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Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Director of the CIA
Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Director of the CIA
Oct 19, 2026 1:58 AM

Note: This is the post #23 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere.

Cabinet position:Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) (Note: This office became a cabinet-level position in February 2017.)

Department: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Current Director:Mike Pompeo

Department Mission:“Preempt threats and further U.S. national security objectives by collecting intelligence that matters, producing objective all-source analysis, conducting effective covert action as directed by the President, and safeguarding the secrets that help keep our Nation safe.” (Source)

Department Budget:The CIA’s budget is classified and thus not publicly disclosed.

Number of employees:The number of employees working for the CIA is classified and thus not publicly disclosed.

Primary Duties of the Director:The D/CIA serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency and reports to the Director of National Intelligence. The Director manages the operations, personnel and budget of the CIA and acts as the National Human Source Intelligence (HUMINT) Manager. (Source)

Director Info

Director:Mike Pompeo

Previous occupation:U.S. Representative for Kansas’s 4th congressional district (2011-2017)

Education:Degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Previous government experience:U.S. Representative

Religious Affiliation: Presbyterian

Notable achievements:

• Graduated first in his class at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

• Served as a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army.

• Was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

• Founder and CEO Thayer Aerospace

• Served on the House Intelligence Committee as well as on the Energy and Commerce Committees.

• Was appointed to the House Select Benghazi Committee.

Previous and ing posts in this series: Vice President,Secretary of State,Secretary of the Treasury,Secretary of Education, Secretary of Labor,Secretary of Defense, Attorney General,Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce,Secretary of Health and Human Services,Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy,Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Homeland Security,White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Trade Representative,Director of National Intelligence,Representative of the United States to the United Nations,Director of the Office of Management and Budget,Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,Administrator of the Small Business Administration

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