Hail and Farewell, Passing the Baton of SPRC Leadership!

Founding Chair and Vice Chair of INSA's Security Policy Reform Council (SPRC) Step Down After Over a Decade of Impact Leadership

Arlington, VA October 21, 2024 — The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) today announced that the founding Chair, Charlie Allen, and Vice Chair, Kathy Pherson, of the Security Policy Reform Council (SPRC) have stepped down after 14 years of service. Formed in 2010, the SPRC has played a critical role in advancing security clearance and suitability reform, driving meaningful improvements in U.S. security policies.

Charlie Allen, former Under Secretary for Intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, founded the SPRC (initially the Security Clearance and Suitability Reform Task Force) after experiencing firsthand the inefficiencies of the security clearance process. Under his leadership, the SPRC rapidly grew from a small task force into a vital INSA council, significantly shaping security policy reform across industry and government.

Kathy Pherson, who became Vice Chair in 2011, was instrumental in the council’s growth. She spearheaded the publication of the influential white paper, Next Steps in Security Reform, which identified critical issues in clearance processing. Pherson also broadened the SPRC’s focus to cover a range of security issues, including continuous evaluation, SCIF standards, and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

It was a packed house as Charlie and Kathy chaired their final SPRC meeting (October 21, 2024)

Key Accomplishments Under Allen and Pherson’s Leadership:

Industry Advocacy on Security Clearance Process: The SPRC gave a voice to industry frustrations surrounding the costs and inefficiencies of security clearance processing. Their work led to policy discussions on clearance reciprocity, mobility, and personnel security that continue to shape reforms today.

Continuous Evaluation: The Council championed innovative approaches to clearance processing, including continuous evaluation and efforts to address barriers to clearance eligibility, such as marijuana use.

Information Sharing and Insider Threats: The SPRC helped advance policies to improve the sharing of derogatory information between government and industry in support of insider threat programs, which led to the development of new government guidelines.

TEMPEST and SCIF Standards: Through extensive collaboration with government and industry, the SPRC helped reduce unnecessary costs associated with SCIF renovations by advocating for data-driven, threat-based decisions.

“The SPRC, under Charlie and Kathy’s leadership, has had a profound impact on security clearance and policy reform,” said Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg, President of INSA. “Their vision and determination to partner with government to solve these complex issues have made a lasting difference, and we are deeply grateful for their years of service.”

New Leadership for the SPRC

Donald J. Blersch will step into the role of Chair of the SPRC. With over 35 years of public sector experience, including nearly two decades as a Senior Executive, Blersch has a proven track record of leading technology-driven programs that address national security challenges. He has held leadership positions at multiple agencies, including NASA, NOAA, CIA, ODNI, NRO, and the U.S. State Department where he drove security innovation and technology integration to meet vital national security responsibilities while ensuring the protection of sensitive, classified information.

“I’m honored to chair the SPRC and thank INSA for this opportunity,” said Blersch. “I extend my heartfelt thanks to Charlie and Kathy for their extraordinary leadership. Their legacy of transformative progress in security policy will serve as a strong foundation for the work ahead."

Blersch is currently Senior Vice President, Government Innovation at Clearspeed, a leading provider of voice analytics technology for risk assessment at scale in the government, insurance, banking and security sectors. His expertise in building trusted, well-vetted workforces uniquely positions him to lead the SPRC into the future.

Lindy Kyzer, the new Vice Chair, is a director at ClearanceJobs, the largest career network and community for individuals working in national security. She helped ClearanceJobs build the largest community of cleared professionals and created the largest trade publication covering personnel security policy and clearance vetting processes. From a news site and forum to regular webinars, podcasts, and radio shows, Kyzer works to demystify the security clearance process, ensuring more diverse and qualified applicants enter the government talent pool.

About INSA

The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) is the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan organization driving public-private-academic partnerships to advance intelligence and national security priorities.