Joseph Zacks

Joseph “Joe” Zacks is an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, having served for over 42 years in the national security arena. His final assignment was deputy assistant director (DAD) for counterterrorism for the CIA. Commissioned in the U.S. Army in 1983, he spent 21 years on active duty as a field artillery officer. While in the Army, Joe was stationed in South Korea and served for five years in Germany during the Cold War. He was also posted for three years to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, as an Army attache, taught in the department of social sciences at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and served on the Joint Staff.

After his retirement from the Army in 2004 as a lieutenant colonel, Joe began his 21-year career in the CIA in the Directorate of Operations. He served in leadership positions at headquarters and in the Middle East and South Asia, including three stints as chief of station that included a flagship station in South Asia. At headquarters, Joe served in senior leadership positions; these included the chief of operations of the Counterterrorism Mission Center, where he was responsible for the CIA’s worldwide counterterrorism operations. He was also the deputy associate director of the CIA for talent/learning and the agency’s chief learning officer. Joe’s final leadership position was as the DAD for counterterrorism.

Joe earned his undergraduate degree at the College of William and Mary and master’s degree in public policy at Duke University. While in the military, he attended the Field Artillery Officers Basic Course, the Armored Officers Advanced Course, the Command and General Staff College, the Joint Military Attache School, and the Joint Forces Staff College.

In addition to military awards, Joe received the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal and the Director’s Award. He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Joe is a national security contributor for CBS.

Joe is currently the co-founder and managing partner of Aardwolf Global Solutions and the managing director of Compass Rose Strategic Consulting.