PERSON OF INTEREST
PEO PLE
Michele Rigby Assad Former undercover officer for the CIA. INTERVIEWER: THERESA CAMPBELL
≈ PHOTO: DOUGLAS TYLER
L V I TA AT S ST
• Current hometown: Brevard County.
• Childhood hometowns: Mount Plymouth, Mount Dora. • Graduated from Tavares High School.
What I hope readers glean from “Secret Cover,” my tell-all memoir of my secret life as a spy in the CIA: We are all capable of so much more than we think.
Greatest career accomplishment: Protecting our country and its interests from terror attacks at home and abroad.
Best advice I ever received: Winning is a state of mind. Never stop trying, working, believing and fighting to be a winner.
Describe being part of the rescue mission to relocate internally displaced Iraqis to Slovakia, which was featured on ABC’s “20/20”: We went through an enormous range of emotions: deep sadness and empathy for the people we were dealing with who had lost everything; fear that we might not find a country willing to take them in; determination to try as hard as we could; hope that something would come through; shock and complete joy to see miracle after miracle unfold before our eyes; and massive gratitude to God for the ability to help some of them establish new lives in Europe.
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L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • A P R ' 2 0
• Occupation: Author, inspirational speaker, international security consultant.
My message to audiences: Don’t let fear, doubt, intimidation or uncertainty keep you from living a life of adventure and positively influencing the world around you.
The challenge of leading a double life: You could never let your hair down or relax. We were always on our toes and looking for hostile surveillants who might be trying to target us. What I hear most at speaking engagements: “You’ve inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and have more confidence!”
Memories of growing up in Lake County: Climbing trees, roller skating and playing dodgeball with neighborhood kids. Lake County was an awesome place to grow up.
Email your recommendation to theresa@akersmediagroup.com.
