Mark E. Kelton is a former senior executive of the Central Intelligence Agency, concluding his career with the position of Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service for Counterintelligence (DDNCS/CI).[1] He is currently an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University, and Director of Threat Insider Solutions at Cipher Systems, LLC.[2]
Kelton obtained a B.A. in political science from the University of New Hampshire.[1] Kelton obtained an M.A. degree in National Security Affairs from the U.S. Naval War College, and another MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.[1][3]
Kelton's career at the Central Intelligence Agency was primarily in the realm of counterintelligence, and he spent 16 years performing overseas service.[1] He also served as an executive assistant to Deputy Director for Operations Jack G. Downing.[4]
By the mid-2000s, Kelton was the chief of the European Division of the National Clandestine Service.[4]
Kelton was the CIA's station chief in Pakistan during the 2011 raid which killed Osama bin Laden.[5] Kelton believes he was poisoned by the Inter-Services Intelligence in retaliation for the raid, forcing him to leave due to a medical emergency.[5][6]
While investigating the 2010-2012 compromise of CIA agents in China, Kelton was initially opposed to the theory that the compromises were caused by a mole, recalling the wrongful suspicions that had taken place during the search for mole Robert Hanssen in the 1990s.[7]
Over his career, Kelton was awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Exceptional Collector Award.[3]