Stacey Dixon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stacey Dixon
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| Acting Director of National Intelligence | |
| In office January 20, 2025 – January 25, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Avril Haines |
| Succeeded by | Lora Shiao (acting) |
| 7th Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence | |
| In office August 4, 2021 – January 25, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Neil Wiley (as Principal Executive) |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| 8th Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency | |
| In office July 2019 – August 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| Succeeded by | Tonya Wilkerson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 9, 1971 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | Stanford University (BS) Georgia Tech (MS, PhD) |
Stacey Angela Dixon, born on January 9, 1971, is an American mechanical engineer and a top official in the United States intelligence community. She currently serves as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence for the Biden Administration. This means she is one of the highest-ranking leaders helping to manage and oversee all the different U.S. intelligence agencies.
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Stacey Dixon's Education Journey
Stacey Dixon is very smart and loves to learn! She studied mechanical engineering at Stanford University, earning her first degree in 1993. After that, she went to Georgia Tech. There, she earned two more advanced degrees in mechanical engineering: a master's degree in 1995 and a PhD in 2000. Her PhD research focused on how to analyze parts of the human body, specifically coronary arteries. She also did special research in chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering.
Stacey Dixon's Career Path
Stacey Dixon has had an amazing career helping to keep the United States safe.
Early Career and Intelligence Work
When she was still in college, Stacey worked as an intern at Nokia Bell Labs, a famous research company. Later, from 2003 to 2007, she worked at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA is a government agency that collects information about other countries to protect the U.S. During her time at the CIA, she also worked with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The NRO designs and operates spy satellites for the U.S. government.
From 2007 to 2010, Stacey Dixon worked for the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This committee helps oversee the intelligence agencies and makes sure they are doing their job correctly.
Leading at National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
After working with Congress, Stacey joined the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in 2010. The NGA provides maps, satellite images, and other location-based information to help with national security. At the NGA, she held several important roles:
- She was in charge of talking with Congress and other government groups.
- She helped manage how the NGA communicated with the public.
- She became the deputy director for the NGA's research department, where new technologies are developed.
Innovation and Leadership Roles
From 2016 to 2018, Stacey Dixon served as the deputy director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). IARPA is a special agency that invests in risky, cutting-edge research to solve tough problems for the intelligence community. She then became the director of IARPA from 2018 to July 2019.
In July 2019, she returned to the NGA as its eighth deputy director. This was a very important leadership role, helping to run the entire agency.
Top Intelligence Position
In April 2021, President Joe Biden announced that he wanted Stacey Dixon to become the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. This is a very high-level job, second only to the Director of National Intelligence. The U.S. Senate approved her for this role, and she was sworn in on August 4, 2021. She is known as the highest-ranking Black woman in the entire U.S. intelligence community.
Stacey Dixon also serves on other important boards. For example, she is a member of the Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors and helps advise the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation. She also advises the Spelman College Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM Leadership.
