James R. Clapper, Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, and INSA Board Chairwoman Frances Fragos Townsend, former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush, served as Keynote Speakers for INSA’s third Mentoring Event on Tuesday, March 16 at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington. The evening began with a networking reception which allowed the 120 mentor and mentee attendees to share common experiences and make new contacts within the intelligence community. Following the reception, Clapper and Townsend addressed the group and then took several questions from the audience. Overall, the event provided a unique opportunity for young professionals to gain knowledge from and network with experienced mentors in the IC.

Below is some feedback from the attendees:

“Thank you for putting on a wonderful event. It was really inspiring to see so many women who are great role models. And it was very useful to get some practical advice on how to make mentoring work. I appreciate INSA devoting time and resources to fostering career development for women. I look forward to the next one!”
Kathryn Schiller Wurster
Research Associate, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

"I thought the mentoring forum was great. It was so good to see all these young ladies. Clapper did a fabulous job. I will try to encourage more young women and more senior women in the IC to attend. Again, great job."
Lorraine Castro
BAE Systems