Statement by the DNI on the next NRO director

Statement by the DNI on the next NRO director

April 24, 2012


Iam pleased to announce that Secretary of Defense Panetta, with my concurrence, has appointed NRO Principal Deputy Director Betty Sapp to serve as the next director of the NRO. On behalf of the entire Intelligence Community, I congratulate Betty on her appointment.

Betty is a smart, exceedingly professional and unflappable leader whose commitment to the Intelligence Community and our nation, sets her apart.

I first met Betty in 2007 while serving as the undersecretary of defense for intelligence. A colleague suggested that Betty would be a great choice to serve as the deputy undersecretary of defense for programs and resources. That colleague was right. Betty had already established herself as an expert in her field, and she quickly demonstrated that she was destined to be one of our nation’s top intelligence leaders.

Betty replaces General (ret.) Bruce Carlson who announced last week his decision to step aside as the NRO director, effective July 20.

Bruce leaves behind a legacy of remarkable accomplishments. Under his leadership, NRO completed their most aggressive launch campaign in more than 25 years, launching six satellites in seven months during 2011. Those systems are performing beyond expectations and are delivering intelligence of significant value to the IC and to our national leaders.

Bruce also helped refocus NRO’s acquisition, engineering and operations teams allowing them to present a new, more resilient and more capable overhead architecture that will be designed to fully integrate our signals and imagery collection.

As Bruce moves on, he can do so knowing that his integrity, hard work and focus on the mission have positioned NRO on a vector that will serve it well for years to come.

Our nation is fortunate to have one incredible leader follow another at the helm of the agency charged with developing and operating unique and innovative overhead reconnaissance systems in support of our national security.

Thank you Bruce, and congratulations to Betty and the NRO.