(Hybrid) BPIA Collegiate Chapters Presents..."Becoming Bond: Careers in the U.S. Intelligence Community"

Join the BPIA Collegiate Chapters of GWU, Georgetown, Howard, and Spelhouse for your next mission...

"BECOMING BOND: CAREERS IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY"

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT • Hybrid 

In Person: GWU Elliott School (Room B17) 1957 E St NW, Washington DC

Virtual: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9794618227

Dress Code: Business Professional Attire

EVENT DESCRIPTION

What does it really take to work in intelligence?

How do people actually get hired, trained, and trusted with national security missions?
And how do you go from sitting in a classroom to shaping decisions that impact the world?

If you have ever been curious about careers in intelligence but felt the path was unclear, inaccessible, or intentionally opaque, this event is for you.

Becoming Bond, Career Paths in the Intelligence Community brings together senior leaders from across the intelligence and national security ecosystem for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about how intelligence careers actually work. Hosted by Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) in partnership with collegiate chapters at George Washington University, Georgetown University, and Howard University, this program is designed to give students real answers, real access, and real guidance.

This is not a movie version of intelligence work. It is a candid look at the mission-driven, high-stakes, and deeply human side of national security. You will hear directly from leaders who have led intelligence missions, advised top government officials, navigated complex global crises, and built careers in spaces often viewed as closed or difficult to enter.

Students will walk away with practical insight into how intelligence careers begin, what skills and mindsets matter most, how leadership and credibility are built over time, and what steps you can take right now to prepare for service. For many attendees, this will be a rare opportunity to engage directly with senior professionals whose experiences reflect both the challenges and the possibilities of this field.

If you are interested in intelligence, national security, global affairs, or public service and want clarity on how to turn interest into impact, this is a conversation you do not want to miss.

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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Charles Carithers joined as a Principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs in January 2020 from the House Committee on Homeland Security, where he served as Professional Staff advising Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) on various national security and intelligence matters. Before joining the Committee, Charles spent 11 years in the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), having served in various leadership capacities, including the Associate Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) and a Senior Policy Officer developing national level policies governing the IC within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Charles also served as a Brookings Institution Legislative Fellow with the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the Senate where he advised then Ranking Member Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) and Committee staff on matters related to foreign policy and national security. He serves as the Chairman of the BPIA Advisory Council. 

Dr. Stacey A. Dixon is the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. From July 2019 to August 2021, Dr. Dixon served as the eighth Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). In this role, she assisted the Director in leading the agency and served as the Career Service Head for the Senior Executive cadre. From September 2018 to June 2019, Dr. Dixon served as Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, having served as IARPA’s Deputy Director from January 2016 to August 2018. Before joining IARPA, Dr. Dixon served as the Deputy Director of NGA’s Research Directorate, where she oversaw geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) research and development (R&D) and served as the Career Service Head for R&D. Dr. Dixon joined NGA in November 2010 as the Chief of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs within the Office of Corporate Communications. From 2007 to 2010, Dr. Dixon was a professional staff member and then the budget director for the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). From 2003 to 2007, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, where she was assigned to the National Reconnaissance Office’s Advanced Systems and Technology Directorate. Dr. Dixon holds both a Doctorate (2000) and Master’s degree (1995) in Mechanical Engineering (Biomechanics) from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (1993) from Stanford University. She was a Chemical Engineering (Tissue Engineering) postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota (2000-2002). Dr. Dixon is a presidential appointee to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors, and a DoD liaison to the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) Board of Directors. Dr. Dixon is a native and current resident of the District of Columbia.

Darrell M. Blocker is a 28-year veteran of the CIA’s clandestine service. He served as Deputy Director of the Counterterrorism Center and Chief Africa Division after leading the CIA’s iconic and legendary training facility "The Farm". Darrell served multiple tours as a Chief of Station and was the most senior black Directorate of Operations Officer when he retired in October 2018 with the rank equivalent to a three-star general. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal for his service. He is the Founder of DMB Consulting Services and Vice Chairman of MOSAIC, a boutique strategic risk and crisis management, intelligence and security advisory firm. Darrell serves on one nonprofit board dedicated to improving the future for youth in foster care and advises another board on countering the exploitation and human trafficking of youth and women. He has been served as a BPIA advisory council member since 2023.

Nicole O’Neill Ash is a retired senior U.S. intelligence executive with more than 31 years of service at the Central Intelligence Agency. She began her career as a propaganda and open-source intelligence analyst, focusing on how information, narratives, and influence shape public perception. Over the course of her career, she held multiple senior leadership roles, including serving as Executive Director of the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence. Her work spanned domestic and international assignments, with experience across Africa, the Middle East, and North America, combining analytical rigor with executive-level leadership in complex national security environments. Following her retirement from government service, Ash transitioned to the private sector as an executive coach, board advisor, and leadership consultant. She now focuses on trust, decision-making, and leadership under uncertainty, translating lessons from intelligence work into guidance for executives and organizations. Through speaking engagements, coaching, and advisory roles, she brings a practical, systems-level perspective on how trust is built, assessed, and sustained in high-stakes environments. Ash serves as a member of the BPIA Advisory Council. 

Dexter Ingram is a seasoned national security strategist with more than three decades of experience in U.S. government service, focusing on counterterrorism, counter-weapons of mass destruction, and global extremist threats. A former Naval Flight Officer, he held senior roles at the U.S. Department of State, including Director of the Office of Countering Violent Extremism and Acting Director of the Office of the Special Envoy to Defeat ISIS, and served as Senior Counterterrorism Coordinator to INTERPOL in Lyon, France and Senior Political Advisor in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Over his career he coordinated interagency and international operations aimed at preventing nuclear proliferation and defeating violent extremist networks, and he has been a frequent commentator on national security issues. After retiring from federal service in 2023, Ingram founded IN Network: The National Security Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping young people aged 13 to 26—especially those from underserved communities—with the mentorship, resources, and pathways to pursue careers in intelligence, diplomacy, and national defense. He also serves on several boards in the national security and public policy space, including the International Spy Museum and the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, and is an author and newsletter publisher, connecting lessons from intelligence history to contemporary security challenges.

Sheronda Dorsey is a retired Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) senior executive, business enterprise manager, and executive leadership coach with a proven record of inclusive leadership and delivering results. Ms. Dorsey has expertise in human capital, talent management/development, workforce engagement, and organizational /business transformation related to mergers, stand-ups, and turnarounds. She also brings extensive experience in business operations, service delivery, performance management, and strategic business planning.

During the latter part of her 36 years with the CIA, she directed the full employee lifecycle—including recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, performance management, succession planning, and retention—for the CIA’s global workforce. She is very familiar with the National Society of High School Scholars having served as one of the principal CIA liaisons with the organization for recruitment purposes for several years.

MODERATOR - Bryson Handy is a junior Posse Scholar at the George Washington University studying International Affairs and Economics with concentrations in International Economics and Public Policy. He is interested in political economy, public finance, and social policy. He served as Secretary of GW Young Black Professionals in International Affairs for two years, and now serves as President. Additionally, he is Vice President of the International Affairs honor society Sigma Iota Rho, a member of the Dean of Students’ Cabinet, and student advisor to the Center for Interfaith and Spiritual Life at GW. He interned at the US Department of Treasury in the Office of International Affairs, where he covered African economies and international financial institutions. In the summer of 2025, Bryson was a Jeff Ubben Fellow and interned at the Brookings Institution, shadowing his mentor, President Cecilia Rouse. He is currently an intern in the Geoeconomics Program at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he works on economic security issues like investment, trade, infrastructure, and technology.

WELCOME REMARKS - Alexandria J. Maloney has served as the President of BPIA since 2021. She is a social impact leader who began her career as an International Affairs Officer with the U.S. Department of Defense where proximity to security policy, conflict dynamics, and institutional power fundamentally shaped her current efforts in building a more peaceful, safe, and harmonious world. She is currently the Director of External Affairs at the Kettering Foundation, a Senior fellow with the Atlantic Council Africa Center, and Visiting Lecturer at Cornell University. Alexandria has been a featured speaker at Harvard University, MIT, CFR, and others. She sits on multiple international boards, advises institutions across government, nonprofit, and private sectors, and has been recognized internationally for her leadership and impact. She holds a BA from John Cabot University (Rome, Italy), MA from Morgan State, MPA from Cornell University, and is currently pursuing a PhD at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, focusing on the philosophy of hate and social cohesion. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and Alfred Street Baptist Church, grounding her professional work in service, ethics, and community responsibility.