Intelligence and National Security Alliance


The Intelligence and National Security Alliance is a non-profit, nonpartisan 501 professional organization for public and private sector members of the United States Intelligence Community, based in Arlington, Virginia.

History

INSA was established as the Security Affairs Support Association in 1979 to bring together professionals in the intelligence field, primarily focused on the National Security Agency and to help members keep abreast of intelligence and national security community issues. SASA's main office was in Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
In November 2005, SASA's Board of Directors voted to change its name to the Intelligence and National Security Alliance so as to expand its reach across the intelligence and national security communities and better serve the community in the aftermath of the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Mission

INSA is the premier intelligence and national security organization that provides a unique venue for collaboration, networking and examination of policy issues and solutions. Representing an unprecedented alliance among senior leaders from the public, private, and academic sectors, INSA members form an unparalleled community of experts that collaborate to develop creative, innovative and timely solutions to the intelligence and national security issues facing the United States.
INSA works to promote and recognize the highest standards within the national security and intelligence communities. INSA members include current and former high-ranking intelligence, military and government agency leaders, analysts, and experts from industry and academia. Drawing on the experience and expertise of this membership, the Intelligence and National Security Alliance provides the thought leadership that identifies crucial intelligence topics, completes strategic research and promotes innovative solutions.
INSA has approximately 150 corporate members, as well as over one-thousand individual members, who are industry leaders within the government, private sector, and academia.
The current President is , who has served as the Senior Advisor to the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the National Counter Proliferation Center and the National Intelligence Manager for Counterproliferation. Prior to his work at the ODNI, Ambassador DeTrani served at the Department of State as the Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks with North Korea and at the Central Intelligence Agency as Director for East Asia, Director for Europe, Director of Technical Services, Director of Public Affairs, Director of the Crime and Narcotics Center, and Executive Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence. Previously, the INSA Presidency was filled by , who left INSA in 2012 to become Chief Operating Officer for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
Former Director of National Intelligence, Ambassador John D. Negroponte, has served as Chairman of INSA's Board of Directors since January 2013. Previously, the position was filled by Frances Townsend, former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush, John O. Brennan who left INSA in 2008 to become Deputy National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama, and Vice-Admiral John Michael McConnell, who left upon his confirmation as the nation's second Director of National Intelligence.
INSA's internal operational structure consists of the main office and its personnel, along with several member-driven, volunteer Councils and Task Forces that examine specific areas of study within the IC.

INSA's Councils and Task Forces

INSA's Councils and Task Forces reflect INSA's mission to facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors for non-partisan, practical solutions to our national security challenges. INSA's Councils and Task Forces produce white papers, testimony and expert level answers to policy requests from the White House, the National Security Council, the ODNI, the Pentagon and various Executive Branch agencies and Congressional Committees.
As of April 2012, INSA Councils and Task Forces included:
INSA hosts numerous events annually for professionals in the intelligence and national security communities. Foremost among these is the William Oliver Baker Award Dinner, which honors outstanding individuals in the fields of intelligence and domestic security.
In December 2010, the INSA Board of Directors established and presented the first Annual INSA Achievement Awards, which honor five young members and one senior member of the intelligence and national security community for their distinguished service to the country and their field. These talented young professionals are selected for their leadership, mission accomplishments, potential for growth and their emerging professional standing and influence. The INSA Board named the Achievement Awards in honor of former William Oliver Baker Award recipients. The Awards are:
In addition to these annual award events, INSA hosts several events with prominent speakers from across the Intelligence Community on a regular basis, including the Distinguished Speakers Series, Intelligence Champions Events, Leadership Dinners, and the speaker series "An Evening with Charlie Allen." Nearly all INSA events are held in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
INSA also hosts an annual "" to discuss key issues relevant to the Intelligence Community. INSA developed its annual IC Industry Day in conjunction with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as a comprehensive forum for Intelligence Community leaders to relay their budget priorities to industry with the goal of better enabling industry to anticipate and provide multifaceted support to the IC. Past topics have ranged from “Intelligence Program Priorities in a Budget Constrained Environment” to “Understanding the IC Budget in Order to Meet National Security Need".
INSA's individual members includes former government officials from the National Security Council, National Intelligence Council, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Department of State, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the WMD Commission.

William Oliver Baker Award

The William Oliver Baker Award was originally established by SASA in 1984 in honor of the first award recipient, William O. Baker, to promote excellence in the intelligence and national security activities of the United States government and associated endeavors in the private sector. The Award annually recognizes individuals for exceptional achievements and sustained contributions or single achievements of extraordinary merit. Past and current recipients by year include:
YearAwardee
2013General Michael V. Hayden
2012
2011Former Director of National Intelligence John Michael "Mike" McConnell
2010Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
2009Former Senator John Warner
2008Mr.
2007Admiral William Oliver Studeman, USN
2006Lt Gen James R. Clapper, Jr., USAF
2005Lt Gen Brent Scowcroft, USAF
2004
2003George J. Tenet
2002Mr. Charles E. Allen
2001Dr. Sidney D. Drell
2000William J. Perry
1999Miss
1998Dr.
1997Judge William H. Webster
1996Lt Gen Samuel V. Wilson, USA
1995John N. McMahon
1994
1993Dr.
1992Dr. Louis W. Tordella
1991James R. Schlesinger
1990Dr. Lew Allen
1989Admiral Bobby Inman, USN
1988Dr. Edwin H. Land
1987Ambassador Richard Helms
1986Ambassador Vernon A. Walters
1985Senator Barry Goldwater
1984Dr. William O. Baker