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Director, President, and CEO Jane Harman Awarded National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal

Wilson Center Director, President, and CEO Jane Harman was awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper on March 2. The honor recognized Rep. Harman for her work and leadership during her career in the House of Representatives, on post-9/11 intelligence reforms and improved information sharing.

New Wilson Center Director, President, and CEO and former U.S. Rep. Jane Harman received the National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal from Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper yesterday in a Capitol Hill ceremony.

Director Clapper recognized Rep. Harman for her essential leadership implementing post-9/11 intelligence reforms as the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and for pursuing legislation to improve information sharing and prevent over-classification as the chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

"Representative Harman has been a consummate ally of the Intelligence Community and the brave men and women of our intelligence agencies, demonstrating a deep personal commitment to ensuring the IC had the authorities and resources necessary to protect our nation," said Director Clapper. "Representative Harman considered intelligence a non-partisan issue and spent countless hours educating other members of Congress on the importance of actionable and strategic intelligence, the critical need to share information across the Community, and the dangers associated with unauthorized disclosures of classified material. On behalf of the IC, we thank her for her service and dedication to our security."

"As one who contributed to the design and formation of the DNI, this recognition is a huge and very personal honor," said Rep. Harman. "But I am more comfortable sharing it with the women and men who put their lives on the line everyday in unaccompanied posts in austere regions of the world. They are the real heroes of our intelligence effort."

Key Background

The National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal is the highest award that can be granted to non-career Federal employees, private citizens or others who have performed distinguished service of exceptional significance to the Intelligence Community. The DNI established the award on Oct. 1, 2008, to acknowledge individuals who rendered extraordinary service at considerable personal sacrifice and who were motivated by patriotism, good citizenship or a sense of public responsibility. Previous recipients of the award are Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, former Sens. John W. Warner, Christopher S. "Kit" Bond, and Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III, and Rep. Silvestre Reyes and former Reps. Heather A. Wilson and Pete Hoekstra.

Rep. Harman served for eight years as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, including four years as the ranking member. She also served on the House Committee on Homeland Security for four years where she chaired the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence from January 2007 to January 2011.

Rep. Harman retired from Congress Feb. 28, 2011, to become president and chief executive officer of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.

The Director of National Intelligence leads intelligence integration across the 16 federal organizations that comprise the Intelligence Community. The DNI also manages the implementation of the National Intelligence Program. Additionally, the DNI serves as the principal adviser to the president and the National Security Council on intelligence issues related to national security.