Chris Battle blogs primarily on Gov’t 2.0; radical ideology and the Internet; the “politics of homeland security”; immigration; crisis communications; and strategic communications strategies within the homeland security environment. He also serves as editor of the Security Debrief blog. After September 11th, Battle worked as an adviser during the creation of the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security. After the Department officially stood up in 2003, Battle was appointed Director of Public Affairs and later Chief of Staff for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Battle led public affairs campaigns promoting operations that ranged from weapons and human smuggling to financial crimes to national crack-downs on illegal immigration. Prior to his service at DHS, Battle was Chief of Congressional and Public Affairs at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Battle is a partner at the Adfero Group, where he leads the firm’s Homeland Security Strategic Communications Practice. (Read Full Biography)

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Stewart Baker blogs on security law and policy, the international community, and travel industry regulation. From 2005 to 2009, he was the first Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security. As assistant secretary, Mr. Baker oversaw offices responsible for Department-wide policy analysis, international affairs, strategic planning, and relationships with private sector, advisory committees, and law enforcement. (Read full biography.)

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Randy Beardsworth blogs on maritime, port & border security; national security; and radicalization on the domestic front. Beardsworth is a Partner with Catalyst Partners. His extensive background in homeland security issues, both from a policy perspective and an operational perspective, from his experience as Assistant Secretary of Strategic Plans at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Director of Operations for the former Border and Transportation Directorate at DHS; Director of Defense Policy on the White House National Security Council; and a long career in the U.S. Coast Guard. (Read Full Biography)

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Tom Blank blogs on aviation security and transportation security, along with a wide variety of issues involving homeland security policy, DHS program management and oversight issues. Blank is the former Deputy Administrator (Acting) of the Transportation Security Administration. He also was the agency’s first policy leader and Chief Support Systems Officer. He was one of the first few dozen employees of what grew to be an agency of over 50,000 people during his tenure – the largest stand-up of a Federal agency since World War II. (Read Full Biography)

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Michael Braun blogs primarily on narcotics trafficking and its relationship to terrorist organization and terror financing; federal law enforcement; and intelligence matters. Braun brings decades of experience in law enforcement and drug policy expertise. Recently, Braun retired as the Chief of Operations (domestic and international) with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Prior to 2003, Braun headed the Office of Special Intelligence and later led the entire Intelligence Division. He was also appointed by the Deputy Attorney General to serve as the first interim director of the new Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Intelligence Fusion Center. Braun was also responsible for leading the formative development of this multi-agency, national drug intelligence center that supports the national drug strategy and our nation’s war on terrorism. (Read Full Biography)

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Dr. Steven Bucci blogs primarily on cyber security and homeland defense issues. Bucci, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense at the Department of Defense, is IBM’s Issue Lead for Cyber Security, and a part of the Global Leadership Initiative, the in-house think tank for IBM’s Public Sector practice. Bucci brings years of leadership at the highest levels of our Government in response to ongoing threats to America, including various leadership positions during his 28 years in the U.S. Army and Military Assistant to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He is a recognized expert on cyber security as well as the interagency and private-public processes as they involve the defense of US interests domestically. (Read Full Biography)

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Dr. James Carafano blogs on a wide variety of homeland security and homeland defense policy issues. Carafano is a prominent author on defense affairs, military operations and national security strategy. He has served as a professor at institutions such as the U.S. Military Academy, the Army’s Center of Military History, the U.S. Naval War College, the National Defense University and Georgetown University. He is currently the Assistant Director of the Heritage Foundation’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies. (Read Full Biography)

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Victor X. Cerda blogs primarily on immigration; worksite enforcement; border security; and visa issues. Cerda previously served as Counsel to the Assistant Secretary, Acting Director of Detention and Removal Operations and General Counsel at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He is now a Partner in the Global Immigration Practice at Jackson Lewis law firm in Washington D.C and does consulting on homeland security matters. (Read Full Biography)

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Dr. Donovan C. Chau blogs primarily on radicalization; ideology; and international terrorism in North Africa and Asia. Chau is currently an Assistant Professor of Political Science and a core faculty member in the M.A. program in National Security Studies at California State University, San Bernardino. Chau’s teaching and research focuses on international politics and strategic studies, with emphases in East Asia, Africa, terrorism, and counterterrorism. Prior to joining the university, Chau served as a professional staff member on the House Homeland Security Committee. (Read Full Biography)

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Rich Cooper blogs a variety of homeland security matters, with a particular focus on emergency perparedness and response and the role of the private sector in national homeland security policy. Cooper led efforts to build private/public partnerships to improve emergency preparedness as the Business Liaison Director in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Private Sector Office. Prior to his work at DHS, he served as the Senior Policy Advisor at NASA Headquarters within both the Office of the NASA Administrator as well as its Office of Education and Public Affairs Office He is currently a principal with Catalyst Partners, a homeland security consulting firm. (Read Full Biography)

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Akram R. Elias blogs on international cultural affairs and intelligence as they relate to terorrism and homeland security matters. Elias has over 22 years of professional experience as a consultant in the areas of public diplomacy, cross-cultural training, and communication. He has worked extensively with the U.S. Department of State and is the President of Capital Communications Group, Inc., a Washington D.C.-based firm that provides services in public diplomacy, cross-cultural communication, and international business networking. (Read Full Biography)

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Marty Ficke blogs on transnational organized crime; smuggling; terror financing and terrorist/criminal conspiracies at ports; and federal law enforcement strategies. Ficke has more than 30 years of federal law enforcement experience, most notably as the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In this capacity, he oversaw the El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Force, considered one of the premier financial crimes investigative organizations in the nation. He is currently the Director of Operations for SES Resources. (Read Full Biography)

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George Foresman blogs primarily on resiliency; emergency preparedness; and crisis response strategies. Foresman has more than twenty years of public safety and crisis response experience. He served as the first Under Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the number three official at DHS he led efforts to harmonize national readiness through the creation of integrated all-hazards domestic prevention, protection, response and recovery capabilities. Prior to his work for DHS, Foresman served as the Assistant to the Governor of Virgina on preparedness as well as the Homeland Security Adviser in Virginia, a cabinet level position in the Administration of former Governor Mark Warner. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a member and vice-chair of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction. He currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Corporate Crisis Response Officers Association.

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Dr. Marc Frey blogs primarily on homeland security policy, aviation and border security, law enforcement, and counterintelligence. Frey is the former Chief of Staff for the Office of Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working with policies regarding aviation and border security, travel and trade facilitation, and international information sharing and law enforcement cooperation. He also served DHS as Director of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and Senior Advisor to the Department’s Chief Security Officer. He is currently Senior Director at Steptoe & Johnson, LLP. (Read Full Biography)

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Stephen Heifetz blogs primarily on aviation, transportation and maritime security, immigration and border security, and homeland security policy. Heifetz is the Former Deputy and Acting Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Policy Development. He has also served with the Department of Justice and the Central Intelligence Agency and is a partner at Steptoe & Johnson, LLP. (Read Full Biography)

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Jonathan Rath Hoffman blogs primarily on border security issues and the role of state and local governments in homeland security. Mr. Hoffman is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Programs (IGP) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he helped coordinate the relationship between state, local and tribal governments and the DHS. This coordination included work on emergency disaster response, grant allocation, information sharing and policy development. (Read Full Biography.)

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Ellen Howe blogs primarily on aviation security, security technology and communications strategies and Gov’t 2.0 tactics related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The former Assistant Administrator for Strategic Communications and Public Affairs at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, Howe now works as a strategist in the private sector with proven experience in crisis and risk communication, homeland security, intelligence, transportation, workforce management, energy, and renewable resources. In her role at TSA, Howe served as senior spokesperson, managed messaging and communications strategy, and guided the federal agency as part of the senior leadership team. Howe’s responsibilities included media relations, video production, public liaison, graphic arts, new media, and employee communications for 50,000 employees at 450 airports nationwide. She is currently Vice President for Homeland Security Strategic Communications at the Adfero Group. (Read Full Biography)

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Andrew Howell blogs on the role of the private sector in homeland security as well as on the development of the homeland security industry itself. For more than a decade, Andrew Howell has been providing leading companies and organizations with public policy results in areas including homeland security and international trade. As the Vice President for Homeland Security at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Howell worked closely as a liaison between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security the the nation’s business community, which owns and is responsible for more than 80 percent of the nation’s critical infrastructure. His expertise is often sought by national media outlets, and he has appeared on both the ABC and NBC news networks. Howell is a partner at Monument Policy Group. (Read Full Biography)

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Asa Hutchinson blogs on a diverse range of homeland and national security topics. Hutchinson is the former head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and served as the first Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is also a former U.S Attorney and U.S. Congressman, serving on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. He is currently a Partner at Venable law firm and CEO of the Hutchinson Group, a homeland security consulting firm. He also serves as Chairman of the Corporate Crisis Response Officers Association’s Advisory Board. (Read Full Biography)

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Robert Liscouski blogs on critical infrastructure matters. Liscouski served as the first Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he led the development and implementation of the nation’s efforts to protect its critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks and natural disasters. He is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer at Steel City Re, a risk management and assurance company. (Read Full Biography)

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Dawn Lurie blogs primarily on visa and immigration issues, particularly the intersection of immigration enforcement and how it impacts the business community. Dawn is a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP and advises U.S. employers on a variety of visa and immigration related issues particularly I-9 employment verification matters, LCA audits and the minimization of employers’ exposure and liabilities. She has almost 20 years of experience and is a leading expert in developing immigration related compliance strategies, performing internal I-9 compliance reviews, as well as third party audits, badging and other contractor protocols. With an exceptional track record of successfully defending businesses involved in Department of Labor and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) audits, Dawn is considered a leading authority on the governments’ E-Verify program and has assisted companies all over the U.S. review and implement the program when appropriate. (Read full biography.)

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Kevin McCarthy is a Homeland and National Security practitioner experienced in transportation security and operations solutions, resilience and other aspects of critical infrastructure protection. He has served in numerous advisory and consultancy roles to both the public and private sector on geospatial intelligence gathering, aviation security, and utilization of unmanned systems, and he is an independent contractor with Catalyst Partners. (Read Full Biography)

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Julie Myers Wood blogs about a variety of immigration, national security and transnational crime issues. Myers Wood began her government service as a career prosecutor, and her views are shaped by her law enforcement work at four different cabinet agencies – Justice, Treasury, Commerce and Homeland Security. From January 2006 to November 2008, Myers Wood served as Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Read Full Biography.)

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David Olive blogs on the homeland security industry and management issues related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Olive is the Moderator of the Washington Homeland Security Roundtable, Inc. a non-profit organization comprised of private sector companies involved in the homeland security marketplace, and is a principal with Catalyst Partners, a top government relations and public affairs firm specializing in homeland security matters. (Read Full Biography)

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Brian Peterman blogs primarily on border and transportation security issues, with emphasis on maritime homeland security, interagency coordination, and international development. Peterman recently founded Eldred Rock Associates, LLC to provide strategic guidance to the private and public sectors in the areas of maritime safety and security, border security and emergency management. He retired from the U.S. Coast Guard on September 1, 2008 after 36 years of service to our Nation. His final assignment was Commander, Atlantic Area where he oversaw all Coast Guard activities within the eastern half of the world ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. (Read Full Biography.)

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Sam Rosenfeld blogs on homeland defense; force protection; federal law enforcement; and private security topics. Rosenfeld is a former British Army infantry officer who served for 11 years in many of the world’s most contentious areas, including Iraq, Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. As the Staff Officer for Close Protection at the Iraq Survey Group, he created and commanded the military executive protection teams responsible for protecting many of the Iraq Study Group and other high-value personnel in Iraq. He is the chairman of the Densus Group, a use-of-force and private security consulting and training firm. (Read Full Biography)

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Wendell Shingler blogs on matters related to critical infrastructure; facilitiy security; private security; surviellance; and federal law enforcement. Shingler is the former Executive Director of the National Incident Response Unit at U.S. Immigrations & Customs Enforcement. He also served as the Director of Homeland Security’s U.S. Federal Protective Service, which is resonsible for the security of federal government buildings. Prior to his service at DHS, Shingler was a senior executive of of the U.S. Marshals Service. As the Marshals Service, he served in a variety of senior management positions, ending his tenure as the Deputy Assistant Director for Judicial Security. In this position, he was responsible for the physical security of the nation’s judicial employees and facilities (Read Full Biography)

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Jeffrey Sural serves as counsel in the Legislative & Public Policy Group at Alston & Bird, LLP. He will focus his practice on homeland security and transportation matters on Capitol Hill and in federal government agencies. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Sural served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, appointed by Secretary Michael Chertoff in October 2007. There, he served as the Secretary’s primary liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives, and was responsible for advising the Secretary on congressional actions, legislative strategy and hearing preparation. (Read full biography)

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L. Vance Taylor blogs primarily on critical infrastructure matters, with a particular focus on port and water critical infrastructure concerns. Taylor is a principal with Catalyst Partners who has worked to advance the mission of homeland security on Capitol Hill and in the private sector. One of only approximately 250 people in the nation with a Master’s degree in Homeland Security, Mr. Taylor combines specialized educational training with real-world experience to leverage successful outcomes for clients and stakeholders. (Read Full Biography)

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C. Stewart Verdery, Jr. blogs on a diverse range of security policy issues. Verdery served as the first Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he supervised policy development at agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration. He is the founder of Monument Policy Group, a public policy and homeland security consulting firm. (Read Full Biography)

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Scott Weber specializes in preparedness, communications, and the intersection of law and homeland security. During his tenure at the Department of Homeland Security, Scott served as the Senior Counselor to Secretary Michael Chertoff. In that role, Scott helped craft policy and improve operations of one of the federal government’s largest departments. Scott worked to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program and helped foster public/private partnerships with critical infrastructure sectors to improve responses to emergencies like the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He also led a department-wide emergency communications initiative. (Read Full Biography)

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Chad Wolf blogs primarily on aviation and transportation security policy matters. Wolf is the former Assistant Administrator for Transportation Security Policy within the Transportation Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is currently Vice President and Senior Director at Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates, a full-service government relations firm located in Washington, D.C. (Read Full Biography)

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