On Saturday, May 19th 2019, the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security (DMGS) held its second Commencement Exercise in front of an audience of family and friends at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC. DMGS’s second cohort of graduates were awarded their diplomas, signifying their successful completion of the rigorous course of study that includes the development and defense of an original thesis.
Participating in the exercise were DMGS leadership, including Founder and Board Chairwoman Abby Spencer Moffat, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Eric R. Eaton, Academic Dean Dr. Steven E. Meyer, Registrar Cassandra Creek and other faculty members. Also in attendance were Trustees Sylvia Naylor, Ph.D. and Alumni Trustee Calvin J. Freas ’18. Tisia Saffold, Director of Student Services, served as the Master of Ceremonies and Paul Mavrikes, Director of Governance, administered the exercise. Dignitaries in attendance included the Polish Ambassador to the United States, Piotr Wilczek, and Dr. James Jay Carafano. Diana Davis Spencer was also in attendance and was honored for her commitment to DMGS.
The ceremony began with the procession of administration, faculty and students dressed in full academic regalia followed by a rendition of the National Anthem. Cassandra Creek, who served as the Marshall for the ceremony, formally opened the exercise. Mr. Eaton thanked all members of the Class of 2019 for their commitment to their studies and their passion for serving the nation. Ms. Moffat expressed her gratitude for the hard work and dedication that all members of the DMGS community have shown as this school has continued to grow and mature over the past five years.
In keeping with the pragmatic nature of the curriculum and its mission, the Commencement Speaker was retired CIA official Greg Vogle. Mr. Vogle spent his entire career in the intelligence community in a variety of different roles. Currently, he serves as a Senior Advisor at the McChrystal Group, where he advises CEOs and executive teams on leadership and team building. Mr. Vogle shared important lessons learned over the course of his career, and spoke inspirationally to our graduates as they begin to embark on careers of their own. Above all, Mr. Vogle spoke about the importance of maintaining integrity in all lines of work.
Following Mr. Vogle’s remarks, Sylvia Santos Cruz was recognized for her outstanding academic achievement and awarded the designation of Valedictorian. In addition to her newly attained Master’s degree from DMGS, Dr. Cruz holds a Bachelor’s degree, a law degree and a medical degree. Dr. Cruz thanked her fellow graduates and members of the DMGS community for their support and perseverance in all aspects of DMGS’s growth.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Abby Moffat conferred upon the graduates the degrees of Masters of Arts in National Security, Intelligence, Information Operations and Managing Disruption and Violence. The Board also conferred upon an Honorary Degree upon Mr. Vogle in appreciation of his service to the nation.
Following the closing of the Commencement Exercise, the graduates, their families and members of the DMGS community were treated to a lunch at the Army and Navy Club.
