Barbara McNamara

Barbara A. McNamara (born c. 1942) was the NSA's Deputy Director from October 1997 until June 2000, prior to becoming NSA's Senior U.S. Liaison Officer in London, England (a post traditionally awarded to NSA Deputy Directors before they retire.) As a native of Clinton, Massachusetts, after joining the agency in 1963 as a Chinese linguist, she rose through a number of analytic, operational, and managerial positions before leaving the Operational Directorate in 1983. McNamara became the first woman to be named Deputy Director of Operations, in 1994. She was succeeded by William B. Black, Jr..

In June 2000, she received the US Intelligence Community’s highest award, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal. At the time she was one of the highest ranked women in the United States intelligence community. She retired in 2003.

Currently, she is a board member of Signalscape and Intec Billing.