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NCS Adds 24th Member Organization

Arlington, VA. October 1, 2007 - The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is now a member of the National Communications System

In a September 28 letter to the head of each NCS-member organization, Frances Fragos Townsend, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, said that President Bush designated ODNI as an NCS member as of September 11, 2007, in accordance with Executive Order 12472.

ODNI will select a member of its organization to serve on the Committee of Principals (COP) and designate a second to serve on the NCS Council of Representatives.

E.O. 12472, as amended, provides that the NCS COP, “shall consist of representatives from those Federal departments, agencies or entities, designated by the President, which lease or own telecommunications facilities or services of significance to national security or emergency preparedness, and, to the extent permitted by law, other executive entities which bear policy, regulatory or enforcement responsibilities of importance to national security or emergency preparedness telecommunications capabilities.”

Ms. Townsend added that the active participation of each entity in NCS Committee of Principals activities remains essential as the government continues to ensure the protection, reliability, and functionality of national security and emergency preparedness communications. “The NCS COP representatives and NCS staff are to be commended for their commitment to and execution of this important mission.”

Robert D. Jamison, the Department of Homeland Security’s Acting Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs, chairs the NCS Committee of Principals in his role as Manager of the NCS. In addition, two of the 24 seats on the NCS Committee of Principals are held by members of the Department of Homeland Security. Scott Charbo, the DHS Chief Information Officer, holds one position, while Harvey E. Johnson, Jr., Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) holds the second.

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