NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ODNI News Release No. 27-14
June 12, 2014
DNI APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Veteran public communicator Brian P. Hale has joined the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as its director of public affairs.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Brian’s caliber with over 20 years of professional communications experience across both the private and public sector,” said Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper. “I commend Brian for his professional accomplishments and look forward to leveraging his strategic communications experience across the Intelligence Community.”
Prior to joining ODNI, Hale served as the assistant director of the Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, where he was responsible for ICE's internal and external communications.
He previously served in the National Press Office in the Office of Public Affairs at the FBI in Washington, D.C., where he handled international and national media inquiries and served as a spokesman for the FBI on matters related to counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction and operational technology.
Hale replaces Shawn Turner who recently joined the White House Press Office as deputy press secretary. “Shawn is a true visionary who unified and strengthened public affairs across the Intelligence Community and helped us become a more transparent IC,” said Clapper. “He set a high bar for poise and professionalism through one of the toughest years in IC history. While we will miss him and his calm demeanor, I know he will continue to do great things for our nation.”
Prior to joining the FBI, Hale was press relations manager for Patton Boggs as the primary media liaison and spokesperson for the firm. Before joining Patton Boggs, Hale served as a field producer for ABC's 20/20 news magazine, where he worked on several international and national stories, including Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Washington, D.C. sniper investigation and the 9/11 attacks.
Hale has received several broadcast journalism team coverage awards for 9/11 coverage, including a News Emmy Award 2002, the George S. Peabody Award 2002 and a Columbia DuPont Journalism Award 2002. He also received the CINE Eagle Award 2001 for coverage of the "Bombing of USS Cole," and a News Emmy nomination 2003 for "Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Event. At ICE, Hale’s strategic communications team created the Operation Predator App which was nominated for the 2014 App of the Year by PR News.
Hale holds a master’s degree in international relations and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Kentucky.
Hale began work June 2.
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