Stephen Wayne Dillard

Stephen Wayne Dillard

1138840672

Stephen W. Dillard, a former Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, of theFederal Bureau of Investigation with 28 years of service, died December 9, at his home inAlexandria, Virginia. He was 66. Mr.Dillard was born July 6, 1950 to Houston Wayne Dillard and Lois Hall Dillard in New Albany, Mississippi. From his youth he excelled both academically and athletically and wasscouted by major league baseball during his undergraduate and graduate years at the Universityof Mississippi. There he received a Bachelor of Public Administration degree with a major inLaw Enforcement and a minor in Sociology. He also received his Master of Social Science degree with a major in Sociology and an emphasis in Criminology. He received his J. D. degree from the Mississippi College School of Law. After completing law school and prior to his appointment as a Special Agent in the FBI, Mr. Dillard served as Legal Counsel and Assistant to the Governor of Mississippi.Since his entry into the FBI, Mr. Dillard served as a multiple-subject- matter expert and former senior executive in the Bureau. He was appointed as a Special Agent in 1977, and retired as Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI in 2005. He held a variety of management and investigative positions and effected significant strategic changes in both operational and analytical policies and methods. He successfully directed high-profile espionage, foreign counterintelligence, criminal and counterterrorism investigations of international scope. Mr. Dillard directly led 27 successful SWAT operations and safely resolved three violent hostage-taking situations; all 30 incidents were successfully concluded with no injuries to anyone and with all offenders arrested. Additionally, he was called upon by senior FBI leadership to manage the revised approach and resolution of several FBI operations; including managing the revival of the Earl E. Pitts espionage investigation and identifying the need for and subsequent management of the re-investigation of the Wen Ho Lee investigation. An unclassified accounting of his role in the latter is accurately portrayed in David Wise’s 2011 book entitled, TIGER TRAP: America’s Secret Spy War with China. Mr.Dillard developed, authored and implemented numerous national program strategic policy changes and budget proposals. He managed a wide spectrum of counterintelligence-related operational and analytical programs, including espionage, Soviet/Russian, Soviet Bloc, Chinese, Cuban, North Korean, and economic espionage investigations, among others. He had significant experience in developing and implementing a range of security-related programs, including information, personnel and physical security, and technical and cyber countermeasures.While in the FBI, Mr. Dillard was appointed jointly by the Director of the FBI and the Secretary of Energy to fill a statutorily mandated FBI senior-executive detail position as Director of the Office of Counterintelligence at the Department of Energy, where he was responsible for, among other things, overseeing the protection of U.S. nuclear weapons technology from unauthorized domestic and foreign acquisition. For many years, he had close interaction with U.S. cabinet and congressional members, delivering approximately 80 cabinet-level briefings and appearing nearly 200 times before nine separate congressional committees. Mr. Dillard testified on behalf of the government in state, military, and federal courts, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. He also testified in one foreign country, Tanzania, during a 1996 extradition hearing related to the 1994 murders of two FBI Special Agents and one Washington, D.C. police officer. That hearing resulted in the first extradition between Tanzania and the U.S. since Tanzania’s predecessor government, Tanganyika, received its independence from Great Britain in 1961. Following his retirement from the FBI, Mr. Dillard worked as a consultant to the Northrop Grumman Corporation and as an advisor to JASON by conducting reviews of various classified U.S. intelligence community programs. Mr.Dillard reentered federal service during 2009, as a Team Lead/Professional Staff Member of the congressional Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. During 2010, he transferred to the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive as an Assistant Director where, among other things, he was in charge of managing and coordinating the entire federal government’s damage assessment resulting from the massive WikiLeaks disclosures. In that position, he was appointed as a SeniorIntelligence Officer by the Director of National Intelligence. Mr.Dillard joined Morris & McDaniel in 2011 He was a member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the FBI National Academy Associates. In his personal life he was an avid photographer with a passion for nature, often using his considerable skill to capture wildlife scenes from our national parks which were often taken while on family vacations with his children. He and his family took pride in the fact that an art gallery in Utah invited to exhibit his images. At home he was an avid chef and master of the grill, who enjoyed cooking for his family. Mr.Dillard was a devoted husband and father and is survived by his wife, the Honorable Margaret Mary Sweeney; his daughter Sarah Lauren Mason; son-in- law Michael Mason; daughter Katherine Jean Dillard; step-daughter Carolyn Elizabeth Riegel; grandchildren Hayden, Kayanna and Makara Mason; and sister-in laws Jean Hale Dillard and Kathleen Sweeney; brother-in -law Henry James Sweeney, and his wife Mary. He was preceded in death by his brother Joe Dillard. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 16, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., at the Cunningham Turch Funeral Home in Alexandria, VA.. Mr. Dillard’s funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on December 17 at Cunningham Turch.

Offer Condolence for the family of Stephen Wayne Dillard

Service

Cunningham Turch Funeral Home

811 Cameron St. Alexandria, VA 22314

12/17/2016

10:00am -

Visitation

Cunningham Turch Funeral Home

811 Cameron St. Alexandria, VA 22314

12/16/2016

5:00pm -

Funeral Home

Cunningham Turch Funeral Home

811 Cameron St. Alexandria, VA 22314

-

Family Gathering

Margaret M. Sweeney/Stephen Dillard Residence

2502 Appian Court Alexandria, VA 22306

12/12/2016

-

Cemetery

Mount Comfort Cemtery

6600 S. Kings Hwy Alexandria, VA 22306

12/16/2016

11:30am -

Condolence Messages

  1. J Thompson says:

    I’m so sorry for your loss. I am sending my most heartfelt sympathy to the family during this very difficult time. Please know that the God of Comfort cares for you and hears your cry for help during these difficult times. Psalm 34:18 “Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; He saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

  2. The Burke Family says:

    Our sincere and deepest heartfelt sympathies. Steve was a truly remarkable man and a true patriot. We will greatly miss him and keep him in our prayers.
    – The Burke Family

  3. Mary Tate Pannell says:

    Margaret, my heart goes out to you and the children! Sincere condolences to you.

  4. leslie grow says:

    Dear Katherine and Family,
    Our deepest sympathy at the loss of your father. We know how very hard you worked to keep him alive and to restore his health. We know how much you loved him, and how difficult this time has been as he has been declining over the past several weeks. Please know how much we love you and we pray that God will send his comforter to wrap his arms around you and let you know that everything is going to be all right. Life gets tough sometimes, but it also gets better. We are very proud of what a fine young woman you have become. Not that you need it, but count us as your adopted family. There is always a place for you in our home and our hearts. We love you, Katherine. We are here for you. Love, Mike & Leslie Grow

  5. Sally Amos says:

    Margaret,
    I was so sad to hear about Steve. In Dillard fashion, he fought a good fight. You and your daughter will be in my thoughts and prayers.
    Love,
    Sally Amos

  6. Sally Amos says:

    Sarah Lauren and Katherine,
    I’m so sorry about Steve. I loved him dearly and enjoyed our visits with y’all so much over the years. Your dad was a true patriot and a loving father. I know how much you will miss him. I will be praying for you in the days and weeks to come. Love you both.
    Sally

  7. Sandra Barkley McCollum says:

    Margaret and family,
    I am so sorry to learn of Steve’s death. He truly fought a good fight against this illness. He was a very important part of the Daniel Class of 1968 and he will be sorely missed by his classmates and friends. He will be remembered by our class at our 50th reunion in 2018. I send prayers and blessings for you and all the family in the coming days , weeks and months.
    Sandra Barkley McCollum and Steve McCollum

  8. Holland... says:

    “Deepest Sympathy to your family God’s Word says, “He will swallow up death forever, and wipe away the tears from all faces ” Isa. 25:8…..

Leave Your Condolence

Please share your message of condolence with the family, It will be visible to the public but your email address will not be published. Required fields (*)

*

Title