Mr. Swetnam, Associate, founded the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in 1994 and has served as its President and Chairman. The Institute is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the study of technology and technology policy as it effects government and industry. The Institute has conducted studies and provided support to the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA, Private Foundations, and several leading industries.
Mr. Swetnam is currently a member of the Technical Advisory Group to the United States Senate Special Select Committee on Intelligence. In this capacity Mr. Swetnam provides expert advice to the US Senate on the R&D investment strategy of the US Intelligence Community. Mr. Swetnam also served as a Special Consultant to President Bush’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB) from 1990 to 1992 where he provided expert advice on Intelligence Community issues including budget, community architecture, and major programs. He also assisted in authoring the Board’s assessment of Intelligence Community support to Desert Storm/Shield.
Prior to forming the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Mr. Swetnam worked in private industry for as a Vice President of Engineering at the Pacific-Sierra Research Corporation, Director of Information Processing Systems at GTE, and Manager of Strategic Planning for GTE Government Systems.
Prior to joining GTE, Mr. Swetnam worked for the Director of Central Intelligence as a Program Monitor on the Intelligence Community Staff (1986-1990). Mr. Swetnam was responsible for the development and presentation to Congress of the budget of the National Security Agency and helped develop, monitor, and present to Congress the DOE Intelligence Budget. Mr. Swetnam was also assigned as the IC Staff representative to intergovernmental groups that developed the INF and START treaties. He assisted in presenting these treaties to Congress for ratification. Collateral duties included serving as the host to the DCI’s Nuclear Intelligence Panel and Co-Chairman of the S&T Requirements Analysis Working Group.
Mr. Swetnam has served in several public and community positions including Northern United Kingdom Scout Master (1984-85), Chairman, Term limits Referendum Committee (1992-93), President (1993) of the Montgomery County Corporate Volunteer Council, Montgomery County Corporate Partnership for Managerial Excellence (1993), and the Maryland Business Round-table (1993).