ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. (Jan. 9, 2008) - Admiral Mike McConnell (retired), Director of the Office of National Intelligence (DNI), will discuss "Current Issues Facing America's Intelligence" on Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM). The talk will take place in Daugherty-Palmer Commons (DPC) and is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the College's Center for the Study of Democracy.
McConnell was sworn in as the nation's second director of National Intelligence on February 13, 2007. Before his nomination as DNI, McConnell had served as a senior vice president with the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, focusing on the Intelligence and National Security areas.
From 1992 to 1996, McConnell served as director of the National Security Agency (NSA). He led NSA as it adapted to the multi-polar threats brought about by the end of the Cold War. Under his leadership, NSA routinely provided global Intelligence and Information Security Services to the White House, Cabinet officials and the Congress in addition to a broad array of military and civil intelligence customers. He also served as a member of the Director of Central Intelligence senior leadership team to address major intelligence programmatic and substantive issues from 1992 until 1996. Prior to his service at NSA and during Desert Shield/Storm and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, McConnell worked as the intelligence officer (J2) for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense.
In 1996, McConnell retired as a vice admiral in the U.S. Navy after 29 years of service—26 as a career intelligence officer. He holds an M.P.A. from George Washington University, is a graduate of the National Defense University (Global Telecom), the National Defense Intelligence College (Strategic Intelligence), and holds a B.A. in Economics from Furman University.