The secretary of defense announced today the decision to appoint Donald M. Kerr as director of the National Reconnaissance Office, with the concurrence of the director of National Intelligence.

Prior to his appointment, Kerr served as deputy director for science and technology for the Central Intelligence Agency. He has also served as assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has held several executive positions within private industry.

Prior to Kerrs appointment, the previous director of the NRO also served as the undersecretary of the Air Force. However Kerr will serve exclusively as the director of NRO. The NRO is a Department of Defense agency within the intelligence community that designs, builds and operates the nation's reconnaissance satellites. It is staffed by DoD and CIA personnel and funded through the National Reconnaissance Program, part of the National Intelligence Program.

For more information see http://www.nro.gov/ or contact the NRO Public Affairs Office, (703) 808-6334.