COUNCIL ON - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor With Baker Donelson
Barbara was elected to Congress in 2014 and served two terms representing Virginia's Tenth Congressional District, making her the first woman elected to that seat. She was named as one of the "Top Ten Most Effective Lawmakers" in the 115th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint effort of the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University.
Barbara worked as a strategic advisor for the Mitt Romney presidential campaigns, was head of Research and Strategy at the Republican National Committee, and worked with the George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign. Barbara first worked on Capitol Hill as a senior aide to Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf (1990 - 1995), working on transportation, health care, business, and appropriations matters. She also served as the Chief Counsel for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and as outside counsel on numerous high-profile investigations.
Carter Burwell is a litigation counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Debevoise & Plimpton and a member of the firm's White Collar & Regulatory Defense practice. His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, government investigations and internal investigations, and national security matters.
Job Titles:
- Partner at the Washington, DC
Dan Brown is a partner at the Washington, DC office of Fragomen, the largest immigrant law firm in the world and is part of the firm's Global Strategies and Compliance Group. In this position, Dan counsels corporate clients on business immigration, compliance and enforcement matters, and focuses on I-9 and E-Verify issues.
Job Titles:
- Partner at the Nickles Group
Don Kent is a partner at The Nickles Group. He leads the firm's homeland security and defense team as well as practice areas related to cybersecurity, immigration, bioterrorism, and technology. Don brings 20 years of public and private sector experience navigating complex legislative and regulatory agendas.
Job Titles:
- Founder of Baker Global Advisory
Doug Baker is the founder of Baker Global Advisory, an international consulting practice that provides impartial expert advice to corporations, hedge funds, entrepreneurs, and governments. In 2019, Doug founded Rushmore Strategic Advisors, a public affairs and advocacy group, to meet the needs of a growing clientele seeking a nuanced approach to their dynamic regional issues. Currently, Doug serves on the board for Persistent Sentinel, a U.S.-based software firm that integrates data on complex border security programs, and Atlas Building Technologies, a start-up in the international building supply sector that provides more affordable construction processes using advanced materials and technologies.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Principal of Elaine Duke
Elaine Duke is the Principal of Elaine Duke & Associates, LLC, after recently retiring from Deloitte Consulting LLP Government and Public Service.
Ms. Duke is an accomplished leader in the federal government, serving for 30 years. She was the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from April 2017 to April, 2018; also serving as the Acting Secretary of DHS from July, 2017 to December, 2017.
Ms. Duke was the first Deputy Assistant Administrator for Acquisition at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), delivering an acquisition program that met the post 9/11 legislative mandate to federalize passenger and baggage screening at U.S. airports. Prior to her service at DHS, Deputy Secretary Duke held various acquisition positions with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, and Smithsonian Institution.
Neumann joined DHS Secretary John Kelly as his Deputy Chief of Staff in 2017, and she served in the same capacity under Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke. In 2018, Neumann transitioned into her role as DHS Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Policy, where she served until her resignation in April 2020. In that capacity, she was in charge of emerging threats - and had identified violence perpetrated by right-wing extremists as a major threat. Neumann pushed the department to do more to prevent domestic terror attacks; and worked with bipartisan support in Congress to get new funding that helped bolster and rebrand the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force into the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) within DHS. She testified before Congress that DHS saw extremism building to the 'doorstep' of another 9/11.
Francis Q. Hoang is a veteran entrepreneur who has been on the founding teams of companies that have generated over $600 million of combined sales and employed over 1,200 professionals across the fields of law, aerospace, defense, government services, and technology.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and Former CEO of Airside
Hans Miller is the co-founder and former CEO of Airside, a software company specializing in privacy-centric digital identity for sensitive use cases. Miller's involvement with homeland security dates to the days immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when he joined the nascent effort to build the U.S. Transportation Security Administration as one of the agency's first hires. In the ensuing years, he served in multiple executive roles at TSA and later advised senior leaders at additional DHS components on security strategies and innovation. He has co-led several milestone developments in aviation security over the past two decades. These developments include better TSA checkpoint design, streamlined selectee screening, use of machine learning for incident analysis, web-based link analysis, anomaly detection techniques, the U.S. standard for mobile boarding passes, U.S. mobile passport control, and digital I.D. for checkpoints and baggage check. Miller began his career at McKinsey & Company after earning degrees from Harvard University, the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, and the Wharton School.
Jack P. Staton is a retired federal senior executive with 27 years of law enforcement, border security, emergency management and criminal intelligence experience. Mr. Staton served as the last Deputy Director for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Joint Taskforce West from December 2019 to January 2021. In his capacity as deputy director, he was responsible for ensuring the taskforce's mission of coordinating and facilitating integrated and prioritized cross-component operations along the United States Southwest Border.
During his career, Mr. Staton served as the Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation's El Paso Office and as the acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigation's Philadelphia and New Orleans Offices. While in those positions, he managed HSI's complex federal law enforcement investigative programs related to national security and smuggling violations, including counter-proliferation, financial crimes, commercial fraud, human trafficking, human smuggling, narcotics smuggling, transnational gangs, cyber-crimes, child exploitation, worksite enforcement and document and benefit fraud.
Mr. Staton served in numerous Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters leadership positions throughout his career including as an Executive Deputy Assistant Director, Deputy Assistant Director, and Unit Chief. While serving as the Executive Deputy Assistant Director of Homeland Security Investigation's Office of Intelligence, Mr. Staton was responsible for the development and implementation of policy, guidance, and training for 800 intelligence professionals supporting over 6,000 special agents in 210 locations worldwide. Mr. Staton oversaw agency wide secure data communications connectivity and providing the agency with continuity of operations, emergency response, and crisis management plans.
Mr. Staton also served as a Deputy Assistant Director at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center). The IPR Center is comprised of 23 key federal and international agencies in a task force setting using a three-pronged approach to combat intellectual property and trade crime through interdiction, investigation, and outreach to the public and law enforcement. Mr. Staton was responsible for ensuring HSI's participation and coordination with the unified U.S. government response to the growing threat of counterfeiting. Mr. Staton oversaw HSI's commercial fraud programs through the Intellectual Property Unit and Commercial Fraud Unit.
Job Titles:
- First General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Whitley is a frequent speaker on white collar, compliance and corporate governance issues.
Mr. Mitnick is an attorney with over 30 years of experience serving at the highest government and private sector levels. From February 2018 until September 2019, he served as the General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), having been confirmed for that position unanimously by the U.S. Senate. In that capacity, Mr. Mitnick was the chief legal officer of a federal security and law enforcement agency with over 240,000 employees, was responsible for providing legal advice and counsel to DHS and its components, and supervised over 2,500 attorneys. From November 2007 to April 2013, he served as Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of a Raytheon division with over $3 billion in annual sales, over 9,000 employees, and business operations in over 40 countries and on all continents. From March 2014 to February 2018, he served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of The Heritage Foundation, an influential think tank.
Julie Myers Wood has more than 25 years of experience in public and private sectors working on regulatory and enforcement issues from many perspectives, including as a federal prosecutor, defense counsel, government investigator, and compliance consultant. Ms. Wood is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Guidepost Solutions, a leading investigations, compliance, and security firm with offices throughout the United States, England, Colombia, and Singapore. At Guidepost, she focuses on regulatory compliance and investigative work and regularly serves as an independent monitor/consultant appointed by the U.S. government. She is often called to assist companies and organizations in crisis and help them make meaningful changes to their compliance structure, practices, and accountability.
Ms. Wood also served as the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce, where she oversaw all Export Enforcement Special Agents enforcing criminal and civil violations of export enforcement laws, including violations involving telecommunications companies and encryption issues. Ms. Wood also served as the Chief of Staff for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice and a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Treasury, where she had policy supervision relating to money laundering and customs enforcement matters. Ms. Wood also prosecuted cases as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, including securities fraud, organized crime, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud.
Job Titles:
- Partner With Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
Lynden Melmed is a partner with Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) and oversees the firm's Government Strategies group. He counsels corporate clients on complex immigration compliance matters, assists businesses in establishing and managing immigration programs, and represents businesses in connection with audits and investigations by the federal government.
Melmed is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A. and J.D.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director at Bancroft Global Development
Marc Frey is an Executive Director at Bancroft Global Development, a U.S.-based nonprofit that builds sustainable health and security-sector capacity in places suffering from armed conflict. Prior to joining Bancroft, Marc was a Senior Director in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson, an international law firm, and served in several senior positions with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including as Chief of Staff for the Office of Policy Development and as Director of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). In the latter role, he led efforts to make international travel more secure. Marc has been a non-resident fellow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' International Security Program and is a member of the American Council on Germany. He is also a board member of Temple University's Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy. Marc holds a B.A. from Duke University and a Ph.D. in U.S. Diplomatic History from Temple University.
Job Titles:
- Immigration and Travel Policy Expert
Michael Petrucelli is a widely recognized immigration and travel policy expert, having served as Deputy Director and Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is also an industry leader in the automation of the immigration application process and is the inventor of record for U.S. Patent 8,244,659.
Patrick is a partner in Fragomen's Government Strategies and Compliance practice. He helps multinational corporations and employers across all sectors establish and maintain compliant corporate immigration programs.
Patrick was an adjunct professor at American University's Washington College of Law. He also is a frequent lecturer in the law and business communities, and has published numerous articles on the subject of corporate immigration compliance.
Patrick was a sports reporter in Taiwan prior to attending Brigham Young University Law School. He became a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) in 2002 and still volunteers with his local fire department in Rockville, Maryland.
Paul Rosenzweig works on legal and policy issues related to cybersecurity, homeland security, national security, and tech policy, including the intersection of privacy and security.
Job Titles:
- Partner at Pacific Solutions
Randall Schriver is a partner at Pacific Solutions and concurrently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Project 2049 Institute, a non-profit research organization dedicated to studying security trend lines in Asia. Mr. Schriver most recently served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense (ASD) for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs from January 2018-December 2019. In that role, for nearly two years, he was the most senior official at the Department of Defense responsible for managing Asia policy and the broader Indo-Pacific. Before his role as ASD, Schriver was one of five founding partners of Armitage International LLC, a consulting firm specializing in international business development and strategies. He was also CEO and President of the Project 2049 Institute.
Job Titles:
- General Partner at Hivers and Strivers Fund
Randy Beardsworth is a General Partner at Hivers and Strivers Fund II and serves as a board member for the Hivers and Strivers Investment Funds. Hivers and Strivers invest exclusively in exceptional entrepreneurs with military backgrounds.
Rick "Ozzie" Nelson is a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot with over 20 years of operational and intelligence experience, including assignments at the Office of Combating Terrorism, National Security Council staff of President George W. Bush; the National Counterterrorism Center; and the Joint Special Operations Command. He also served as Navy legislative fellow for Senator Edward M. Kennedy. After retiring from the Navy in 2009, Mr. Nelson joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), serving as director of the Homeland Security and Counterterrorism program until 2013. He currently serves as Senior Vice President for the public sector at MicroStrategy. Mr. Nelson graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in political science, holds an M.A. in national security studies from Georgetown University, and is a graduate of the Naval War College. He is an adjunct lecturer at Georgetown University, a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a nonresident senior associate at CSIS. He is also a frequent contributor to media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, CBS, CNN, and ABC.
Scott Boylan is a partner with consulting firm, StoneTurn Group, where he advises private-sector organizations on a broad range of international legal and business issues, including national security, trade compliance, investment security, and government contracting. Before joining StoneTurn, Scott served as Chief Legal Officer and in-house counsel for several large corporations. These companies were involved in the technology and software sectors, including the production of secure credentials and biometric systems for governments that were essential for border security and immigration controls.
Theresa Cardinal Brown is a former federal government official, serving for over six years with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. She served as a policy advisor in the office of the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under then-Commissioner Robert Bonner, served on Secretary Michael Chertoff's Second Stage Review of USCIS, was a member and later director of the Immigration Legislation Task Force for the DHS Office of Policy in 2006 and 2007 and served in the DHS Office of International Affairs as both the first Director of Canadian Affairs and the first DHS Attaché to Canada, supporting international and bilateral homeland security missions for Secretaries Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano.
Valerie Smith Boyd served as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from October 2019 to November 2020. In this role, she was the chief diplomat for DHS international engagements and oversaw policy development for U.S. homeland security partnerships worldwide. Boyd previously served as acting Deputy Chief of Staff for DHS, where she was an advisor to Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan and managed policies related to international security and partnerships. Prior to that position, she worked on humanitarian and security efforts as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commissioner at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.