History

Founding Members & Purpose
The unprovoked attack on our nation by foreign terrorists in September 2001, followed immediately by the distribution of the anthrax virus through the postal system, forced all Americans and their leaders in Washington to take stock of our preparedness, the need for prevention, coordination of communication, sharing of intelligence and our collective response to community catastrophes. Leading senior executives in the private sector with a personal and corporate mission to provide the needed product, technology and services ‘solutions' to our nation through, first, the newly formed Transportation Security Administration, and then with the newly established Department of Homeland Security in March of 2003, felt it important to come together in a coordinated and thoughtful manner to develop and implement new strategies and high-level industry-government engagements to help prevent, be prepared for and respond to the possibility of another attack.

The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council was founded in 2004 to bring private and public sector homeland security policy leaders together to discuss the strategies that would best accomplish the mission of providing the very best solutions, educating the nation and motivating the private sector as to its role and responsibilities surrounding the newly minted "homeland security" discipline. Michael Meldon, the Council's founding executive director, and Gregory Pellegrino, Global Managing Director at Deloitte, the Council's founding Chairman of its Board of Directors, together with a small group of our nation's leading senior industry executives in the homeland security marketplace had a vision that private sector senior executives could and should come together to substantively engage with their newly appointed public sector counterparts tasked with developing a coordinated homeland security mission at the Department of Homeland Security and in Congress.

The Council began hosting a series of monthly, intimate, not-for-attribution Executive Roundtables. The goal of these roundtables was and remains to this day to provide a ‘safe' environment for senior executives from industry and government to engage in a dialogue that seeks to identify and discuss strategies and facilitating a process that gives the private sector and opportunity to provide input and add value to critical homeland security missions and solutions grounded in the reality of what can be accomplished. These forums foster a better understanding of the homeland security priorities, opportunities and challenges facing the Department in particular and our nation in general. As the Department evolved and adapted, revising and retooling its mission in light of the natural disasters sparked initially by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, so has the Council's mission, membership and activities.

Today, the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council is the only organization of its kind - devoted exclusively to representing the interests of and providing industry with a collective voice on homeland security policy marketplace issues. Our mission has remained consistent - to build stronger and more meaningful, relevant and valuable relationships between senior leadership in industry and government - but has expanded as we realize our role and responsibility to help achieve a ‘culture of preparedness' in our nation.

Over the past five years as the mission and focus of the homeland security mission has evolved and so has the Council. From the original vision to a robust, active and thoughtful organization, the Council has:

Increased its membership of world class homeland security solutions providers 500%
Recruited a number of former DHS and ongressional leaders to the Board of Advisors
Hosted over 150 Executive Roundtables and other substantive briefings with senior officials at the Department and leaders in Congress
Authored multiple thought leadership documents on topics including corporate responsibility, federal contracting, the SAFTETY Act
Established strategic alliances with the American Red Cross, Georgetown University and many other leading homeland security thought leaders
Established a coordinated effort to work with Congressional leaders on legislative and regulatory issues and
Hired a professional and committed staff.

We look forward to the next five years as we continue working with our members and the greater homeland security community to ensure our nation achieves its homeland security goals.

2004-2006

During the Council's first three years, members participated in Congressional Briefings on the 9/11 Commissions Recommendations, Biometric/Identity Management, Infrastructure Protection and "Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina". The Council also contributed to the Department's first Strategic Plan and TOPOFF exercises.

During this period the Council hosted over 60 Executive Roundtables and other substantive briefings with senior officials at the Department and leaders in Congress. Executive Roundtables created an opportunity for senior executive Council members to get to know and share their expertise and perspectives in an informal and intimate dialogue setting on our nation's homeland security challenges with key public sector homeland security leaders. During the first three years, the Council hosted:

Michael Chertoff, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Fran Townsend, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, The White House
U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member, House Homeland Security Committee, 109^th Congress
Michael Jackson, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Admiral James M. Loy, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Janet Hale, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Charles McQueary, Under Secretary, Office of Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
George Foresman, Under Secretary for Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Admiral Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant, United States Coast Guard
Robert Bonner, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Kip Hawley, Director, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Emilio Gonzalez, Director, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Stewart Baker, Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Gregory Garcia, Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security and Telecommunications, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Al Martinez-Fonts, Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Parney Albright, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Greg Rothwell, Chief Procurement Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Also in 2006, over 100 senior homeland security executives and leaders came to see the Council honor Congressman Peter King and Senator Susan Collins with the Council's first Distinguished Service Award at the first Annual Members Dinner. Tom Ridge, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also gave the keynote. The Council's Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to a senior Government official who has exhibited extraordinary public service and unwavering leadership with regard to homeland security issues. Candidates for the Award are selected based on their accomplishments in the national homeland security realm. Ideal candidates are those who have exceeded the traditional expectations of public servants in order to improve the security of the United States.

2007

Joe Carden was hired as Deputy Director after serving as a ‘volunteer' loaned to the Council by his employer, Unisys, an active founding member. His role was to help coordinate and oversee the Programs, Communications and Membership Committees' efforts to enhance and grow the Council.

The Council also continued to hold its Executive Roundtables with key leaders in homeland security including:

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 110^th Congress
R. David Paulison, Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Admiral Jay Cohen, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Elaine Duke, Chief Procurement Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Admiral Roger Rufe, Director, Operations Coordination, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Scott Charbo, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Jonathan Scharfen, Deputy Director, Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The Council participated in the Private Sector Planning Session that spring for the October U.S. Department of Homeland Security's TOPOFF 4 exercise. That summer, the Council hosted its first thought leadership event. The Shaping the Future Technology Symposium provided an industry perspective on the alignment, portfolio, deliverables, and vision of the Science and Technology Directorate at the Department. In addition to industry leaders, participants included the S&T Directorate, National Laboratories, Congressional leaders and other government agencies. (LINK)

The Council hosted its first Partners in Preparedness Symposium (PIP) cosponsored with the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area and the Washington Board of Trade during National Preparedness Month. The purpose of PIP was to inform and educate local business community about preparedness issues and response to catastrophes in the National Capital Area. (LINK)

The Council released its first thought leadership white paper at the end of the year, entitled Corporate Responsibility: Why Businesses Should Be Prepared in a World of Uncertainty. The study highlighted industry's role in working with federal, state and local governments to help protect and secure America's homeland. (LINK)

In December, the Council hosted its second Annual Dinner. Over 200 senior homeland security executives and leaders came to see Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, receive the Council's Annual Distinguished Service Award. (LINK).

2008

Marc Pearl joined the Council as its new President and CEO in March 2008 to build on the Council's essential mission to substantively engage and encourage stronger relationships among the senior executives in the private and public sectors, by expanding the activities and visibility of Council. This led to the establishment of valuable alliances with organizations that are part of the homeland security community of interest, to move the Council in a more substantive policy direction and to help craft a Council point of view on issues affecting the homeland security policy marketplace.

Throughout 2008, the Council's Executive Roundtable dialogues and our new Chairman's Briefings with high-level government decision makers continued:

Mark Sullivan, Director, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Ken Wainstein, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
David Paulison, FEMA Administrator, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Stewart Baker, Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Bob Stephan, Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
General James R. Clapper, Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Bruce Knight, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture

To further develop the Council's policy development, growth and visibility, Kristina Tanasichuk was hired as vice president for thought leadership, communication and strategic partnerships. Joe Carden was promoted to vice president of member relations, government affairs and internal administration.

The Council also formalized and enhanced its Board of Advisors. Individuals who have a strong background and extensive experience in the nascent homeland security environment as public servants, but have not joined Council member companies since leaving government, still have much to offer our mission. Building on a concept devised by Meldon, the Council has built a strong senior advisory component into the development and implementation of the organization's programs and initiatives. The first chair of the Board of Advisors was Andrew Maner, the former CFO of the Department of Homeland Security, who also served as interim executive director before Marc Pearl came on board. Senior advisors :

Raj De, Former Counsel to the Special Bi-Partisan Staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Partner, Mayer Brown
Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Former Staff Director, U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security and Partner, The Monument Policy Group
Andrew Maner, Former Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and President, NISC LLC
Michelle Mrdeza, Former Clerk, U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security and President, MXM Consulting
Greg Rothwell, Former Chief Procurement Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and President, Evermay Consulting
Gary Shiffman, Ph.D., Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Professor at Georgetown University in the Graduate School of Foreign Service
Scott Weber, Former Senior Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Partner, Patton Boggs
Evan Wolff, Former Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Director, Homeland Security Practice, Hunton and Williams

The Council's Government Affairs Committee (GAC) was formed that summer to more deeply involve the government relations/public policy executives of member companies to develop and nurture relationships with key congressional and administration officials responsible for homeland security policy. The GAC also identifies opportunities for the Council to network with and to develop closer ties to key legislative officials, and assists in identifying and helping to craft opportunities for the Council to present our industry's point-of-view before Congress on pivotal homeland security policy initiatives on Capitol Hill. The GAC hosts regular luncheon meetings with key congressional leaders and federal agency executives to promulgate a better understanding of the private sector's role and responsibilities in homeland security policy. In 2008, the GAC heard from:

Don Kent, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Chuck Kieffer, Staff Director, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Homeland Security
I. Lanier Avant, Staff Director, U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security

In September, Marc Pearl testified before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security on federal procurement policy and the private sector's desire to see greater oversight, as well as greater flexibility in the programs and projects emanating from the Department.

Also in September, the Council hosted the second Partners in Preparedness Symposium cosponsored by the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area. FEMA Administrator David Paulison delivered the keynote to over 200 executives from the National Capital Area. Attendees also heard from Darrell Darnell, Director of the District of Columbia' s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and Major General Vincent Boles (USA).

In October, the Council launched its Executive Brief series, which consists of white papers and programs that seek to educate members and the homeland security community about critical issues related to the private sector's role in securing our nation's assets. Our first paper on the critical importance of the SAFETY Act was released at an event attended by over 150 senior executives.

In December, Georgetown University and the Council partnered to host a symposium titled "Are We Safer?" to achieve a better understanding of the U.S. homeland security landscape by providing context and history to the complex underpinnings that have helped define our current direction and by clearly identifying the outstanding policy issues that must be addressed to better secure our nation.

The Council held its 3^rd Annual Dinner, honoring outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff with its Distinguished Service Award for his leadership and implementation of the nation's homeland security infrastructure for the last four years. The event, attended by more than 200 public and private sector leaders in homeland security. The Council also awarded that evening:

Evan Scott Group International as the 2008 Small Business Honoree for its tireless efforts to involve and engage small businesses in the homeland security mission.
BearingPoint as the 2008 Corporate Leadership Honoree for its vision and commitment to raising awareness and preparedness among their private sector peers.
American Red Cross of the National Capital Area as the 2008 Strategic Partnership Honoree for its work with the Council to help educate, engage and assure that communities discuss, plan and prepare for emergencies by involving both the public and private sectors by co-hosting with the Council the annual "Partners In Preparedness Symposium."

The Council also honored outgoing ‘founding' chairman Greg Pellegrino of Deloitte. Pellegrino's four-year tenure oversaw the transition of the Council from a more insular group to the leading voice for the private sector in homeland security. His guidance and vision helped found the Council and through his leadership the organization has grown to represent the foremost corporations in America that engage in the homeland security.

Also during December, as part of the Council's evolution into a world-class organization, the Council announced its newly designed logo, moved into its first Washington headquarters and released its first public Annual Report.

2009

The year 2009 was an enormous time of transition, not only for our nation, with a new administration and the first-ever transition to Democratic control of the Department of Homeland Security, but for the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council, as well. While complacency and short memories are common issues our policy leaders and our industry must always confront, we were continually reminded throughout the year that vigilance, preparedness, responsiveness, and providing solutions remain a vital component of our nation’s safety and security. The Council stayed true to its mission to ensure the perspective, innovation, expertise and capabilities of the private sector are fully utilized and appreciated in the planning and execution of our nation's security. We thrived by more robustly involving our members’ subject matter experts and intellectual capital through our Thought Leadership, Program and Government Affairs Committees’ work. The Council identified and promoted strategies by which industry can provide input and add value to critical homeland security missions and solutions. These initiatives allowed the Council to take fuller advantage of our strategic alliances with the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area, Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute and its Center for Peace & Security Studies, as well as with firms and individuals that provided a profound intellectual perspective on the role and responsibility of the private sector in providing homeland security solutions. As a result, the Council further built its reputation as the leading forum and voice of the senior executives from industry who continue to utilize their membership to substantially engage with their public sector counterparts.

Thought Leadership

The Council undertook in 2009 the building of a foundation of substantive and active thought leadership priorities, programs and initiatives to maintain its relevance and value for our members over the course of the next few years. The Thought Leadership Committee met regularly to discuss the components of providing a “Council platform” of perspectives on issues surrounding Federal Contracting and how to best handle the challenges and opportunities in the homeland security marketplace. The Committee also invited experts and thought leaders in the homeland security marketplace to share their perspectives on our industry’s role and responsibilities, including the first DHS Assistant Secretary for Science & Technology Parney Albright (when he was President of Council’s Strategic Partner, Civitas, and now the Principal Associate Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory); the first DHS Assistant Secretary for Policy, Stewart Baker (currently a Partner at Steptoe & Johnson); a former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, the first DHS Deputy Secretary and TSA’s first Administrator, Admiral James Loy (currently a Senior Advisor at the Cohen Group). The Committee also hosted a special program briefing on FEMA’s Cost to Capability initiative and was briefed by Ross Ashley, former FEMA Assistant Administrator of the Grants Program Directorate.

The Thought Leadership Committee developed an extensive survey on details of member experiences with contracting and acquisition with the Department of Homeland Security. The survey achieved nearly 100% participation of Council member companies. A small working group of the committee analyzed the results and developed a Council platform position on federal contracting and procurement. The Committee also developed a response to Secretary Napolitano’s request for comment on critical infrastructure, risk analysis and transportation in addition to submitting comments on federal contracting and procurement and preparedness to the Quarterly Homeland Security Review (QHSR).

Programs

A number of new policy leaders from the administration and Congress were introduced to our industry leaders in 2009 through a robust schedule of programs that provided greater opportunities for Council senior executives to substantively and informally interact with their public sector counterparts in the homeland security community. These programs gave the Council an opportunity to further raise our visibility, promote our ‘brand’ and mission, as well as provide forums for our members to offer industry’s thought leadership, perspectives and positions.

The Council found it necessary to adapt the schedule of our Executive Roundtables to meet the challenge of the new administration’s transition – the drawn out confirmation process and the need for senior policy leaders to get settled into their positions. The Council, however, was able to invite a number of key policy leaders to meet with our senior executives, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection acting Commissioner, Jayson Ahern; the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, Richard L. Skinner; the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, Gale Rossides; the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Congressman David Price; and FEMA’s Deputy Administrator, David Garrett. The Council also instituted Chairman’s Briefings that appeal to a smaller more specific sector of our membership and heard from INTERPOL’s Secretary General, Ron Noble and former DHS Secretary, Michael Chertoff.

The Council held its Annual Members Meeting in the first quarter of the year – recapping the previous year’s initiatives and programs, as well as providing our members with the Council’s goals and milestones for success for the coming year. We released the Council’s first-ever formal Annual Report and State of the Council document. All current members also received a special plexiglass Member Block for display in their lobby or offices.

The Council held three, very successful, Industry–Government Receptions in March, July and October. These events give homeland security senior executives and policy leaders from the public sectors an opportunity to network in a casual environment. More than eighty-five individuals attended each of the three events.

In May the Council hosted its second executive brief event featuring the paper, "Executive Brief on Federal Contracting and Procurement: The Impact of Laws, Regulations and Initiatives on the Homeland Security & Defense Industry." Concurrent with the release of its white paper, the Council hosted a half-day program in order to facilitate an open a dialogue between industry and government on how to best move forward to achieve programmatic goals, rather than assign blame in the federal contracting arena. Over one hundred high-level government and industry leaders gathered at the briefing to hear from both public and private sector experts. "As we undertook this project and looked at the various efforts to reform and improve the contracting and procurement system, we found more a perception of gaps than true holes that lead to waste, fraud and abuse," said Marc Pearl, President & CEO of the Council. Both speakers and the paper warned of the shift to enforcement and compliance and how that may affect programmatic goals and mission success. Many thanks to Council member Oracle for their support and global sponsorship of the event and the Council.

The Council hosted our 3rd Partners in Preparedness Symposium and launched the CEO Summit during National Preparedness Month – once again in partnership with the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area. With critical sponsorship support from Raytheon, over 150 senior executives heard from a number of critical leaders, including former DHS Secretary, Michael Chertoff; CNN’s Homeland Security Correspondent, Jeanne Meserve; DC’s Director of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, Darrell Darnell; former DHS Undersecretary for Preparedness, George Foresman; WJLA ABC 7 news anchor Leon Harris; the acting DHS Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector, Bridger McGaw. The mission of our Partners in Preparedness activities is to integrate preparedness at both the leadership and execution level within companies in the D.C. metro area. As a further follow up the Council co-hosted a special Webinar on Emergency Communications with Council member, SimplexGrinnell, and Council Strategic Partner, The Chertoff Group, that over 70 professionals participated in.

A special field trip was organized and a group of 15 Council senior executives accepted an invitation from U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan to take part in a three-hour tour of their headquarters, which included a visit in and around the President’s limousine, briefings by forensics experts and an extensive Q&A with the Director and his principal deputy.

Building on the Council’s strategic relationship with Georgetown University, the Council was asked to host the opening reception and coordinated a special industry panel for the Center for Peace and Security Studies’ program: If You Build It Will They Use It? Optimizing the Homeland Security Network in October. Moderated by Council President/CEO Marc Pearl, our industry panel featured Greg Pellegrino of Deloitte (founding Chairman of the Council’s Board of Directors), and current directors, Jack Mayer of Booz Allen Hamilton, Mark Johnson of Oracle, and Dave Abel of IBM. The Council also coordinated with our graduate fellow from Georgetown, Emily Becker, a special program for graduate students at the school’s Public Policy Institute on Homeland Security Opportunities in Industry that was moderated by Council member, Evan Scott of ESGI. Panelists included Rachel Salome, Flir’s HR Director and Hemal Vaiyda, Deloitte’s Homeland Security Manager.

Council President/CEO Marc Pearl keynoted a conference sponsored by Council member SAP on Law Enforcement Technologies and participated on a panel presentation with Steve Bucchi of IBM, coordinated by the Council at the ISC2 conference.

The Council capped off its year in December by celebrating its 5th Anniversary Annual Members’ Dinner and honored Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, with its Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award. Over 200 senior executives from the homeland security private and public sectors attended the dinner, which for the second year in a row featured music from the Bob Schwartz Quartet. The Council also used the occasion to recognize The Tauri Group as our 2009 Small Business Member Honoree and Oracle as the 2009 Corporate Member Honoree. Special awards were also presented to outgoing Chairman of the Board, Frank Pugliese, and outgoing Treasurer, Tab Warlitner.

Government Affairs

The Council continued in 2009 to build on its government affairs work that truly began in earnest the year before. Joe Carden was tasked with personally and substantively reaching out to and establishing relationships with the personal staffs of more than fifty Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and the Hill who sit on relevant committees/subcommittees, as well as with the committee staff. The Council submitted questions regarding the role and responsibility of the private sector to the majority and minority senior staff for Secretary Napolitano’s confirmation hearing as well as authored and distributed analyses on the homeland security congressional justification for the FY’10 Appropriations; provided feedback on the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Authorization Bill. The Council was also asked to submit testimony at a House hearing on Preparedness based on its Partners in Preparedness symposiums and was asked to put together a small group of industry experts to privately review draft legislation on a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity.

The Government Affairs Committee improved the Council’s visibility and credibility among homeland security-focused Members of Congress, their senior staff and the administration through various programs and initiatives. The committee hosted luncheons with senior government officials through out the year, including Michael Alexander, Majority Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Chani Wiggins, the new DHS Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs; Rob O’Connor, Minority Staff Director of the House Committee on Homeland Security; Jake Olcott, Majority Staff Director of the House Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity & Science and Technology; and Ben Nicholson, Minority Staff Director of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

Additional Activities/Initiatives

The Council also undertook in 2009 a significant campaign to develop a more visible “brand” and elevate recognition of the Council’s mission with the new administration, congressional leaders, the media and others in the homeland security community. The Council developed both internal and external channels of communicating our mission, activities and priorities, including the regular distribution of our electronic newsletter to members and interested community leaders and the launch of a newly designed and more user-friendly website. The Council also launched our Industry Insiders ads that appeared in Government Security News and HS Today and feature news from the Council, substantive articles on topics of industry concern written by members, as well as background information on our leaders and our members – both old and new. A Council op-ed on the importance and value of the private sector was published in the January HS Today. The Council’s redesigned website now more prominently features the organization’s work and its members, and includes multimedia applications such as videos and podcasts. A special new section includes a Digital Library that will be a repository of our members’ white papers, speeches, videos, and other thought leadership documents. The Council also developed a Facebook page for interested members and approved friends, and a LinkedIn group for general communication to the homeland security community. Throughout the year, the Council issued press releases on its activities, member activities and Council programs picked up by traditional homeland security media.

The Board of Directors at the beginning of the year elected Frank Pugliese, Managing Director of DuPont’s DC office, as its chairman; Jack Mayer, EVP at Booz Allen, as its Vice Chairman and Secretary; and Tab Warlitner, who began the year at Bearing Point and then came over to Deloitte as a Principal in its Civilian Agencies Practice, as its Treasurer. The Board also included Linda Solomon, Principal at Deloitte Consulting responsible for its Homeland Security Practice and added Dave Abel, Vice President and Partner of IBM’s Global Business Services later in the year. The Council continued to bolster its staff, already consisting of its President & CEO, Marc Pearl; Vice Presidents, Joe Carden and Kristina Tanasichuk; Finance Director, Pam Poore; and Georgetown Graduate Fellow, Emily Becker; with the hiring at the end of the year of Melissa Middlesworth as Manager.