Michelle Clays

As program director at Peraton, Michelle Clays leads delivery of unparalleled service to uphold commitments to $900M U.S. Army Cyber Command Cyberspace Operations Support contract customers. In her previous role at the company, Clays served as the senior principal technical specialist for the U.S. CYBERCOM account, providing direct support to the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) Plans, Policy, and Partnership Directorate (J5).

Clays is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with 30 years of experience in intelligence, cybersecurity and joint operations. She has commanded at the flight, squadron, group levels and led operational intelligence activities at the wing and national joint staff levels. Through multiple deployments, her experience spans directing Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) supporting special operations and campaign planning efforts for Operation Enduring Freedom. As commander of Menwith Hill Station and the 691st ISR Group, she was accountable for in excess of 2,500 multinational, multiservice military, civilian and contractor personnel from more than 40 U.S. and British government agencies, and a total enterprise valued at more than $5 billion.

Her military career culminated in a position at the National Security Agency (NSA) as their Chief of Customer Engagement. In that capacity, Clays led more than 600 headquarters personnel and field elements, providing tailored customer engagement to both national and defense customers. She oversaw the agency’s Cryptologic Support Groups (CSGs) and Information Assurance External Engagement Representatives residing in customer space around the globe. She also led NSA’s combat plans and exercise support efforts; NSA’s direct support to the Integrated Broadcast Service enterprise; and the Electromagnetic-Space and Electronic Warfare (EW) Customer Engagement office.

Prior to her NSA assignment, Clays was the Director of Cyber Capabilities, Under Secretary of Defense Intelligence in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). She developed and implemented DoD and DNI strategy and served as the OUSDI representative to all cyber-capability related joint boards, councils and working groups. She oversaw research, development, testing and engineering (RDT&E) cyber program elements and conducted outreach to industry and academia to deliver commercial cyber capabilities to defense intelligence.
Clays holds a Bachelor’s degree in biology and was commissioned in 1988 from the United States Air Force Academy. She hold four Masters degrees: a Master’s in Military Operational Art from Air University; a Master’s in Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University; a Master’s in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University; and a Master’s in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. In addition to her multiple Defense Superior Service Medals and Bronze Star for her deployment to Afghanistan, Clays was awarded the LTC Thomas Knowlton Award, in recognition of significant contributions in Army military intelligence. She is married to an Army Aviator and a 1985 West Point graduate, COL Timothy J. Clays (USA, Ret) and three wonderful children, Chelsea, Brittany and Kyle.