"GROWING DIVERSITY" - FEDERAL TIMES OP-ED BY RONALD SANDERS AND PATRICIA TAYLOR
Diversity is a mission-critical imperative for the intelligence community (IC), and our definition goes beyond race and national origin, gender and disability. The IC's mission depends on a workforce diverse in many dimensions, requiring a wide range of expertise and deep knowledge of other cultures, languages, perspectives and ideas. We not only need a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of America, but one that also reflects, understands and can engage all of the countries and cultures of the world - oftentimes clandestinely.
This is where our nation's heritage Americans come in. These first- and second-generation citizens can offer us the advanced language skills and unrivaled cultural expertise that are as vital to security as they are rare in our general population. They also bring a unique appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities that so many of us take for granted. That's why the director of National Intelligence has made the recruitment and retention of first- and second-generation citizens a top human capital priority. Read More
DIRECTOR BLAIR ADDRESSES THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair spoke at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce National Security Task Force Meeting in Washington, DC on July 22, 2009. Read The Transcript
