NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND 20755-6000
NSA PRESS RELEASE
31 July 2000
For further information contact:
NSA Public and Media Affairs, 301-688-6524
Director of National Security Agency Welcomes
MG Harry D. Gatanas, Senior Acquisition Executive
Lt Gen Michael V. Hayden, USAF, Director, National Security Agency, has created
a new executive-level position to oversee the Agency's acquisition process, and
has appointed retired Major General Harry D. Gatanas for the position. As the
Senior Acquisition Executive (SAE), MG Gatanas will work directly for Lt Gen
Hayden to integrate and unify the management processes for the Agency's acquisitions,
and to monitor implementation of applicable policies and practices.
"During the Cold War, the process NSA used to build and buy the goods and services we
needed was successful for our mission against one powerful enemy. Today, with
the proliferation of information technologies and the emergence of the global
network, the threat is unpredictable and can come from anywhere in the world
where U.S. interests are at risk. It is imperative that our acquisition process
enables NSA to respond rapidly to ever-changing world events," Lt Gen Hayden
said. "MG Gatanas has over 28 years of extensive experience with large government
acquisition processes. We are confident that, under his direction, we will use
the most effective and economical solutions to uphold our place on the forward
edge of technology."
MG Gatanas held several high-level contracting positions within the Department of
Defense before becoming the U.S. Army's key staff officer for weapons system
acquisition at the Pentagon in 1996. In that position, he was responsible for
program planning, budgeting and execution oversight of several hundred major
weapons systems, including tanks, artillery, missiles, and computers. The program
magnitude exceeded $60 billion in the Army's budget. While serving in this capacity,
MG Gatanas implemented a $6 billion cost reduction program spread over a five-year
budget cycle through the implementation of various efficiencies and acquisition
reform initiatives. More recently, he served as Commanding General of the White
Sands Missile Range (a remote testing facility in New Mexico) and as the Army's
Director for Contracting. He earned his Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from
Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan) and his BA from City College of New
York.
MG Gatanas' arrival to NSA is the result of initiatives to transform and modernize
the Agency. Lt Gen Hayden is instituting changes focused on our acquisition process,
core business principles, and our IT infrastructure to ensure that NSA has the
agility and expertise to continue its long tradition of preserving national security
for the American people.
