Michael Swetnam

Chairman of the Board and CEO Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Michael Swetnam has served in a large number of positions supporting federal, state, and local government, including Special Consultant to the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, staff member on the Intelligence Community Staff, President of the Corporate Volunteer Council in Montgomery Co., Maryland, member of Corporate Partnership in Maryland, Chairman of the Term Limit Committee, Regional Scout master of the United Kingdom (Scotland), school board member and a variety of Republican Party positions. Mr. Swetnam has also served in a number of corporate positions including assistant Vice President at Pacific Sierra Research, Inc. and Director and Manager of Strategic Planning at GTE Corporation’s Government Systems Division.

A Potomac Institute biographical note states:

Mr. Swetnam has authored and edited several books and articles including: "Cyber Terrorism and Information Warfare," a four volume set he co-edited; "Usama bin Laden's al-Qaida: Profile of a Terrorist Network," co-authored with Yonah Alexander; and "ETA: Profile of a Terrorist Group," co-authored with Yonah Alexander and Herbert M. Levine.

Mr. Swetnam is currently a member of the Technical Advisory Group to the United States Senate Special Select Committee on Intelligence. In this capacity, Mr. Swetnam provides expert advice to the U.S. Senate on the R&D investment strategy of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Mr. Swetnam also served on the Defense Science Board (DSB) task force on Counting Terrorism and the task force on Intelligence support to the war on terrorism.

From 1990 to 1992, Mr. Swetnam served as a Special Consultant to President Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB) where he provided expert advice on Intelligence Community issues including budget, community architecture, and major programs. He also assisted in authoring the Board's assessment of Intelligence Community support to Desert Storm/Shield.

Prior to forming the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Mr. Swetnam worked in private industry as a Vice President of Engineering at the Pacific-Sierra Research Corporation, Director of Information Processing Systems at GTE, and Manager of Strategic Planning for GTE Government Systems.

Prior to joining GTE, Mr. Swetnam worked for the Director of Central Intelligence as a Program Monitor on the Intelligence Community Staff (1986-1990). Mr. Swetnam was responsible for the development and presentation to Congress of the budget of the National Security Agency, and helped develop, monitor and present to Congress the DOE Intelligence Budget. Mr. Swetnam was also assigned as the IC Staff representative to intergovernmental groups that developed the INF and START treaties. He assisted in presenting these treaties to Congress for ratification. Collateral duties included serving as the host to the DCI's Nuclear Intelligence Panel and Co-Chairman of the S&T Requirements Analysis Working Group.

Mr. Swetnam served in the U.S. Navy for 24 years as an active duty and reserve officer, Special Duty Cryptology.

Mr. Swetnam has served in several public and community positions including Northern United Kingdom Scout Master (1984-85); Chairman, Term limits Referendum Committee (1992-93); President (1993) of the Montgomery County Corporate Volunteer Council, Montgomery County Corporate Partnership for Managerial Excellence (1993); and the Maryland Business Roundtable (1993). He is also on the Board of Directors of Space and Defense Systems Inc., Dragon Hawk Entertainment Inc., and the Governing Board of The Potomac Institute of New Zealand.