Michael Steven Swetnam

On Saturday, September 19, 2020, Michael S. Swetnam, beloved Father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather, passed away at the age of 68 in his home in Princeville, Hawaii. He was born August 18, 1952 in New Mexico to parents Fred and Grace Swetnam.  Mr. Swetnam dedicated his life to the service of our country, spending nearly a quarter century in the U.S. Navy, both as an active and reserve officer. He then worked for the Director of Central Intelligence as a Program Monitor on the Intelligence Committee Staff. He developed and presented the National Security Agency Budget to Congress. He also helped develop, monitor, and present the DOE Intelligence Budget to Congress. From 1990-1992, Mr. Swetnam served as a Special Consultant to President George H. W. Bush’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. There, he provided expert advice on Intelligence Community issues and assisted in authoring the Board’s assessment of Intelligence Community support to Desert Storm and Desert Shield. In 1994, he founded the Potomac Institute to carry on the legacy of the U.S. Congress’s former Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), providing nonpartisan, data-driven analysis and policy recommendations on a range of S&T topics. Over the decades, under his direction the Potomac Institute became the “go-to” place for independent, objective, and informed S&T policy and analysis. Throughout his career, Mr. Swetnam conducted studies and provided high-level strategic support to the U.S. Congress, White House, Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, Intelligence Community, and a host of others.

 He is survived by his two children, Alex and Kelly, his grand children, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and his newest great grand daughter Zoey.  

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations go to the Mike Swetnam Scholarship Fund at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies (703) 525-0770 to continue his legacy of bold ideas.

To watch the Memorial Service via Zoom, please see the information and instructions below.

Topic: Swetnam Memorial Service
Time: Oct 16, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting by clicking on the link on the day/time of the service.  https://zoom.us/j/5640861900

Meeting ID: 564 086 1900
Passcode: Zoom

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Michael Steven Swetnam, please visit our floral store.