Dr. Chris Parrett
Director, Rapid Capabilities Office
NGA
Dr. Christopher M. Parrett serves as the Director, Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), within Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Innovation and Research at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).
He leads the rapid acquisition of emerging GEOINT capabilities and accelerated fielding in support of the Agency's priority missions.
Dr. Parrett previously served as the Director, Analytic Technologies Office, for NGA Research and Development, where he led research into artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cutting-edge geospatial technology advancements. In his first assignment with NGA, he was the GEOINT Mission Manager for Targeting and Military Issues—the principal advisor to the GEOINT Functional Manager on matters pertaining to the integration of Targeting and Foundational Military Intelligence.
Dr. Parrett began his career in 1998 as a computer engineer supporting the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Ohio. In 2004, he joined federal service with the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), where he served in analytic and leadership roles across several commands. These organizations included the 704th Military Intelligence (MI) Brigade (WPAFB, OH), 66th MI Brigade (Darmstadt, Germany), and the National Ground Intelligence Center (Springfield, VA). In 2018, Dr. Parrett joined the Army Staff as the Senior GEOINT Lead for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, at the Pentagon (Arlington, VA).
Dr. Parrett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University (1998); a Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence from the American Military University (2004); a Master of Geographic Information Systems from Pennsylvania State University (2014); and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computational Social Science from George Mason University. He is a certified Geospatial Information System Professional (GISP) in Virginia and a certified GEOINT Professional-Imagery Analyst (GPC-IA) and Geospatial Analyst (GPC-GA). Dr. Parrett is the recipient of three Army Superior Civilian Service Medals and MI Corps Knowlton Award. He lives in northern Virginia with his wife and two sons.
