James Hursch, a 39-year federal government official and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, has retired as head of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
DSCA said Wednesday Michael Miller, the agency’s deputy director, will assume responsibilities as acting director.
Before taking on the role of DSCA director, Hursch was acting secretary of defense representative in Europe and acting defense adviser for the U.S. Mission to NATO.
His federal government career also included time as director of the Defense Technology Security Administration, special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, deputy director of Northern European Policy and deputy chief of the Office of European Policy.
Hursch has served as a faculty member focused on defense economics and international relations at the National Defense University’s Institute of Higher Defense Studies.
Prior to DSCA, Miller spent over two decades at the State Department, where he served as deputy assistant secretary of State for defense trade within the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
Within the department’s bureau, he led the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Miller’s 24 years at the State Department included roles such as office director for regional security and arms transfers, program manager for the Anti-Terrorism Assistance program and special assistant to the coordinator for counterterrorism. In 1998, he joined the department as a Presidential Management Fellow.