The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), a nonpartisan, nonprofit forum committed to fostering public-private partnerships in the intelligence and national security sectors, has announced the appointment of new leadership to its Security Policy Reform Council (SPRC) according to a news release on October 21.
INSA, which serves more than 160 organizations across the public, private, and academic sectors, is a key player in advancing collaborative approaches to address the most pressing national security challenges. The organization is driven by the contributions of leaders and senior executives who work together to promote critical reforms in areas such as security clearance policy and intelligence priorities.
After 14 years of remarkable service, Charlie Allen, former Under Secretary for Intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, founded the SPRC (initially the Security Clearance and Suitability Reform Task Force) and Kathy Pherson are stepping down as Chair and Vice Chair of the SPRC. Under their leadership, INSA has made significant strides in security clearance reform, driving policy changes that have greatly benefited both industry and government. Their tireless efforts have created lasting impacts that will continue to shape the future of national security. In addition to their policy work, Allen and Pherson also played pivotal roles as mentors to numerous INSA interns and council members, fostering a legacy of leadership and guidance.
Donald Blersch has been named as the new Chair of the SPRC. Blersch currently serves as Senior Vice President of Government Innovation at Clearspeed, bringing a wealth of experience from his previous roles as Senior Coordinator for Security Infrastructure at the U.S. Department of State and as an Intelligence Community Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). His extensive background in security infrastructure and intelligence positions him well to lead INSA’s ongoing efforts to drive meaningful reforms in the security clearance process.
Joining Blersch is Lindy Kyzer, who will take on the role of Vice Chair. Kyzer is the Director of ClearanceJobs. Before joining ClearanceJobs, Kyzer was a Senior Social Media Maven for the U.S. Army, where she helped navigate the Army’s public relations and recruitment efforts through innovative social media strategies.