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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Lorna MacFarlane: Grit, Growth, and ResilienceOn this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, host Jim Donnelly is joined by Lorna MacFarlane, a graduate student at the George Washington University Law School specializing in government procurement and cybersecurity law. She reflects on her unconventional path into national security and how work in procurement, fraud, risk, and compliance shaped her interest in insider threat. She also discusses continuous learning, mentorship, analytical skills, and adapting to a changing threat landscape. Throughout the conversation, she shares advice for early-career professionals on perseverance and navigating a career path that may not be linear.
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David Cattler: Beyond CredentialsOn this episode of the ICC podcast David Cattler, former Director of DCSA, reflects on a career spanning the U.S. Navy, White House, NATO, and DoD, and shares how an unexpected move into intelligence shaped his path. He discusses the importance of continuing education, mentorship, prioritizing judgment over collecting credentials, and knowing when to pursue the next opportunity. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the role of trust, integrity, and relationships in building a lasting career in national security.
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Christina Mancinelli: From Internship to Senior LeadershipOn this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, Christina Mancinelli, Vice President of Global Communications and Navigation at Lockheed Martin Space, reflects on her path from engineering intern to senior executive and explains how degrees in electrical engineering, finance, and systems engineering gave her the technical, business, and big-picture perspectives needed to lead.
