Darrell M. Blocker recently completed a successful 32-year career in the U.S. Intelligence Community earning the CIA’s Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal upon his retirement. He served four years as an Analyst in the U.S. Air Force (1987-1990) and 28 years as a CIA operative (1990-2018). His career highlights include serving as Chief of the CIA’s iconic training facility, Deputy Director of the Counterterrorism Center, Chief of Africa Division, and multiple tours as a Chief of Station. At the time of his retirement in October of 2018, Darrell was the most senior black officer in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations with the rank equivalency of a three-star general.

Darrell has lived and worked in ten foreign countries including Italy, Okinawa, South Korea, Niger, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, Pakistan, and Switzerland. He has also spent time in Somalia after Blackhawk Down and in Burundi after the Hutu-Tutsi massacres. He has been working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies since 1994, and has established strong working relationships with myriad domestic and foreign intelligence, security and law enforcement institutions in Africa, Europe and Asia. He is a certified executive coach and mentor and a frequent public speaker on leadership and diversity and inclusion issues. He is currently serving as an ABC News Contributor and as the National Security Program Manager for CT-Watch, a global solutions provider of training and consulting in counterterrorism, security and intelligence.

Darrell began volunteering with Peace4Kids.org (P4K) in January of 2016 and was elected to their board in March, 2019. Based in the Watts-Willowbrook neighborhood of Los Angeles, P4K is dedicated to empowering at-risk youth, and ​has built a community where youth in foster care discover a shared cultural experience. Their vision of "community as family" provides consistency, stability, and trust.​This nonprofit creates a strong learning foundation for youth from four years through to adulthood with programs focused on creative expression and life skills, allowing youth to discover their own unique voice and limitless success potential. He is honored to be part of this life-changing program serving thousands of current and former youth in foster care in South Los Angeles.