General Michael Hayden (Ret) has accepted the offer to be an SEDC 2014 keynote speaker. General Hayden is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Director of National Security Agency (NSA). Hayden was also the former Principal Deputy Directory of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush.
General Hayden served as 15th Director of the NSA from 1999-2005 under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. In 2005, Hayden was then appointed by the President to the newly created position of Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. In May of 2006 he was named the 20th Director of the CIA, where served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Hayden retired from the Air Force in July 2008, and remained Director of the CIA until February 2009. He is currently service as a principal at the Chertoof Group, and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at George Mason University (GMU) School of Public Policy. Hayden has been awarded: 2 Defense Distinguished Service Medals, 2 Defense Superior Service Medals, a Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star, and 2 Meritorious Service Medals.