October 2, 2025
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Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), shares an inside look at how his agency is adapting to meet the demands of warfighters, senior leaders, and policymakers. In the third and final part of his conversation with Fed Gov Today, Whitworth explains how NGA is building a more fluent workforce, investing in innovation, and ensuring intelligence products deliver real-time impact on the battlefield and beyond.
Whitworth introduces the concept of “workforce fluency,” especially around artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). He says NGA is making “leaps and bounds” in fluency as it experiments with agentic models, multimodal tools, and other emerging technologies. Boot camps in AI and ML are energizing employees, who often push to move faster once they recognize the power of new applications in geospatial intelligence. He describes analysts eager to dive deeper after just a few hours of training, fueled by the possibilities for innovation and imagination these tools unlock.
One example is NOMAD, a program that allows NGA to integrate multiple models into a single workflow. By taking the decision-making burden off analysts, NOMAD frees them to focus on asking questions, spotting insights, and driving mission outcomes. Whitworth emphasizes that this fluency is not just about technology but also about creating an environment where curiosity and creativity thrive.
Training plays a central role in NGA’s growth. Whitworth praises the agency’s college, which he calls a cornerstone of professional development. He notes that employees consistently report high-quality experiences, and mobile training teams extend that expertise to commands and services worldwide. He believes investing in training and integrating AI into the curriculum will be key to NGA’s success in the years ahead.
Beyond the workforce, Whitworth highlights NGA’s innovation ecosystem. The agency is leaning on public-private partnerships and engagement with emerging technology companies to strengthen its mission. Industry days and pitch sessions attract strong 
participation, signaling a growing appetite for collaboration. Whitworth points to the upcoming opening of NGA’s new campus in St. Louis as both a symbol of this commitment and a practical hub for connecting government, academia, and industry. He emphasizes that the new facility is not just a building, but part of a broader ecosystem rooted in history and community engagement.
Whitworth also ties NGA’s work directly to the Department of Defense’s focus on lethality. Geospatial intelligence, he explains, supports not only targeting but also warning and effects. The agency’s daily operations and intelligence updates are designed with warfighters in mind, ensuring decision-makers—from commanders in the field to the President—receive timely, actionable insights.
Cultural change underpins these efforts. Whitworth says NGA has transformed its operations to prioritize speed and timeliness, with senior leaders now empowered to make decisions overnight so that intelligence reaches the right people by early morning. He notes this shift has increased the agency’s traction across the national security community by nearly 800% in three years.
With 36 years of experience, Whitworth brings both perspective and humility to his leadership. He often relies on a Socratic method, asking the questions he knows commanders will ask, while also learning from the expertise of his analysts. For him, the give-and-take of these interactions strengthens NGA’s culture and ensures its mission continues to adapt.
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