Mark Kelton is a retired senior Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) executive with 34 years of experience in intelligence operations. Mr. Kelton’s career included more than sixteen years of overseas service, to include four assignments in key CIA field leadership positions. He concluded his career as Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service for Counterintelligence (DDNCS/CI), one of the most senior ranking positions in the Clandestine Service. Directing CIA’s counterintelligence and counterespionage programs, Mr. Kelton led the team that protected the nations most closely guarded secrets. Mr. Kelton has comprehensive expertise in intelligence operations, international security issues, detection of insider threats, assessment of counterintelligence risk, and crisis management. Mr. Kelton is a recipient of the CIA Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Director of National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the CIA Directors Award, the 2015 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Senior Intelligence Officer, the CIA Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Donovan Award and a number of other awards.
Mr. Kelton is a founding partner of the FiveEyes Group LLC; a member of the Board of Trustees of Valley Forge Military Academy and College; a member of the National Security Advisory Board of the MITRE Corporation; a member of the Dell Federal Advisory Board; a member of the Heartland Consulting Advisory Board; former Board Chair of, and advisor to, the Spookstock Foundation (benefitting the CIA Memorial Foundation and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation); and a contributor to The Cipher Brief, writing on intelligence and national security issues.
