

During a long career in military and civilian government service, Taylor served as a counterintelligence officer with the Middle East, Africa and South Asia Division of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations during the early 1970s, at the beginning of his military career. In April 1976, he became chief of the counterintelligence acquisition and analysis branch in Ankara, Turkey.

As he rose through the ranks, Taylor held a variety of positions related to intelligence, counterintelligence and special investigations, according to his official biography.

President George W. Bush nominated Taylor to be Coordinator for Counterterrorism, and Taylor subsequently held that post from July 13, 2001 — less than two months before the 9/11 attacks — until November 15, 2002. In this role, he was responsible for implementing U.S. counterterrorism policy overseas and coordinating the U.S. Government response to international terrorist activities.

Taylor joined GE as a vice president and chief security officer in 2005. In that position, he is responsible for overseeing GE’s global security operations and crisis management processes.

In 2006, Bush appointed Taylor to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board.

“With more than 40 years of military, government and commercial sector experience in senior counterterrorism, law enforcement and security positions, Frank is a recognized leader in these fields and is pre-eminently qualified for this position,” said James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, in a prepared statement issued on Feb. 12.

“The depth and breadth of Frank’s expertise in the public and private sectors make him the ideal candidate to lead the intelligence and analytic enterprise of the Department of Homeland Security,” Clapper continued. “As the lead agency in the federal government responsible for information sharing with state, local, tribal, territorial and private sector partners through the National Network of Fusion Centers, DHS will benefit greatly from Frank’s experience.”