Coffee & Conversation with Adele Merritt

Dr. Merritt kicked off the discussion by sharing she was drawn to her role because of the opportunity to work with each of the 18 elements of the Intelligence Community. This collaboration was particularly evident during the development of the Vision for the IC Information Environment: An Information Technology Roadmap, which was approved by all 18 elements of the IC and provides a 5-year plan with 5 focus areas and 19 key initiatives. A key focus for her team was ensuring that the final product would be unclassified and shareable with the public. They worked closely with a group of people that Dr. Merritt called “the digital village” – IC Chief Information Officers and Chief Data Officers – and solicited feedback from industry partners to understand their needs and vision for the future.

Dr. Merritt highlighted the roadmap’s focus on better integrating AI into the IC workforce, particularly maintaining the digital infrastructure underpinning AI capabilities. These tools, data, and infrastructure must be accessible not just in DC but around the country and the world, given the national and global footprint of the IC. Dr. Merritt also acknowledged the challenge of surmounting resource gaps – such as funding and personnel – but suggested that the best way forward is to build stronger bridges with industry, government partners, and academia.

Dr. Merritt also emphasized that optimizing the cloud environment requires the IC to embrace working in a cloud native environment and understanding the power that the cloud provides. She said it is important to understand the different mission needs of the various 18 elements with respect to the cloud.

In closing, Dr. Merritt emphasized her commitment to hiring talent regardless of their degree or educational background and emphasized the importance of on-the-job training and mentorship to build the next generation of the IC workforce.