Ms Heidi H.
Grant, a Senior Executive Service (SES) member, was named Director of the
Defence Security Cooperation Agency in August 2020. She was in charge of the
administration and implementation of all DoD security cooperation programmes
and operations including the grant, loan, cash sale, or lease of defence goods,
military training, and other defence-related services. Ms Grant is in charge of
over 15,000 international military sales cases worth $620 billion with over 150
nations.
Ms Grant
was the Director of the Defence Technology Security Administration prior to her
present position. She was in charge of creating and enforcing DoD technology
security rules for foreign transfers of defence-related products, services, and
technologies. Concurrently, she was the Chairman of the National Military
Information Sharing Policy Committee, which was in charge of developing and
implementing the United States' National Disclosure Policy, which governs the
disclosure of classified military information to other countries.
“While
she has been considering the transition for some time, Director Grant felt the
time was right now, having recently led DSCA to its full operational capability
(FOC) phase of organizational transformation, 15 months after becoming the
first DoD civilian to lead DSCA in its 50-year history,” Pentagon spokesman
Michael Howard said.
Asked about Grant’s future employer,
Howard said, “At an appropriate time, Director Grant may share her future
career plans, but in the near term, she remains fully focused on carrying out
her responsibilities and fulfilling official commitments up until the
leadership transition.”
Effective November 7, DSCA Deputy Director
Mr Jed Royal will assume duties as Acting DSCA Director.