Speaker – Mr Harry Coker, Jr
Mr Harry Coker, Jr
National Cyber Director
United States of America
Biography
Harry Coker Jr was nominated by President Biden in July 2023 and confirmed by the Senate on December 12, 2023 as the National Cyber Director in the White House. Director Coker is a retired Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) senior executive, former National Security Agency (NSA) senior executive and career Naval Officer.
As National Cyber Director, Coker’s priorities include strengthening federal coherence and collaboration in cyberspace; implementing America’s National Cybersecurity Strategy; developing a robust cyber workforce; advancing cyber regulatory harmonization; and building Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) and State, Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTT) cybersecurity capability and capacity.
In his previous government assignment, Coker served as the Executive Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) where he directly supported NSA’s Director and Deputy Director in the strategic and day-to-day leadership of the Agency. Coker’s service to the Nation and NSA was recognized with the awarding of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the NSA Director’s Distinguished Service Medal, and the IC EEOD Outstanding Leadership Award.
During his service with the CIA, Coker was assigned to leadership positions in the Directorate of Digital Innovation; the Directorate of Science & Technology; and the Director’s Area. Key assignments included service as Director of the Open Source Enterprise, which is responsible for leveraging publicly available information; and as Deputy Director of CIA’s Office of Public Affairs, which is responsible for the Agency’s internal and external communications and media relations. Coker was also a member of the small, hand-selected team of senior officers that architected the Agency’s organizational construct and operating model. He also had a key role in formulating and executing the Diversity in Leadership Study; and served on the Executive Diversity & Inclusion Council. Coker’s leadership and contributions earned him the Presidential Rank Award and CIA’s Don Cryer Award for Diversity & Inclusion leadership.
Coker, a proud native of Parsons, KS and resident of Baltimore, MD, is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, the Naval Postgraduate School, and Georgetown University Law Center.