Secretary of Defense Names New Director of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Robert Cardillo has been named the next director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He takes over as leader in October 2014.

Robert Cardillo has been named the next director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and will take over as the agency’s leader in October from Letitia A. Long. Long announced her retirement and will leave later this year after four years as director, according to a Defense Department news release.

Cardillo currently serves as the deputy director of national intelligence for intelligence integration and used to serve as the deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the deputy director for analysis at DIA, and the director of analysis and production at NGA.

“I am honored to be asked to lead NGA and humbled by the opportunity to succeed Tish Long,” Cardillo said in a statement. “As someone who began my career as a member of the NGA family, I am excited to have the privilege to build on the progress NGA has made under Tish’s leadership.”

Long has led the NGA since August 2010. Since then, the agency shifted from providing static products, such as maps, to geospatial intelligence services that provide “time and place” context in a variety of formats, in real time, in security domains, the release states.

“Tish Long and Robert Cardillo both have led the transformation of intelligence to address the complex global strategic challenges we face as a nation,” Mike Vickers, undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said in a statement. “They both have ensured intelligence is relevant to the needs of its important customers—from the president to the warfighter. I congratulate Tish on her successful tenure and very much look forward to having Robert’s leadership and talent for the important work ahead at NGA.”