Intelligence Champions Council
The Intelligence Champions Council (ICC) strives to strengthen and grow the IC workforce by advising, mentoring, advocating for, and fostering dialogue among professionals across organizations and experience levels who are interested in intelligence-related careers.
Through programming and mentoring events, the Council facilitates informal learning for the intelligence and national security workforce and helps these professionals build positive relationships, discover mentors, and gain an appreciation for other perspectives.
Produced by the Council, Intelligence Career Conversations explores the people, paths, and policies shaping today’s intelligence community. Each episode features candid discussions with professionals from across the field—covering career journeys, skill-building advice, and the real-world impact of policy decisions on the IC workforce.
Intelligence Career Conversations Podcast
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Horace Blackman: Building a Mission-Driven CareerIn this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, Jim Donnelly welcomed Horace Blackman, Senior VP/Business Unit Leader, Defense, Intelligence and Space, CGI Federal. He shares insights from a career spanning government and industry, reflecting on lessons learned from both sides of the mission. He discusses what it means to lead with purpose, why a passion for the mission outweighs any technical skill, and how curiosity fuels long-term growth.
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Suzanne White: Lessons on Humility, Mentorship, and UncertaintyOn this week's episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, Jim Donnelly speaks with Suzanne White, former Deputy Director for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Suzanne reflects on her path from financial management to senior intelligence leadership, sharing lessons on humility, communication, and leading through uncertainty. She offers candid advice on mentorship, career growth, and finding balance in demanding national security roles.
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The Hon. Ellen McCarthy: Trust, Leadership, and the Future of IntelligenceIn this ICC podcast episode, host Jim Donnelly sits down with The Hon. Ellen McCarthy, CEO and Founder of the Trust in Media Cooperative and a longtime leader in the U.S. intelligence community, as she recounts her unconventional journey, from freelance reporter to Soviet submarine analyst to Assistant Secretary of State for INR. In this engaging conversation, she shares lessons learned on her rise to senior leadership, reflects on overcoming imposter syndrome, highlights the power of mentorship, and discusses what drove her to launch the Trust in Media Cooperative to strengthen the nation’s information ecosystem.
Leadership
Council News and Publications
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Nominations Open for 2026 Achievement AwardsAugust 28, 2025
The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) and INSA Foundation are now accepting nominations for the 2025 INSA Charlie Allen Achievement Awards. Now in its 16th year, these awards recognize outstanding early- to mid-career professionals from the intelligence, homeland, and national security communities, as well as a senior leader who inspires their success.
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Nominations Open for 2025 Achievement Awards
August 20, 2024
The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) and INSA Foundation are now accepting nominations for the 2025 INSA Charlie Allen Achievement Awards. Now in its 15th year, these awards recognize outstanding early- to mid-career professionals from the intelligence, homeland, and national security communities, as well as a senior leader who inspires their success.
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INSA Announces Recipients of 2024 Charlie Allen Achievement AwardsJanuary 10, 2024
The awards, to be presented on February 15 at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, VA, acknowledge the exceptional contributions of early to mid-career professionals to U.S. national security, as well as one senior leader for sustained commitment to building and mentoring a worldclass workforce.