As the Agency’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Director of the Information Technology Enterprise (D/ITE), La’Naia J. Jones is responsible for all Agency IT systems and personnel, as well as the global communications network. Ms. Jones brings valuable leadership, technical expertise, knowledge, and global experience to the position.

Most recently, Ms. Jones served as both the National Security Agency’s Deputy CIO and their Information Sharing and Safeguarding Executive. In those roles, she optimized NSA’s IT strategy for the CIO Inspector General and Policy, IT Accessibility, Chief Information Security Officer, and Chief Data Officer portfolios. With over 19 years of NSA experience in leadership and technical roles across several mission areas, Ms. Jones managed the oversight for IT investments and acquisition programs, ensuring the secure and keen use of IT across NSA.

Prior to serving as NSA’s DCIO, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) designated Ms. Jones as the Acting CIO of the Intelligence Community (IC). As the Acting IC CIO, she led the modernization efforts to transform the IC Information Technology Enterprise (IC ITE) and other areas of the IC Information Environment (IC IE) through foundational cloud capabilities, data sharing, and cybersecurity.

Throughout her career, Ms. Jones served four years in Tokyo, supported mission while deployed in various war zones, and visited many of the government’s global operating locations, providing broad technical expertise, background, and experience to ensure the security and protection of the IC IT landscape. Ms. Jones also designed and integrated collaborative infrastructures as well as strengthened foreign relationships and enhanced domestic partnerships through resolution of complex, multifaceted IT entanglements of technology organizations.

Ms. Jones has a dual Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a Master of Science in Technology Management from the University of Maryland, Global Campus. Ms. Jones is a Maryland native, growing up throughout Anne Arundel County and currently residing in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Her wealth of valuable knowledge and experience is critical for ensuring that CIA harnesses rapidly evolving digital technology and strengthens key partnerships to advance our mission.

Jim has spent over 25 years in the technology space.  He brings background across many technologies, creating solutions and products for the Federal and managed service markets.  He started his career in software development, scripting, automation and operations.  Prior to Palo Alto Networks, Jim spent 13 years as CTO for Iron Bow Technologies focused on developing and deploying solutions for the Federal Government.  From 2004 to 2008 Jim managed the engineering team focused on the Army and DoD agencies for EMC Corporation.  During his tenure, Jim used his security and scripting background to create automated STIG scripts used by EMC in hundreds of deployments throughout the DoD.  

Prior to working with the Federal government, his background is in operations and solutions working in software development, telecommunications, service providers and managed services.

George Jackson is the Vice President of Events at GovExec Media – the largest and most-influential media company in the public sector marketplace. George joined GovExec in October of 2020 to enhance the scale of their events and audience experiences.

He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in English. In 2006, he earned his master’s in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

George spent the first five years of his journalism career at WJHL-TV in Johnson City Tenn. – beginning as an overnight producer for the station’s 6 a.m. broadcast. He advanced to lead on-air reporter for WJHL’s 11 p.m. newscast.

As a reporter, George examined the earnings of two non-profit hospital systems, felony charges filed against a local sheriff, predatory paving companies, a health benefits backlog for local veterans, and a series of cold-case murder investigations. He received an honorable mention for Best TV Reporter in the 2011 Tennessee AP Broadcast awards and won a Best Investigative Reporting award from Media General in 2010.

George joined DC’s ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in 2012 to produce Capital Insider, which won him an Emmy award. One year later, he developed and recorded the pilot episode of Government Matters – a program about the business of government. It debuted as a weekly show on Sunday, August 4th of 2013. George led Government Matters through September of 2020, expanded its reach to a daily worldwide audience, and produced its first feature-length documentary “The Dawn of Generation AI.”

George is from Toledo, Ohio. He lives with his wife, twin daughters, and a pair of rescue dogs in Northern Virginia.