Paul M. Nakasone, General, U.S. Army (Retired), is the founding director of Vanderbilt’s Institute of National Security. With over three decades of distinguished service in the Army, his career began at the end of the Cold War and included pivotal moments such as being at the Pentagon on 9-11, deploying to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, and spearheading cyber operations. His service spanned the Trump and Biden administrations, culminating as the Director of the National Security Agency and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command. Over nearly six years, he led the largest element of the US Intelligence Community and the Defense Department’s cyber forces through three national elections, a global pandemic, and escalating threats to the homeland. Throughout his career, General Nakasone has been a transformative leader, adept at navigating complex challenges. He implemented a persistent strategy in deploying cyber forces to combat nation-state hackers and expanded cooperation with international, interagency, and private sector partners to enhance insights into national adversaries. His efforts to increase operational transparency have significantly bolstered public trust in both the Agency and Command. He remains deeply committed to fostering national service and leadership development.