The senior executives and subject matter experts from our member companies are frequently involved in our activities, and have the opportunity for high-level interaction and peer-to-peer networking with their “competimates” in the private sector, and their partners in the public sector. 

The Council’s programs and initiatives focus not just on the solutions but also on identifying the problems that the Homeland Security Enterprise wants to address. Our activities promote an open, transparent, and vital exchange of ideas and perspectives between senior executives from the homeland security industry and their counterparts in government. The companies that get the most out of their membership in the Council are actively involved in developing and working on our initiatives, ensuring that their unique point of view on the critical issues is incorporated in the organization’s work and mission. 

• Executive Roundtables, Executive Briefings, and Chairman’s Dinner Briefings give our senior-level executive members and subject matter experts the opportunity to engage in an intimate dialogue with high-level government officials on their priorities, goals, and challenges, as well as the role that industry is expected to play in achieving their mission. These interactive sessions have become the foundation for ongoing thought leadership activities and initiatives. 

• Our Executive Tours give senior executives the opportunity to witness firsthand the operational challenges faced by our nation’s Homeland Security Enterprise officials. The programs – held at critical locales across the country – combine high-level briefings, facility tours, technology demonstrations, and robust roundtable discussions with homeland security officials from federal, state, and local agencies.  The trips facilitate a collaborative approach and give our members an important understanding of the perspectives and needs of on-the-ground officials.  Past tours have included trips to the Southwest Border, the Northern Border, Los Angeles, New York City/New Jersey region, El Paso, Seattle, South Florida, Charleston, Miami, Laredo, and even Toronto and Ottawa, Canada. The Council has also conducted in-town visits to the FBI Academy, NCTC, U.S. Secret Service headquarters, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s EOC, ATF HQ, the National Center for Explosives Training & Research, and the Washington Threat Analysis Center. 

Our National Conversation Series involves prestigious government and industry leaders, and examines critical homeland security issues from the standpoint of “looking forward.”  Now combined with the Council’s five-year 20/20 Project on the State of the Homeland Security Enterprise, these conversations, coupled with an annual survey, seek to further the strategic vision and direction for the nation’s homeland security efforts, as well as emphasize the need and benefits of greater substantive engagement and communication between government and industry.

government industry engagement + 20/20 report *

Our Thought Leadership Committee (TLC) serves as the Council’s focal point for identifying and analyzing the issues, challenges, and trends that confront the Homeland Security Enterprise.  We plan activities and recruit SMEs from our member companies to involve them in working group projects and strategic engagements and provide opportunities for them to meet with government officials to exchange ideas, share the industry's diverse points of view, and discuss the best ways of implementing and advancing a collaborative approach to process and policy issues.

• As part of the TLC work, the Council leads numerous efforts with DHS Directorates and Components that concentrate on improving the acquisition process and the manner in which government and industry conduct business together.  We have developed numerous initiatives that give members an opportunity to engage directly with program managers, contracting officers, and senior officials throughout DHS. 
• These efforts focus on identifying ways to increase and improve communication and engagement between government and industry in advance of and throughout the acquisition process.  Members have participated in the following key efforts: the development of our Framework for Government - Industry Engagement Through the Planning and Execution of the Acquisition Process; small group work sessions with DHS components to discuss best practices and lessons learned for government-industry communication in each of the acquisition stages; providing input to the DHS Science & Technology Directorate on how business incentives differ by size and type of company; teaching industry perspective seminars at the Homeland Security Acquisition Institute; writing an Industry Day Planning Guide; and participating as role players and observers in Mock Debriefing Exercises with DHS contracting officers.

·      Our public policy activities focus on developing a strong dialogue between industry leaders and key members of Congress, their senior committee staff, and legislative officials from the relevant federal agencies on the vital policy issues impacting the homeland security mission. Council members participate in discussions that allow for a better understanding of government’s priority issues, as well as facilitate the sharing of industry’s varied points of view on those matters. These activities include small group member-only programs such as Meet & Greet Policy Discussions with members of Congress, Public Policy Lunches with senior committee staff, congressional staff briefings, and our regularly held Industry-Government Homeland Security Receptions. The Council has been asked numerous times to testify at hearings to provide industry’s perspective on critical issues surrounding homeland security. Our membership provides input and expert advice to its testimonies.

The Council's Annual Report provides an overview of the organization’s ongoing efforts bringing industry and government together to develop substantive forums and engagement models.