Biography
Ronald “Ron” Marks III is a 38-year veteran of the U.S. Intelligence Community. A former CIA case officer, he was a CIA Senate Liaison and Capitol Hill staffer who has served on a number of advisory groups at the Central Intelligence Agency and in The Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Marks was spring 2020 Dole Fellow at the University of Kansas, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, where he conducted a series of seven seminars looking at the challenges and new developments effecting ٱ⾱Բ in the Cyber Age.”
Appointed a 2021 Term Visiting Professor in the Schar School of Policy and Governmentat AV, Marks designed a unique course devoted to the crucial intersection of national security policy and advancing technology.
He is also currently president of ZPN Cyber and National Security Strategies where he develops successful strategies for corporations and high net worth individuals seeking successful entry into the federal market place. Marks also acts as ZPN’s chief adviser focusing on these issues for both government and corporate policy makers.
Until 2017, he was the president of Intelligence Enterprises, LLC, a privately held management-consulting partnership focused on investment, mergers and acquisition, cyber security issues, and management strategies for the federal national security marketplace.
Marks was selected to serve (2011-14) as program director for Battelle Memorial Institute’s National Cyber Doctrine Program. In that role, in December 2012, he oversaw the production of “#CyberDoc No-Borders-No Boundaries – A National Doctrine in the Cyber Era” for Potomac Institute Press. He contributed Chapter 13, “Providing for the Common Defense.”
And from 2005-11, he was director of the Washington, D.C., office and senior vice president for government relations of Oxford Analytica, a top five private analytical firm based in Oxford, U.K.
Curriculum Vitae
View Ronald Marks' CV
rmarksster@gmail.com
Cell(703)919-7419
House(703)847-0382
Address:7004DunninghamPlace,McLean,VA22101
EXECUTIVESUMMARY
Ronald “Ron” Marks is a 35-year veteran of the U.S. Intelligence Community. A former CIA case officer, he was a CIA Senate Liaison and Capitol Hill staffer who hasserved onanumberof advisorygroups attheCentralIntelligenceAgency andin The Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Marks is the Spring 2020 Dole Fellow at the University of Kansas, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics.Ron willbe conductinga seriesof seven seminarslookingat the challenges and new developments effecting ٱ⾱Բ in the Cyber Age.”
MarksiscurrentlyPresidentofZPNNationalSecurity andCyberStrategieswherehe developssuccessfulstrategiesforcorporationsandhighnetworthindividualsseeking successful entryinto theFederal marketplace. Marks also acts as ZPN’s chief adviser focusing on these issues for both government and corporate policy makers.
Ron is a Member of the Council of Executives at the Auburn University (formerly George Washington University) Center for Cyber and Homeland Security (CCHS) – an organization of which he was also a Senior Fellow since 2003.
At CCHS, Marks currently advises on national intelligence, cyber and homeland security risk management related issues; including the collection of targeting information and countermeasures for national Critical Infrastructure Protection.Ron also sits on the Center’s “Future Challenges” Panel and its Membership Committee.
Marks is also Adjunct Faculty lecturing on Homeland Security Intelligence for Johns Hopkins University, Krieger School of Arts and Science, Masters in Global Security Program.
Ronalsoservesasamember oftheOutsideBoardofDirectorsfortheSilicon Valley based Informatica Corporation’s Federal Operations, located in Reston, Virginia.
And he is on the Advisory Board of the Conrad Foundation whose efforts focus on STEM education and entrepreneurship.
Marks serves as a member of the Senior Steering Committee for the Center for StrategicandInternationalStudies(CSIS),TransnationalThreats Project.Serving since 1997, Ron’s duties include directing and overseeing the project and its direction in international trouble spots around the world.
Ron lectures for the Intelligence and Security Academy of Arlington, Virginia where speaks on the National Security budget and implementation process, intelligence, Cyber, and Congressional matters for Intelligence, Defense, and other U.S. Government organizations worldwide.
For three years, 2016-19, Marks served as Professor and Chair of Intelligence Programs at the newly established Daniel Morgan Academy for National Security Studies. A new national security M.A. program developed by the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation.
Until 2017, Ron was the President of Intelligence Enterprises, LLC, a privately held management-consulting partnership focused on investment, mergers andacquisition, cyber security issues, and management strategies for the Federal national security marketplace.
Marks had served for six years (2006-12) as an Adjunct Professor of National Security at the National Defense University where he taught about intelligence, homeland security, and cyber security issues.
Ron was selected to serve (2011-14) as Program Director for Battelle Memorial Institute’s National Cyber Doctrine Program. In that role, in December 2012, Marks oversaw the production of “#CyberDoc No-Borders-No Boundaries – A National Doctrine in the Cyber Era” for Potomac Institute Press.He contributed Chapter 13, “Providing for the Common Defense.”
Marks published his first book, ٱ⾱Բ in America in the Post 9/11 World” by Praegar Publishing, in January 2011.The book takes a serious look at the issue of domestic intelligence and concerns over civil liberties.
Markscurrently heldaTSSCIclearancewiththeCentral IntelligenceAgency.(Most recent BI completed February 2012.)And a TS in DOD JPAS (Most recent BI completed November 2017.)
BACKGROUND
Anative of Portland,Oregon, Ronreceived hisBachelorsinBusinessAdministration and Economics from Lewis and Clark College in 1978.Ron went on to study at the Northwestern School of Law (1978-79) and took his Masters in Economics at the University of Oregon in 1982.
Coming to Washington in October 1983, Ron spent 16 years with the CIA including: eight years as a Directorate of Operations (Clandestine Services) Case Officer and graduate of the Career Trainee Program.During his overall CIA career, Marks was also: Senate Congressional Liaison for Five DCI’s, Special Assistant to the ADCI for Military Support, U.S. State Department Program Director for Law Enforcement Issues in Russia and Eastern Europe, and a senior budget director at the National Reconnaissance Office.
From February1995through October1996,Marksserved asIntelligenceCounselto former U.S. Senator Bob Dole and U.S. Senator Trent Lott overseeing all national and defense intelligence issues. He also oversaw policy issues in Southeast Europe and the recovery of POW remains in Vietnam and Korea.
Since September 1999, Marks has served as a senior Homeland Security/Intelligence expert as well as a Congressional Relations/Public Relations executive and Business Developer at a number of large systems integrators in the Washington, D.C. area. Ron has also served to guide a first stage a Risk Management software firm to their second round of funding.
In addition to his previously mentioned current activities, Marks currently serves as an:
- AssociateMember oftheInternationalInstitute forStrategicStudies(2006- Present)
- Member,ChathamHouse
- Member,InternationalSecurity Academy
- Member,TheAtlantic Council(2012-Present)
- MemberoftheCosmosClub(2008-present)
- Chairman,InternationalAffairs Committee(2014-16)
- BoardofManagementMember(2016-17).
- Member of the Lewis and Clark College Alumni Board (2005-07) and sponsor of the Ronald A. Marks Scholarship Award (2008-present)
- HonoraryPartner,PathNorth(Steve CaseFoundation)(2014-Present)
- AssociateNationalMember, TheExplorersClub(2016-Present)
- AssociateMemberofTheCircumnavigatorsClub(2016-Present)
PROFESSIONALEXPERIENCE(Current)
ZPNNationalSecurityStrategies,President,November2018--Present
- Oversees CyberandNational SecurityConsultantsdevelopingsuccessfulstrategies for corporations and high net worth individuals seeking successful entry into the Federal market place
- ActsasZPN’schiefadviserfocusing ontheseissuesforbothgovernmentand corporatepolicy makers.
CLIENTEXAMPLES:
- Global Special Forces Operations Foundation.For the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence office, developed and managed a table top exercise examining the challenges of exchanging intelligence among US and foreign SOF operators in the field.Wrote an AAR on the conference.
- PrivateClient.Seekingto place unique data management softwarein the Intelligence/Homeland Security market place.
- Private Client.Helping expansion of client product further into the Intelligence Community
- Testimony, Homeland Security Advisory Committee, Economic Security Subcommittee, “COVID Economic Effects”
Spring2020RobertJ.DoleFellow,UniversityofKansas,RobertJ.DoleInstituteofPolitics January-April 2020
- Conducted a series of seven seminars with internationally recognized intelligence and information experts looking at the challenges and new developments effecting ٱ⾱Բ in the Cyber Age.”
InformaticaFederalOperationsCorporation,OutsideDirector,November2015- Present
- Overseesissues relatedtoForeign OwnershipControlIssues(FOCI)
- Chair,CompensationandAuditCommittees
ThePeteConradFoundation,Member, BoardofAdvisors(January2019- Present)
- Adviseonefforts focusingonhighschoolageSTEMeducation and entrepreneurship around the world
- Judge,Annual ConradFoundationChallenge,CapeCanaveral,Florida
JohnsHopkinsUniversity,KriegerSchool,Masters inGlobalSecurity Program, Adjunct Faculty, Fall 2016- Present
- Created/Teachescourseon“IntroductiontoHomelandSecurity Intelligence.”
TheIntelligenceandSecurityAcademy, SeniorFaculty March2009–Present
- Lecturesonthehistory andstructureof theU.S.Intelligence Community and Cyber Issues
- Lectures on the budget building and execution process of the National Security Community
CURRENTSECURITYCLEARANCES
TSSCI(CIandLifestylePolygraph)MostrecentBIcompleted2/2012
TS in JPAS (DOD) Most recent BI completed 11/17
PREVIOUS ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
The Daniel Morgan Academy for National Security Studies, Chair of the Intelligence Program and Professor, (now Texas A&M, Bush Center for Government, DC) December 2016 – June 2019
- Developed for the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation an M.A. level program in Intelligence and Cyber
- ManagingtheIntelligenceProgram
- Overseeingstaffandprogramforoneoffourmainteaching pillars
VisitingInstructor,UnitedArabEmirates,National DefenseCollege,Deanofthe College, February-March 2014
- DevelopCyberprogram forNDC
- LectureonIntelligencechallengesforthe21stCentury.
TheGeorgeWashingtonUniversity,CollegeofProfessionalStudies,Adjunctfor Intelligence, 2012-14
- LecturedonIntelligence
- Developed/Advisedoncreation ofM.A.levelIntelligenceProgram
AdjunctProfessorofNational Security,NationalDefense University,CollegeofInternational Security Affairs, M.A. Program, January 2006-June 2012
- LecturedonIntelligence
- HomelandSecurityIntelligence
- CyberandCyberIntelligence
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL ACTIVIITES
The Daniel Morgan Academy for National Security Studies, Chair of the Intelligence Program and Professor (now Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service)
December2016–June2019
- Developed for the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation an M.A. level program in Intelligence and Cyber
- ManagingtheIntelligenceProgram
- Overseeingstaffandprogramforoneoffourmainteachingpillars
- CreatingManagementStrategiesforseniorexecutivesinthepublic and private sector
IntelligenceEnterprises,LLC,PresidentandSeniorPartner
November 2010—December 2016
Advisingcompaniesonpotential mergersandacquisitionsopportunitiesinthe national security and cyber arena
CounselingfirmsenteringtheWashington,D.C.Federalmarketplace
- Reviewing and advising RFP's & RFI’s for the government and private sector firms
CLIENTSINCLUDED (Examples):
- Program Director, Battelle Memorial Institute’s National Cyber Doctrine Program. Inthat role, in December2012, Marksoversawthe production of “#CyberDoc No-Borders-No Boundaries – A National Doctrine in the Cyber Era” for Potomac Institute Press.He contributed Chapter 13, “Providing for the Common Defense.”
- Advisor to the CEO, Zeta Associates (now Northrup Grumman)Served as advisor on Intelligence Community and Homeland Security cyber and software issues; Congressional strategies
- Oracle Corporation, Senior Director, National Security GroupManager for Intelligence Community business for the largest database corporation in the world – focus on CIA and DNI
OversawCongressionalandmarketing strategiesforNSG Developed unified business unit for the above
- Consultant, COLSA Corporation. Advisingsenior leadershipofa technologyservicesand solutionscompanyprovidingthelatestand most sophisticated engineering, IT, and programmatic solutions for Federal Government and Commercial customers.
OxfordAnalytica,Inc,SeniorVicePresidentforGovernmentRelations/DC Office Director
July2005-November2010
- Director of the D.C. office overseeing all personnel and operations; reporting to Managing Director w/ P&L responsibilities
- Recruited to build and expand upon existing US government consultancy business in the Executive and Legislative branches; establish non-US government business profile in DC
- Act as a Senior Advisor to the Managing Director on issues related to Intelligence and National Security matters world wide
- ActasprimarycontactforinteractionswithUSLegislativeBranch
- PublicspokesmanandcontactforDC office
- Registeredlobbyist
DigitalSandbox,Inc,VicePresident forBusinessDevelopment/EquityPartner July 2004-May 2005
- Successfully completed the establishment of business development activities to move company to second round of funding
- Member of the Executive Management and Equity Partner, recruited by Start- up risk management software firm
- Overseeing/Developinganewsales strategyandsalesforcehiring
- Directing$500Kmarketing andpublicrelations programs;establishingCongressional lobbying effort.
British Telecom-Syntegra Federal, COO and Director of Federaland National Capitol Region Business Development
December2002-July 2004
- ChiefOperatingOfficer ofBTFederaloperationsw/focusonsystem management and integration; P&L responsibilities
- Recruited to establish and manage BD organization for a $12 million unit ofBTpursuingITbusiness throughouttheFederal Governmentandstateand
localgovernmentsintheNationalCapitol RegionwithfocusonDHSand DOD
- Oversee BT Syntegra $150K marketing program including press and publicrelations
- Openandestablishtiesw/appropriateCongressionaloffices
- Established,coordinateandoversee20BTBusiness DevelopersfortheFederal market with focus on the Intelligence Community, DHS and DOD
- Revised product offering to reflect needs of Federal market with emphasis on Homeland Security and Defense
SRAInternational,Director ofIntelligenceProgram Development, September 2001-December 2002
- RecruitedtoestablishfirstDOD/IntelCommunity businessdevelopment program with a $200 million per yr IT firm
- Initiatedandparticipatedinsuccessfulacquisitionof$47million ITcompany to enhance corporate position in the DOD/Intelligence market
- Participant/Consultantinfirst USSenateemergency exercisedrill
- HelpedestablishHomeland Securityworkwithin SRA
ScienceApplicationsInternationalCorporation(SAIC)
SeniorIntelligenceExpert/BusinessDevelopmentManager, August 1999-September 2001
- Providedexpertadviceandledcontracts supportingtheIntelligenceCommunity including:
- Initiatedandparticipatedintheattempted acquisitionoftwo $50million plus IT firms to deepen SAIC position in the Intel market
- NRO/PA&E large-scales studies related to intelligence collection deployingandbuildingNational TechnicalMeans,“tabletop”war games, and analytical output to support decision making
- Won$5millionworth ofnewsystemsmanagement,integrationand analysis business
- ServedasDeputy ofOperations(Number2position)fora$17million business unit w/ P&L responsibilities
CentralIntelligenceAgency, VariousMid-Level/SeniorPositions October 1983-August 1999
- ClandestineService/GraduateofCareerTrainee Program–October1983- May 1990
- Directorof CentralIntelligence/SenateLegislativeLiaisonOfficer –May1990- February 1995
ServedasseniorDOSenateliaisonfortheSenate
- IntelligenceCounseltoSenateMajority Leaders(Sens.RobertDoleand Trent Lott) February 1995-October 1996
OversawIntelligenceCommunity ProgramandBudget
- NROSeniorBudget/LegislativeLiaison Officer,ResourceOversight Management Office October 1996-June 1997
Drafted section of the FY97 Congressional Budget Justification Book Dealt with Senate and House Intelligence Community on Budget andProgram Issues
- ProgramDirector,USStateDepartmentBureauofInternationalNarcoticsand Law Enforcement, ($30 million aid/grant program) (June 1997- March 98)
Created and Oversaw first comprehensive State Department aid program for law enforcement support – fifteen-person staff
- SpecialAssistanttotheADCIforMilitary Support(March1998-August1999)
*LedCIAeffortstobeginparticipationinUSMilitary wargames
*EstablishedCIAExerciseSupport Center
*DealtwithCongressional oversightcommittees onissues of military intelligence
BecronCorporation,Portland, Oregon Consultant/Registered Lobbyist
June1978-September1981/December1982-October1983
- Advisedandlobbied forclientsonFederallanduse issues
- Preparedandpresentedproject-relatedeconomicfeasibilitystudies
- Reviewedpotentialcontractsandbidopportunities
UniversityofOregon,Lecturer inEconomics
LaneCommunity College,AdjunctProfessorinEconomics Eugene, Oregon
September1981–September 1983
- Instructor,Economics,UniversityofOregon
- Lecturer,LaneCommunityCollege, Economics
EDUCATION
MSci.,UniversityofOregon,Economics,December1982
Attended,NorthwesternSchoolofLaw,LewisandClarkCollege, 1978-79
B.Sci,LewisandClarkCollege, BusinessAdministrationandEconomics, June 1978
HonorsinBusiness andEconomicsDepartments
PROFESSIONALMEMBERSHIPS
Member,AssociationofFormer IntelligenceOfficers(AFIO)
Member,Armed ForcesCommunicationsandElectronicsAssociation(AFCEA) Member, Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA)
Member,OSSSociety
Member,Central IntelligenceRetirementAssociation(CIRA) Member, American Economic Association
Member,InternationalAssociationforIntelligenceEducation (IAFIE)
CONGRESSIONALTESTIMONY/REPORTS
“OGAOOversightoftheIntelligenceCommunity,29February2008,SenateHomeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (Testimony)
“Open Source Intelligence: Issues for Congress,” 5 December 2007, Congressional Research Service (Report-Contributor)
“Report on Intelligence Role in Homeland Security,” Fall 2006, Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee for Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment, U.S. House of Representatives (Report-Contributor)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Book
“Spying in America in the Post 9/11 World: Domestic Threat and the Need for Change”, Praegar Security International Publishing, published January 2011
“#CyberDoc No-Borders-No Boundaries – A National Doctrine in the Cyber Era,” Chapter 13, “Providing for the Common Defense,”Potomac Institute Press, published December 2012
JournalArticles
ԳٱԳAnalysis– IsItasGoodasIt Gets?”International Journalof Intelligence and Counterintelligence, w/Dr. Mark M. Lowenthal, Winter 2015
“TUseandLimitsofUSԳٱԳ,”WashingtonQuarterly,Winter2002,pgs61- 74 w/ Frank Cilluffo and George Salmaroghi
“Defining America’s Brave New World”, Article, Cambridge Review of InternationalAffairs, Vol. 15, No.2, 1 July 2002, pgs 329-343
Blog
Contributor,TheGeorgeWashingtonUniversityCenterofCyberandHomeland Security, Security Insights Blog, September 2014-Present
WeeklyContributor,NationalJournalExpertBlog,NationalSecurityIssues, December 2008-December 2012
Monthly Contributor, SecurityDebrief.com, Cyber and Domestic intelligence issues, April 2011- April 2014
MajorNational SecurityReports
Contributor--"ReducingOver-classificationThroughAccountability,"Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, 2011
Contributor--"ReportonUSIntelligenceCommunityDataRetention,"BrennanCenter for Justice at NYU School of Law, 2013
CSIS/Heritage Foundation Joint Report: Homeland Security 3.0, “Building a National Enterprise to Keep America Free Safe and Prosperous, 18 September 2008, (Panel Member/Drafter)
RussianOrganizedCrimeandCorruption:Putin'sChallenge2000
CenterforStrategicandInternationalStudies, TransnationalThreatsProject CSIS Panel Report; 92 pp.; 2000 (Panel Member/Drafter)
PublishedArticles(asauthorandcontributor-excludingblogs)
“UQDRMayExpand U.S.Defense岵,”2Feb2010,OxfordAnalyticaDaily Brief
“UTerrorReportDriven by Politics,”8Jan2010,Oxford AnalyticaDailyBrief
‾ٸFocusesonNon-Traditionalճٲ,”12Aug2009,Oxford AnalyticaDaily Brief
“OSeekstoBoostMoraleat,”20April2009,OxfordAnalyticaDailyBrief
“GٱandObama Reshape DOD Leadership,” 27Jan 2009, Oxford Analytica Daily Brief
“HǷObamaWillUsethe”,8 Jan2009,OxfordAnalyticaDaily Brief
“M䲹EmphasizesSecurityCompetenceDz”,17March2008,Oxford Analytica Daily Brief
“Gٱ Shapes New Intelligence Leadership,” 9Jan 2007, Oxford AnalyticaDailyBrief
“Gٱ Has the Tools to Lead Defense,” 6 December 2006, Oxford Analytica DailyBrief
“Gٱ Will Help Reshape US ԳٱԳ,” 13 November 2006,Oxford AnalyticaDaily Brief
ԳٱԳShakeup CourtsDzԳٰDZ,”12May2006,OxfordAnalytica Daily Brief
“DNI Aims to Boost Intelligence Analysis,” 10 January 2006, Oxford Analytica Daily Brief
“CShakesupClandestine,”23Sept2005,OxfordAnalyticaDaily Brief
ٱ⾱ԲandtheԳٱԱ,”Op-Ed,WashingtonTimes,25April2005
“T Voices of ԳٱԳ,” Op-Ed, Washington Times, 8 April 2005 ԳٱԳReformԲ,”Op-Ed, WashingtonTimes,31March2005
“TRightMan,AttheRightվ,”Op-Ed,WashingtonTimes,18February2005 “Road to CIA Reform,” Op-Ed, Washington Times, 1 December 2004
“KanEyeontheBall, ”Op-Ed,WashingtonTimes, 16August2004 “Of Security and Systems”, Op-Ed, Washington Times, 13 May 2004
“Torricelli’s See No Evil Rule,” Op-Ed w/Arnaud De Borchgrave, Washington Times, 7 October 2002
“U Intelligence Needs to Review Its Spy Game Playbook”, Article, “Insight on theNews”, 2 April 2001
IMPMagazine(on-line),TwoArticles,February2001“TEconomic Everyman”, and November 2000, “T Economics of the Internet.”