WASHINGTON –
DIA Director Lieutenant General
Vincent R. Stewart announced yesterday that Melissa Drisko will become the agency’s
Deputy Director effective in August 2016. Drisko currently serves as DIA’s lead
for Rank-in-Person Implementation.
In announcing her selection, Stewart
said Drisko is “the right choice as a partner in leading this Agency. She
speaks truth to power, unbiased and unblemished – this is the mark of a true
leader.” Going further, he stated that Drisko is “whole-heartedly committed to
DIA and to serving our country.”
With over 35 years of federal
service, Drisko brings a wealth of experience to the Deputy Directorship. She
has served in a number of roles throughout the Intelligence Community,
including with the Office of Naval Intelligence, the Department of State’s
Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and the Central Intelligence Agency. She
joined DIA as the Deputy Chief Financial Executive in 2007. Drisko has since
has served as the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence at ONI and as DIA’s
Vice Deputy Director for Collection Management/Deputy Defense Collection
Manager, Chief of Staff, and the Director for Science and Technology.
As Deputy Director, Drisko will help manage the daily
operation and long-term planning of the Defense Intelligence Agency. The Deputy
Director leads DIA activities in a broad range of both internal and external
initiatives.
Drisko graduated from the University
of Virginia in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. She was
commissioned in the U.S. Navy in May 1981.