Harry Coker

Last updated

Harry Coker
Harry Coker.jpg
Secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 28, 2025
Acting:February 5, 2025 – February 28, 2025

Harry Coker Jr. is an American lawyer and national security expert serving as the Maryland Secretary of Commerce since 2025. [1] He previously served as National Cyber Director from 2023 to 2025 [2] and as the executive director of the National Security Agency from 2017 to 2019.

Contents

From 2019 to 2023, Coker has worked as a senior fellow at the Auburn University McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security. [3] A graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, Coker was a naval officer for twenty years before joining the Central Intelligence Agency in 2000. [4]

Education and Navy career

Coker graduated from the United States Naval Academy. [4] He earned a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and attended the Naval Postgraduate School. [4]

Coker served as a surface warfare officer for his first six years in the United States Navy and was an engineering duty officer until he retired as a Commander in 2000. [4]

Professional career

After leaving the Navy, Coker joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). [4] For seventeen years, he worked in the CIA Directorate for Digital Innovation, the Directorate of Science and Technology, and the Director's area. [5] Coker was the director of the open source enterprise and served as the deputy director of the CIA office of public affairs. [5] Coker served on the executives diversity and inclusion council (EDIC). [4]

From 2017 to 2019, Coker was the executive director at the National Security Agency. [6] In 2019, Coker became a senior fellow at the Auburn University McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security. [6] In 2020, Coker was a member national security staff during the presidential transition of Joe Biden. [7]

On July 17, 2023, it was reported that Coker was being considered as a potential nominee for National Cyber Director. [8] He was formally nominated to the position on July 25, 2023. [2] If confirmed, he would succeed Kemba Walden, the acting National Cyber Director. The Senate Homeland Security Committee held a nomination hearing for Coker on November 2, 2023. [9] On November 15, 2023, the committee advanced his nomination by a 9–6 vote. [10] [11] On December 12, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 59–40 vote. [12] Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 59–40 vote. [13]

Coker left the Biden administration on January 20, 2025. A few days later, Maryland Governor Wes Moore nominated him as the secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce, replacing Kevin Anderson. [1] He was confirmed by the Maryland Senate and sworn in on February 28, 2025. [3] During his tenure, Coker has sought to attract private investments to Maryland, especially following federal mass layoffs by the second Trump administration, which caused the state to lose more than 25,000 federal jobs. [14]

References

  1. 1 2 Kurtz, Josh (January 24, 2025). "Moore will nominate former federal cyber official to be Commerce secretary". Maryland Matters. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Biden nominates Harry Coker to be national cyber director". Reuters. July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Harry Coker, Jr., Maryland Secretary of Commerce". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "NSA's Former Executive Director Wins EEOD Leadership Award". National Security Agency/Central Security Service. February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2023.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. 1 2 "Harry Coker". McCrary Institute. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Starks, Tim (July 17, 2023). "What to make of the acting national cyber director not getting the full-time job". Washington Post. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  7. ↑ Geller, Eric (July 17, 2023). "White House Plans to Nominate Retired Navy Officer Harry Coker as US Cyber Chief". The Messenger. Archived from the original on July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  8. ↑ Turton, William; Manson, Katrina (July 17, 2023). "Ex-NSA Executive Considered for Nomination as Cyber Director" . Bloomberg.com. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Nominations". United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. November 2, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Memo" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. November 15, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  11. ↑ Vasquez, Christian (November 15, 2023). "Senate panel advances Coker's nomination to head ONCD". Cyberscoop. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  12. ↑ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Harry Coker Jr. to be National Cyber Director)". United States Senate. December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  13. ↑ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Harry Coker, Jr., of Kansas, to be National Cyber Director)". United States Senate. December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  14. ↑ Smith, Mark R. (January 29, 2026). "What does MD economy need? Commerce secretary outlines investment plans". The Daily Record . Retrieved January 29, 2026.
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