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Jeffrey K. Harris

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Jeffrey K. Harris
11th Director of the National Reconnaissance Office
In office
May 19, 1994[1] – February 26, 1996
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byMartin C. Faga
Succeeded byKeith R. Hall
Personal details
Born (1953-06-28) June 28, 1953 (age 71)
White Plains, New York, US
Alma materRochester Institute of Technology

Jeffrey King Harris[2] (born June 28, 1953)[3] is an American aerospace executive who served as 11th director of the National Reconnaissance Office from 1994 to 1996. Currently, he is the chairman of the RIT Board of Trustees.[4]

Life and career

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Harris was born in White Plains, New York in 1953 and graduated from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School in 1971.[2] He attended from Rochester Institute of Technology,[5] earning an associate's degree in applied sciences in 1974 and a B.S. degree in photographic science and instrumentation in 1975. Harris then went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency.[2] In 1978, he transferred from the National Photographic Intelligence Center to The Office of Development and Engineering.

Time at NRO

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Mr. Harris managed the integration of NRO programs into three functional directorates. He was a member of the R. James Woolsey panel that studied the future of NRO systems. He was a major proponent and architect of consolidating signals intelligence systems in a new partnership with the National Security Agency. Mr. Harris directed the CORONA program declassification and established a public affairs program.[6]

Harris and deputy director Jimmie D. Hill were dismissed in 1996 after losing track of more than $2 billion in classified money. Harris was replaced by Keith Hall.[7]

Post-government career

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Harris was named president of the Space Systems-Missiles & Space Operations division of Lockheed Martin in 2001.[8]

As of 2024, Harris serves on the advisory board of the National Security Space Association.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Laurie, Clayton. Leaders of the National Reconnaissance Office 1961-2001. Office of the Historian, National Reconnaissance Office. 1 May 2002.
  2. ^ a b c "Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 103d Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate". Vol. 103, no. 873. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1994. pp. 769–771. ISBN 978-0-16-046386-0.
  3. ^ Marquis Who's Who on the Web
  4. ^ McGrain, Vienna. "Alumnus Jeffrey Harris named chair of RIT Board of Trustees". RIT. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  5. ^ Richelson, Jeffrey T. (2002). The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology. Westview Press, ISBN 978-0-8133-4059-3
  6. ^ "National Reconnaissance Office: Jeffrey K. Harris official biography" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
  7. ^ Weiner, Tim (February 27, 1996) Spy Satellite Agency Heads Are Ousted For Lost Money. The New York Times
  8. ^ Staff report (March 8, 2001). New Chief for Missiles & Space. San Jose Mercury News
  9. ^ "National Security Space Association, Board of Advisors". National Security Space Association. 2024-03-14. Archived from the original on 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
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