Navy Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth III, director of intelligence at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient, received Senate approval Wednesday to serve as director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
He will succeed Vice Adm. Robert Sharp, who has led NGA over the past three years and will retire after a 33-year military career, the agency said Friday.
Sharp, a two-time Wash100 winner, charted the agency’s plan to view and use data as a strategic asset in the GEOINT area.
The Senate confirmed Whitworth by voice vote less than four weeks after President Biden nominated the Joint Staff J2 head for assignment to the NGA leadership post.
Whitworth previously served as director of intelligence for the U.S. Africa Command, Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group.
He also commanded the Joint Intelligence Center Central, the Navy Element of U.S. Central Command and the Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center.