Mr. Hugh Montgomery began 1 July 2003 as the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Defense and Homeland Security, with special emphasis on telecommunications, biodefense, sensor systems, risk management, remote presence, crisis management and energy independence Science and Technology (S&T). He serves in an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment from the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, where he is a Senior Fellow. He serves as a member of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Energy Strategy. He has focused his efforts on two strategic goals: (1) national energy independence; and (2) reinvigoration of the national Science and Technology base and Research and Development (R&D) infrastructure.

Mr. Montgomery served from 2001-2003 as the first technical director of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, with broad oversight of USMC initiatives in technology development and transition, warfighting experiments, war gaming and emerging threats and opportunities. He was the senior Marine Corps civilian official for oversight and assessment of the $100M USMC S&T program investment.  Mr. Montgomery served from 1985-2001 on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). He was the Department of Navy (DON) senior career civilian for Science and Technology requirements and resources and Resource Sponsor for the programs executed by the Office of Naval Research.