Elodie Collins 
- Major intelligence agencies will be present at the 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24
- IC agencies are actively modernizing and adopting AI to support their missions
- Intelligence leaders will provide insights on IC priorities and challenges during keynotes and panels
Heightened geopolitical tensions, global power competition and rapid technological breakthroughs are creating a complex national security landscape, driving the intelligence community to modernize and adopt advanced capabilities. The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Intel Summit is the place to be to understand how the IC is evolving to meet the demands of the modern threat environment, and the role that industry is playing in advancing intelligence missions.
The event, happening this Thursday, Sept. 24, at the Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park in Virginia, will bring together major organizations within the IC under one roof, creating opportunities for attendees to gain a better understanding of intelligence priorities.
You only have two more days to secure your seat and be part of conversations that move IC goals forward. Register here!
Which Intelligence Agencies Are Attending the 2026 Intel Summit?
CIA
Speaker: Dustin Gard-Weiss, executive director (Opening Keynote)
The CIA leads U.S. foreign human intelligence collection and all-source analysis in support of national security decision-making. Over the years, the agency has increasingly opened its acquisition pipeline to the commercial technology sector to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge capabilities, including AI.
Under CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a 2025 Wash100 winner, the agency issued a new acquisition framework that would streamline its purchase of commercial products by leveraging existing authorities and establishing centralized vendor vetting and IT authorization processes. More recently, the CIA formed the Office of Corporate Partnerships to create a “more structured approach” for collaborations with the private sector.
The restructuring comes as the agency expands its employment of AI. Ratcliffe shared at a recent event that the CIA will take “smart risks, experiment and course-correct” as it implements AI and other emerging technologies into agency workflows, NextGov/FCW reported. CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis previously shared that the agency plans to deploy agentic AI “coworkers” to carry out basic tasks, including drafting and editing. A recent report by Reason revealed that the CIA is also using GPT-4.1 to analyze open-source intelligence data and generate security reports distributed to law enforcement agencies through Department of Homeland Security fusion centers.
National Reconnaissance Office
Speaker: Ryan Lewis, chief architect, SIGINT Directorate (Morning Keynote)
NRO is building what the agency calls the “largest and most capable government constellation” in the nation’s history. With more than 200 satellites currently in orbit, the proliferated satellite architecture is poised to deliver space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data.
Through the Strategic Commercial Enhancements program, NRO has opened opportunities for commercial companies to augment agency capabilities. In February, NRO awarded contracts to HEO, SatVu and Sierra Nevada Corp. for remote sensing. More recently, Capella Space, ICEYE US and Umbra Lab secured Radar Commercial Augmentation contracts from NRO to provide day, night and all-weather Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging data in support of IC and Department of War missions.
Former NRO Director Chris Scolese, a five-time Wash100 awardee, emphasized the importance of the agency’s industry partnerships at a 2025 House Armed Services subcommittee hearing, saying that commercial capabilities are “absolutely critical” and noting that NRO relies on commercial imagery, radio frequency and phenomenology.
NRO has also been using AI more to meet the demands of growing data collected by multiple sources, including its expanding constellation. William Adkins, the agency’s principal deputy director and a 2026 Wash100 Award recipient, called on industry to focus on technologies designed for speed and adaptability. He explained that NRO systems must be able to quickly shift priorities in response to international conflicts or threats to satellites in orbit.
National Security Agency
Speaker: Tim Kosiba, deputy director (Closing Keynote)
NSA is the nation’s cryptologic agency, responsible for signals intelligence and for securing national security systems against cyber threats. Headed by NSA Director Gen. Joshua Rudd, also a 2026 Wash100 winner, the agency is undergoing a major reorganization, establishing a mission center dedicated to AI.
NSA has been actively engaging with top technology developers to carry out executive mandates on AI adoption and model testing. NSA Deputy Director Tim Kosiba recently shared that the agency is moving more aggressively to acquire and field AI as newer systems deliver advanced capabilities. He added that the NSA wants “access to all the models” in the market.
Kosiba also highlighted partnerships as an enabling force for the agency to maintain superiority against adversaries, particularly China. The official shared that NSA is making it easier for industry to do business with the agency, and it is leveraging other transaction authorities for its highest priorities, Signal Media reported.
NSA, in partnership with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, published a cybersecurity advisory detailing how Chinese AI companies are carrying out industrial-scale distillation campaigns that target U.S. frontier AI models.
Kosiba is expected to talk more in depth about AI during his keynote at the 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24. Get your tickets here to gain insights about the impact of AI on NSA and the IC!
FBI
Speaker: Matt Fodor, operations director, National Security Branch (Mid-Afternoon Keynote)
As a national security and law enforcement agency, the FBI collects, uses and shares intelligence to support counterterrorism, counterintelligence and cyber investigations.
The agency recently issued a new cyber strategy designed to strengthen the defense of U.S. networks and critical infrastructure. The 17-page document identifies four pillars:
- Disrupting adversaries
- Supporting victims
- Expanding partnerships
- Strengthening internal capabilities
The strategy also calls for the use of AI tools to triage large datasets, accelerate malware analysis and map adversary infrastructure.
Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, said the agency wants stronger partnerships with the private sector in battling cyber adversaries, Federal News Network reported. He pointed to the agency’s recent collaboration with Google, Microsoft and CrowdStrike to target adversary infrastructure.
Drug Enforcement Administration
Speaker: Carrie Thompson, chief of intelligence (Afternoon Keynote)
DEA collects, analyzes and disseminates drug-related intelligence to support the enforcement of federal controlled-substance laws. Among the DEA’s major initiatives is Fentanyl Free America, a national law enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign to stop the flow of fentanyl.
The agency is increasingly integrating AI to support its mission, including identifying the region where drug samples originated.
DEA is also in the process of modernizing its Concorde enterprise IT platform, which consolidates legacy and stovepiped applications into a unified environment. The agency awarded ASRC Federal a potential $75 million contract to provide planning, implementation and maintenance services in support of the platform.
National Counterintelligence and Security Center
Speaker: James Cangialosi, deputy director (panelist)
NCSC, which operates under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, leads U.S. counterintelligence strategy and mitigates foreign intelligence threats. The center works with industry and academia through the Safeguarding Science and Supply Chain Risk Management, or SCRM, outreach initiatives to promote supply-chain security. NCSC also provides guidance to the private sector to protect innovation against state-sponsored malicious actors.
Who Are the Government Speakers at the 2026 Intel Summit?
At the 2026 Intel Summit, attendees will get to hear from the top echelons of IC leadership on modernization priorities and opportunities for public-private partnerships. The event’s keynote lineup includes:
- Dustin Gard-Weiss, executive director of the CIA
- Matthew Kozma, under secretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security
- Ryan Lewis, chief architect for the Signals Intelligence Directorate at NRO
- Tim Kosiba, deputy director of NSA
- Maj. Gen. Brian Sidari, deputy chief of space operations for intelligence at the Space Force
- Carrie Thompson, deputy assistant administrator at DEA
- Matthew Fodor, operations director for the FBI’s National Security Branch
Panelists from government also include:
- James Cangialosi, deputy director for NCSC
- Erik Blasch, program officer at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Maj. Gen. Mark Cunningham, director of intelligence at the U.S. Marine Corps
- Matt Gilkeson, chief technology officer and chief data officer at the Transportation Security Administration (pending confirmation)
- Martin Holmes, professional staff member at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
- Rebecca Keiser, chief of research security strategy and policy at the National Science Foundation
- Rebecca McWhite, technical lead for cybersecurity supply chain risk management at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Stephen Pierce, director of Naval Intelligence Activity N3
- Mario Roberts, deputy director of the Department of the Army Military Intelligence – Information Management and chief AI officer of Army Intelligence
- Dr. GP Sandhoo, director of the Space Development Agency and Space Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Missile Warning and Tracking
- Capt. Patrick Thompson, head of the Infrastructure Services Division at the U.S. Coast Guard
The 2026 Intel Summit is a rare opportunity to hear from the most influential voices in the IC. Tickets are running out, so sign up today!
