ERIE, Pa., USA - One of the United States' most distinguished intelligence officers, retired U.S. Air Force Four-Star General and former CIA Director Michael V. Hayden will headline the 2nd annual Global Intelligence Forum: The Dungarvan Conference, organized by the Mercyhurst College Institute for Intelligence Studies (MCIIS) July 11-13 in Dungarvan, IE.

Hayden will be joined on the dais by another key American intelligence leader, Charles Allen, the former Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis with the Department of Homeland Security. Also assuming keynote roles are two distinguished Irish leaders: Paddy Teahon, former Secretary General to the Department of the Irish Prime Minister and now the Director of Teahon Consulting Ltd.; and Frank Daly, chairman of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), which was created by the Government of Ireland in late 2009 in response to the Irish financial crisis.

This year's conference, "Intelligence and the Decision Maker," comes on the heels of a successful inaugural summit last summer in Ireland that featured as its keynote speaker Erie native and the first Secretary of Homeland Security, Pa. Gov. Tom Ridge. The event was attended by more than 180 intelligence practitioners from 17 countries.

Like Ridge, Hayden is a native Pennsylvanian. Born in Pittsburgh, he graduated from Duquesne University, where he earned his undergraduate degree and a master's degree in modern American history. He served under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as Director of the National Security Agency from 1999 to 2005 and as Director of the CIA under George W. Bush and Barack Obama from 2006 to 2009. From April 21, 2005, to May 26, 2006, he was the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, a position that once made him the highest-ranking military intelligence officer in the armed forces.

In another conference tie-in, Hayden's football coach in sixth through eighth grades was Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who is the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.

The commitment by Hayden and other prominent national and international panelists promises to make this yet another sought-after event for those dedicated to achieving best practices in the field of intelligence, said James Breckenridge, chair of the intelligence studies department at Mercyhurst.

The conference is geared toward intelligence practitioners across multiple disciplines, including national security, history, business, law enforcement and politics.

"We look forward to continuing what we hope becomes a highly anticipated event for leaders and decision makers," Breckenridge said. "The enthusiastic response to the agenda and activities of our inaugural conference supports our contention that intelligence is a global enterprise."

Panelists will address how leaders can most effectively establish and employ intelligence practices to reduce uncertainty and enhance decision-making in a world marked by intensifying globalization. Among the distinguished panelists are Julian King, the British Ambassador to Ireland; Philip Mudd, former Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's National Security Branch; Sean Aylward, Secretary General, Irish Department of Justice & Equality; and Kathleen O'Toole, Chief Inspector of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate and the first female Police Commissioner of Boston, Mass.

"We are delighted to host the second Global Intelligence Forum in Dungarvan this July and look forward to welcoming delegates to The Town," said Dungarvan Town Manager Denis McCarthy. "We will make sure that the second conference is a success and hope attendees and speakers enjoy everything that Dungarvan has to offer."

In addition to the three-day forum, MCIIS will offer two applied intelligence training workshops on July 14 and 15, one for managers and the other for analysts. For more information on the conference and its offerings, please visit www.globalintelligenceforum.com.

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