Saturday, August 21, 2010
Not only is Letitia A. “Tish” Long the first woman selected to head the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), but, according to the Defense Department, she is also the first woman chosen to lead any of the federal government’s “major” intelligence agencies. Long was appointed to the position by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on February 22, 2010, and took over from retiring NGA director Robert Murrett on August 9.
A native of Annapolis, Maryland, Long, 51, holds a degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s in mechanical engineering from Catholic University.
She began her federal civilian career with the U.S. Navy in 1978 as a project-engineer-in-training with the David Taylor Research Center (now known as the Carderock Division), and in time worked on various submarine acoustic sensor programs.
In 1988, Long joined the staff of the director of naval intelligence, where she managed intelligence research and development programs.
Six years later she was selected into the Senior Intelligence Executive Service and was given the titles of director of requirements, plans, policy and programs as well as the director of resource management for the director of naval intelligence staff.
From 1994 to 1996, Long was on rotational assignment from naval intelligence to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) as director of military intelligence staff director.
In 1996, she joined DIA as the deputy director for information systems and services, where she directed DIA’s worldwide information technology and communications programs. She also became DIA’s first chief information officer.
She served as director of for the CIA’s intelligence community affairs, responsible for policy formulation, resource planning and program assessment and evaluation between January 1998 and June 2000.
From July 2000 to June 2003, Long served as deputy director of naval intelligence.
Long was the deputy under secretary of defense for policy, requirements and resources, working for Donald Rumsfeld’s intelligence chief, Stephen Cambone, from June 2003 until May 2006.
She then became the deputy director of the DIA in May 2006, a position she held at the time of her appointment to take over the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In that capacity, she worked for James Clapper, who is currently the Director of National Intelligence.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
NGA Welcomes New Agency Director (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)
Letitia A. Long Becomes First Female Director of NGA (by Marjorie Censer, Washington Post)
Letitia Long Takes Helm of Pentagon Intelligence Agency (by Jeff Stein, Washington Post)
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