Dexter Ingram spent more than 20 years leading counterterrorism efforts at the State Department. As Director of the Office of Countering Violent Extremism, he led U.S. prevention efforts against radicalization, building partnerships with tech companies, civil society, and foreign governments. He also served as Acting Director of the Office of the Special Envoy to Defeat ISIS, Senior Counterterrorism Coordinator at INTERPOL in Lyon, Senior Political Advisor in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Deputy Director of the Office of Preventing WMD Terrorism, and senior liaison to the FBI and DHS. He began his career as a Naval Flight Officer and later served as a professional staff member on the House Select Committee on Homeland Security before joining State.
In 2023, Dexter founded IN Network, a nonprofit that guides young people ages 13 to 26 into national security careers. Homeland Security Today has recognized his service with both its Trailblazer Award and Citizen of Mission Award.
Dexter publishes Dexter Ingram: Declassified, a Substack newsletter on counterterrorism, intelligence, and prevention. He writes the Frontline Watch column for Homeland Security Today, serves on its Editorial Board, and is a National Security Expert for The Cipher Brief. He authored The Spy Archive: Hidden Lives, Secret Missions, and History of Espionage and National Security Careers: The Ultimate Guide to Breaking In, both Amazon #1 new releases.
Dexter is an NCITE Research-to-Practice Fellow and serves on the boards of the International Spy Museum and Globally. He was an International Counterterrorism Fellow in the inaugural class at National Defense University. He maintains one of the largest private intelligence artifact collections outside government archives.
