George S. “Sam” Sevier
George S. "Sam" Sevier is a Senior Adviser to MK Technology and to the Trusted Trade Alliance, focusing on the Western Region, Asia-Pacific, and Defense Trade with special reference to munitions export controls the U.S. Defense and State Departments under the ITAR and other authorities. He is a retired Colonel (USAF) and a former member of the Defense Department's Senior Executive Service. As of June 2010, he was appointed to the post of Chair of the reorganized Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) in the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). He plays a key leadership role in this important forum for interchange between DDTC and organizations public and private affected by the International Traffic in Arms Act (ITAR).
Prior to his retirement from the U.S. Government as a member of the elite Senior Executive Service, Sam Sevier was Deputy Director of the Defense Department's Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA) from 2003-2005. Before that he worked for Westinghouse's Electronic Systems Division as Vice President, International Business and Washington Operations. Following the Division's acquisition by Northrop Grumman, he was a Director of the International Business and Electronic Systems Sector with offices in Baltimore and Rosslyn, VA from 1994 to 2003; he retired at the end of December 2002 to take the position at DTSA.
From 1986-1994, first Colonel Sevier and then Mr. Sevier served as the Chief of the Weapon Systems Division, in the Defense Department's Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA), overseeing most of the major foreign military sales program competitions during that time.
Colonel Sevier's Air Force career covered over 30 years, starting in 1956 as an enlisted electronic technician in UHF-VHF Radio Maintenance and ending with his retirement in October 1990, while at DSAA.
During his eight years at Westinghouse and Northrop Grumman, Sam Sevier was active in the Washington, DC international business community and in the industry associations that serve it. He was Chairman of the U.S.-ROC Economic Council's Defense Industrial Committee; of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council's Defense and Security Working Group; of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Export Controls Committee, Chairman-National Defense Industries Association (NDIA) International Committee; and of the National Security Industrial Association (NDIA)International Committee's Export Sub-committee. He was a member of the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) Export Controls Committee; of the U.S.- NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG); of the State Department's Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG); and of the IEEE Computer Society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Air Force Association, and the Association of Old Crows.
Sam Sevier remains an active member of the NDIA, the Society for International Affairs (SIA), the Air Force Association and the Association of Old Crows. Upon return to his home base, in May 2005 he was appointed to the Western Washington University College of Business and Economics Board of Visitors.
A native of Bellingham, Washington, Mr. Sevier received his bachelor's degree from Western Washington University with concentrations in Math, Electronics and Economics in 1964. He received a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 1977. He also completed additional post-graduate work in Computer Science and in Industrial Technology at East Texas State University in 1977-78 and 1983-84.