BTS Behind the Scenes is a chance to showcase the people who are making things happen at BTS and give you a “behind the scenes” look into their worlds. In this month’s feature we’ll talk with Portfolio Lead Kim Dickson and talk sports, Super Bowls, and what COPS and SIGINT have in common.

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Growing up, you were a huge fan of the show COPS. How did that become your fav? That’s a little unusual for a kid, right?

I would watch the show with my Dad, and so it just became something that I was interested in over the years. I mean, It was COPS or watching the Dallas Cowboys so clearly, at a young age, I knew I didn’t like the Cowboys. I was more interested in the show’s additional parts (investigation/ storyline), like what happened after the arrest. Or how did the cops get the information and figure out who the criminals were. I still watch shows like COPS, and of course, I love football season.

How do you think your passion for COPS spurred your interest in your SIGINT work? 

I think that becoming a SIGINT/ Intel Analyst answered my curiosity about the investigation process, whether it be criminals or terrorists. I was interested in the start-to-finish process of it all. With watching COPS I knew I wanted to be a detective or investigator of some sort. Being in the Intelligence Analyst field seemed to be an equal career field to being a detective. The Intel career field allows you to not only be a part of a solution to a national issue but also be an avenue that creates policy changes that have a domestic and national level effect in the world we live in.

What do you think are the absolute must-have qualities to be outstanding in the SIGINT/intel analyst space? If you had to pick three… 

Motivation, initiative, and creative thinking would be my top three qualities that I believe would benefit the SIGINT/ Intel Community. We need all of these qualities to face the constant advancements in technology and our ever-changing adversaries to protect our democracy and national security.

You’re a big sports family; tell us who and what!

Football: Ravens. Basketball: Lakers. Baseball: Dodgers

Speaking of sports, you made it to this year’s Super Bowl. Did you stay till the bitter end? 

I did stay to the bitter end. The first and second quarters were a little slow. But the best part about the Super Bowl was the halftime show (of course, lol), but also seeing the excitement of the players and their family/friends/fans as their team colors of confetti fell and they all realized they’d won. The atmosphere of being at a Super Bowl game is definitely something to experience. The Super Bowl is always a great experience regardless of the teams playing or the location.

What are people surprised to find out about you?

I would say that people are surprised when I tell them I’ve been to 3 Super Bowl games, and I plan to go to Super Bowl 59 next year in New Orleans. Fingers crossed, my Ravens are in the Super Bowl next year! The Super Bowl has turned into a family trip with my extended family.

When you were a kid, what did you think you would do when you grew up?

I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. As a kid I knew I wanted to do something that helped people in one way or another. Whether it was being a Cop or in the medical field, I knew I wanted to help people. Being in the Air Force and then a contractor in the SIGINT analyst field to now managing analysts has definitely been a career that I never would have dreamt up as a child. I know I still have a lot more time to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. But for now, I feel like I am walking in my purpose of being able to help people.

What are you hoping to bring to BTS this year in your role? 

What I’m hoping to bring to BTS is my leadership ability to not only grow our BTS family but help build future intelligence analysts and contribute to the success of our contracts.

Ok, lightning round!

• Favorite snack while watching TV: Chips & Dip
• Place you most want to visit that you haven’t yet: Paris, France (Eiffel Tower) because the one in Las Vegas doesn’t count lol
• Things you MUST have in your car at all times: Sirius XM radio, Sunglasses, a snack
• Favorite summer Olympic sport to watch: Soccer…Well actually, that’s the World Cup, and not the summer Olympics, so Track and Field.

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Tags: behind the scenes, features, Kim Dickson