Porter Goss

Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Former Congressman (R-FL)
Porter Goss
  • Second Director of the CIA in history to have also served in Congress
  • Speaks with authority on the challenges of gathering intelligence in the 21st century
  • Talks on “new enemy” plus how emerging technology plays a role in national security

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Porter J. Goss served as the 19th and last director of central intelligence from September 2004 until April 2005. At that time, he became the first director of the Central Intelligence Agency under the newly signed Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. He continued as director of the CIA until May 2006. Currently, Goss is the chairman of the board and the top Republican at the Office of Congressional Ethics. He has stayed closely involved with national security issues and is in demand with groups at home and abroad.

Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Goss speaks about the importance of a clandestine intelligence agency on a global stage, the impact the CIA has had on the American way of life, and the role of ethics in both national and foreign policy. With his vital, no-nonsense demeanor, he addresses the transparency in government and how it can hinder security. He also sheds light on the challenges of gathering intelligence in the 21st century, geopolitics, and how emerging technology plays a role in security.

An Operative, A Politico. Before becoming the DCI, Goss served as a Republican congressman from Southwest Florida for almost 16 years. He was chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 1997 until 2004, serving for almost a decade as a member of the committee, which oversees the intelligence community and authorizes its annual budget. He was also the vice-chair of the House Rules Committee. Goss helped establish and served on the Homeland Security Committee. Additionally, he was a co-sponsor of the USA PATRIOT Act and co-chaired the joint congressional inquiry into the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He is only the second director of Central Intelligence to have served in Congress.

In addition to intelligence, Goss’ congressional career focused on the environment, House ethics, senior issues, and the Rules Committee. He was a leader on Everglade’s legislation and takes great pride in the passage of the Ricky Ray Bill which offered relief to victims who contracted HIV through a contaminated blood supply.

Leading With Intelligence. Goss was a U.S. army intelligence officer from 1960–1962, and served as a clandestine service officer with the Central Intelligence Agency from 1962–1972. While in the CIA’s directorate of operations, he completed assignments in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. He was also involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Goss had been recruited to the CIA from his alma matter, Yale University.

After retiring from the CIA as an agent, Goss and his family settled in Sanibel, Florida, where he was a small business owner and a co-founder of a local newspaper. Goss was elected to the Sanibel City Council in 1974 and served three terms as the newly founded city’s first mayor until 1983. From 1983 until 1988, Goss was a member of the Lee County (Florida) Commission, where he served as its chairman from 1985 to 1986. In 1988, he successfully ran for Congress.

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Speaker Video

Security from the Inside, from an Insider. Porter Goss speaks about the importance of a clandestine intelligence agency on a global stage, the impact the CIA has had on the American way of life, and the role of ethics in both national and foreign policy. He addresses the transparency in government and how it can hinder security. He sheds light on the challenges of gathering intelligence in the 21st century, the new enemy, and how emerging technology plays a role in national security.

Ecological Welfare. Today half of the Everglades is gone and 1.7 billion gallons of water a day is directed out to sea. Some 5.5 million people now live in south Florida. Porter Goss, has helped spearhead a project that represents the largest, most comprehensive environmental restoration ever attempted. He talks about the years of neglect that have brought the Florida Everglades to the brink of disaster, and what can be done to reverse it. An advocate for the restoration, protection and enhancement of the greater Everglades ecosystem, Goss provides education and public understanding regarding all aspects of the research in the protection, restoration and enhancement, and facilitates the coordination of information resources, strategies and efforts. This is an ideal presentation for environmentally conscious and curious audiences.

Serving the United States as an Operative, as an Elected Official, as a Citizen. Porter Goss was a clandestine service officer with the Central Intelligence Agency from 1962 until 1972. After leaving the CIA, Goss settled in Sanibel, Florida, where he became a small business owner and founded a newspaper. He was served in Sanibel City Council from 1974 to 1983, including three years as mayor. He draws from the wellspring of experience and intelligence when discussing his efforts as a dedicated statesman and a proud civilian. He leaves audiences riveted and hopeful by the end of his presentation.

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