On February 12, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency appointed a new chief technology officer to lead NGA’s technology transformation and modernization efforts, while also attracting IT talent.
Mark Munsell, currently the deputy director of the CIO and IT Services Directorate, will fill the role of chief technology officer at NGA beginning immediately.
Munsell is based at the agency’s St. Louis, Missouri, location and will remain in his CIO-T deputy director role as he steps into the CTO job.
“NGA can’t just manage programs, we need talented technical people … that will lead the community in new directions, while setting the bar for GEOINT innovation and application development and services,” said Munsell. “We’ve got to be fast, flexible and continuously improving, and I intend to move the agency toward those goal posts.”
The CTO role was created in 2018 to focus on increasing the agency’s ability to instill next-generation technology, tradecraft and innovative approaches to the geospatial intelligence community, enterprise and mission.
Munsell began his career in 1990 with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration where he was awarded the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal for his software engineering work transforming the nation’s nautical charting production system. He joined an NGA predecessor agency, the Defense Mapping Agency in 1996 where he led the update of the agency’s aeronautical production systems.
After a stint with a government contractor, Munsell founded the Internet Marine and Aviation Planning Services, or IMAPS, in 2000 to offer flight and maritime planning services to individuals, industry and government via the Internet. He returned to government service at the NGA in 2006. Munsell is also the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award and NGA’s Distinguished Civilian Service Medal.
Source: NGA
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