Cynthia “Didi” Rapp spent four decades in public service—predominantly with the Central Intelligence Agency–in a career that came full circle from the Cold War, counterterrorism, multipolar world, and renewed Russian hostility. Ms. Rapp joined the CIA as a geographic analyst, but for much of her analytic career she covered a range of intelligence issues in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and Europe, and she served in several overseas assignments.
As a manager, she directed the production and substance of the President’s Daily Brief (PDB), the Intelligence Community’s foremost analytic product, overseeing content and senior-level reviews. She later returned to analysis, assuming responsibility for the CIA’s Middle East analytic program. Ms. Rapp progressed through a series of executive positions, including Deputy Director of Congressional Affairs, the initial Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration, and Director of Public Affairs at the CIA. She also represented senior analysis in a major European capital and served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer in Washington, overseeing daily Agency operations. In her final analytical role, she led the global analytic program as Director for Analysis, ensuring the quality of all-source analysis and guiding the entire analytic cadre. Toward the end of her career, Ms. Rapp served as Chief of Staff for the CIA’s first female Director.
Her accolades comprise two Presidential Rank awards for sustained extraordinary achievements, the Director’s Award for Distinguished Service, and recognition through the Distinguished Career Intelligence and National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement medals.
