Former NGA director Letitia Long to chair INSA board of directors

Letitia “Tish” Long, a  longtime senior executive in the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), has been named chairperson of the board of directors at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), the Arlington, VA-based nonprofit, public-private organization announced on December 2. Long will succeed John Negroponte, whose three-year term expires December 31. Ambassador Negroponte, the nation’s first director of national intelligence (DNI), will assume the title of chairman emeritus. Long and Ambassador Negroponte will assume their respective roles January 1, 2016.

Long, who retired as director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in 2014, will have a significant role in setting INSA’s strategic direction, which will help shape the events, programs and other policy initiatives that the organization pursues in support of the IC and its partners across industry and academia.

Long said, “I feel incredibly fortunate to join INSA at this time, when fostering public-private partnership across the intelligence and national security communities is so vital to keeping our nation safe. I am also humbled to succeed Ambassador Negroponte as chairperson. Thanks to his leadership, INSA’s membership has never been more robust or diverse. I look forward to his continued engagement as chairman emeritus.”

Ambassador Negroponte said, “Letitia is an outstanding choice to be chairperson. She is a respected leader with a strong grasp of the issues facing the IC. She fully appreciates the areas of concern that would benefit from stronger collaboration amongst the public, private and academic sectors. INSA is well positioned to support that collaboration. I am pleased to see INSA move forward in such capable hands.”

Long served as the fifth director of NGA from August 2010 to October 2014, becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. intelligence agency. Since 2000, her other senior executive roles in the IC have included Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (May 2006-July 2010), Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence for Policy, Requirements and Resources (June 2003-May 2006) and Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence (July 2000-June 2003). Ms. Long’s career began in the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Long joins an illustrious list of former IC officers to chair INSA’s board, following Negroponte (2013-2015), former White House Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend (2009-2012), current CIA Director John Brennan (2007-08), former DNI Mike McConnell (2006-07), and former NSA Director Ken Minihan (2005-06).

Source: INSA