ONI Hosts Inaugural "Brain Trust" Day

Retired senior leaders from Naval Intelligence attended ONI’s inaugural Brain Trust Day, passing on their knowledge and experiences to the current workforce. Attending the event were Adm. Bobby Inman (not pictured), Adm. Bill Studeman, Vice Adm. Jake Jacoby, Vice Adm. Bob Murrett, Vice Adm. Bob Sharp, Vice Adm. Tom Wilson, Rear Adm. Paul Becker, Rear Adm. Tom Brooks, Rear Adm. Ann Gilbride, Rear Adm. Rose LeVitre, Rear Adm. Rick Porterfield, Rear Adm. Elizabeth Train, Rear Adm. Tony Cothron, Ms. Tish Long, Mr. Rich Haver, Ms. Terry Roberts, Ms. Lynn Wright, Capt. Tom Bortmes, Capt. Jim Everett, and Capt. J. Todd Ross | Photo credit: Phillip Bluestein

Original article: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/434678/oni-hosts-inaugural-brain-trust-day

On November 18, Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), hosted ONI’s first “Brain Trust” Day, bringing retired senior leaders from Naval Intelligence to the National Maritime Intelligence Center. The retired senior leaders were updated on ONI’s latest organizational developments and discussed strategic competition challenges in the maritime domain with ONI’s current workforce.

“We were honored and proud to host twenty of the most accomplished senior Naval Intelligence professionals our community has known,” said Studeman. “They all played a role in impacting major national security choices at the Navy, joint, and national level from the Cold War through the Global War on Terror. We are grateful these true patriots – our legends – remain willing and able to share their seven decades worth of knowledge and experiences with ONI today as we tackle the tough intelligence challenges of the 21st century.”

During the six-hour event, the retired senior leaders reviewed the current state of the ONI mission, received briefings on China and Russia, and discussed ONI’s budget and organizational strategies. They also attended a luncheon with junior to mid-level ONI staff members, where they were able to personally discuss issues across the spectrum of strategic competition, maritime intelligence, and leadership.

Brain Trust Day was one of the largest gatherings of naval intelligence seniors in ONI’s history.