Women in Homeland Security Header
Jamie Gorelick, Partner, WilmerHale

M E M O R I A L   D A Y   2 0 1 0 
This Memorial Day I was fortunate enough to join the Navy Memorial wreath laying with the U.S. Coast Guard.  If you haven't attended one of these memorials it is a moving experience that really drives home the meaning of why we celebrate this holiday.  The picture at left is of newly installed Master Chief Petty Officer of the Reserve Forces Mark Allen placing several carnations on a wreath in memory of the members of the USCG killed this year.  The line of people that streamed through to place a flower each remembered a member of their family that died in service to America.  I hope you had a chance to pause and pay tribute to all of those in service here and abroad and honor their sacrifice on behalf of all of us.
 
N E W S
Upcoming events.... mark your calendars!
DATE CHANGE: JUNE 29 Roxie Bacon, Chief Counsel, USCIS
JULY 16 Dr. Tara O'Toole, Undersecretary of the Science & Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
AUGUST 21 WHS family BBQ
 
WHS made the cover story of Government Security News Magazine!  See the story in their June issue.
 
New Chapter!  Arlene Patel, a powerhouse who is Special Assistant to the President of Tougaloo College in Mississippi has started a chapter there!  Refer your friends and learn more about their first event -- and the Florida Chapter's  upcoming reception -- below. 

S P O N S O R S H I P
Welcome & Thank you to CACI for becoming WHS' first Homeland Security Silver Sponsor! 
 
Our gracious sponsors are the source and foundation for our free membership and free events.  If you can pursuade your company to support an event you help propel the entire organization forward!  Give us a call to learn more about sponsorship!
 
J O B S  &  O T H E R  M E M B E R  N E W S 
PLEASE...let us know where you are and where you're going!  Email your news to [email protected] 
 
Linda Solomon of Deloitte has been named one of the top 25 contractors of 2010 by Consulting Magazine...see more details below!
 
Kristina Tanasichuk
President & Founder
 
P.S. WHS will not use your email or facebook membership for marketing outside events.  We only mail our newsletter and invitations and reminders for our activities.  Members are welcome to include their events in our newsletter, just email them to us at [email protected]
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Happy Hour -- Switch up to QUARTERLY
RSVP
Happy Hour is now scheduled Quarterly!   Stay Tuned for September's spot!
SPRING MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
 
McCormick & SchmickFIRST PRIZE for May goes to
 
Danielle Camner
Vice President at Business Executives for National Security (BENS)
 - a $50 Gift Certificate to McCormick & Schmick's!
 
Share the news!  Women in Homeland Security Membership drive!  Help WHS "grow" to serve you better! Simply direct friends and colleagues to our website to register and let us know who sent them. 
 
Send to a Colleague
 
 
 
Roxana Bacon  June 29 Customs & Immigration  DATE CHANGE
RSVP
Roxana Bacon, Chief Counsel, USCIS
 Join us for lunch with
Roxana "Roxie" Bacon
Senior Counsel
United States Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS)
WHEN:  June 29; 12:00 - 1:30  Mark your calendar!
WHERE:  Battelle Crystal City
1550 Crystal City Drive, Arlington, VA
(Can you sponsor this event?  Let us know!)
 
Ms. Bacon will discuss her work at USCIS, some of the issues on the horizon as the nation considers immigration reform and her "journey" to her current position.
 
BACKGROUND
The appointment of Ms. Roxana Bacon as USCIS Chief Counsel brings exceptionally deep and strong immigration law expertise, management and leadership experience, and personal qualities to this important role at USCIS. 
In her 35 years as an immigration law practitioner and policy advisor, Ms. Bacon has, among other things, been a partner with the international firm of Bryan Cave, where she served on the firm's Executive Committee and as resident manager of the Phoenix office, and later founded her own firm, Bacon & Dear, which she grew from 10 to 150 persons.  Ms. Bacon also taught immigration law as a visiting professor and adjunct professor at Arizona State University College of Law and served as a judge pro-tempore on the Arizona Court of Appeals. 

Among her many professional achievements, Ms. Bacon was the first woman to serve as the president of the Arizona Bar Association, the first woman to serve as general counsel to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and a recipient of the American Bar Association's Margaret Brent Award, its highest award given to women lawyers nationally.
 

Thank you to our host!
 
Victoria Laing, Battelle
 
Victoria Laing, Battelle 
Dr. Tara O'Toole, Undersecretary S&T, U.S. DHS July 16
RSVP
Roxana Bacon, Chief Counsel, USCIS 
Join us for lunch with
Dr. Tara O'Toole
Undersecretary
Science & Technology Directorate
U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
WHEN:  July 16; 11:00 - 12:30  Mark your calendar!
WHERE:  TBD
 
 
 
Dr. O'Toole represents the best of the best -- join us to hear about the S&T Directorate, its future direction and priorities at this important discussion in July.
 
 
BACKGROUND
Dr. O'Toole was confirmed on November 4, 2009 as the Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security.
From 2003 to Nov 2009, Dr. O'Toole was the CEO and Director of the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), and Professor of Medicine and of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. The Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is an independent organization dedicated to improving the country's resilience to major biological threats.
 

Dr. O'Toole is internationally known for her work on biosecurity and on health and safety issues related to the US nuclear weapons complex. Her publications in the biodefense field include articles on the response to anthrax, smallpox, and plague biological attacks; containment of contagious disease epidemics; biodefense research and development strategies; and hospital preparedness. She is Coeditor-in-Chief of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science. She was a principal author and producer of Dark Winter, an influential exercise conducted in June 2001 to alert national leaders to the dangers of bioterrorist attacks. She was also a principal writer and producer of Atlantic Storm, an international ministerial-level biosecurity exercise held in January 2005. Prior to founding the UPMC Center in 2003, Dr. O'Toole was one of the original members of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies and served as its Director from 2001 to 2003.  Read more here.
 

Special thanks to our sponsor:
 

Thank you to CACI for their sponsorship of WHS
Thanks Nancy!
 
Nancy Peters, Vice President, CACI
Jamie Gorelick on the nation's "cyber preparedness"
 
Jamie Gorelick speaks to Women in Homeland SecurityJamie Gorelick
joined WHS in one of the most beautiful venues in town -- the American Red Cross Headquarters "Tiffany" room!  The original Tiffany windows depicting scenes from the history of the Red Cross was a stunning backdrop to some serious discussion about the challenges that face us as we realize the threat and possibility of a severe cyber attack.  Ms. Gorelick was kind enough to allow us to tape her so for those of you who missed it, her remarks can be heard anytime you have time!  Just click on the photo!
CACI Joins WHS as Silver Sponsor!
 CACI
 
 
Thank you Nancy!
SPECIAL Thank you to Nancy Peters, Vice President at CACI for supporting WHS through a silver sponsorship.  Her support and commitment to WHS is terrific and we also have her to thank for our upcoming guest, Dr Tara O'Toole.  Everyone give a big shout out to Ms. Peters when you see her at our next event....lunch is on her!!!
 
 
WHS Makes Front Page of Government Security News
 
June cover of GSN 
Women in Homeland Security made front page news on GSN's print magazine.  Click to your left to read the article!
 
Featured Members include:  Nancy Peters, CACI; Kimberly Purlia, ASRC Management Services; Christina Hamann, Ingenium; Lynn Ann Casey, arcAspicio; Kim Nguyen, State Dept.; Sarah Foster, USCG; Doris Reeve, NCI; Alissa Knight, WHS' Chair of Asymmetrical Warfare; and sponsors ASRC Management Services, arcAspicio, Hassett & Willis and DSCI, Inc.
Book of the Month:  Leaderless Jihad
Leaderless Jihad
Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the 21st Century
 
Marc Sageman, one of the most renowned
Click to view a quick interview with Sageman
Marc Sageman on PBS
counterterrorism experts in the United States, has studied the networks that comprise terrorism today. 
 
In the post-September 11 world, Al Qaeda is no longer the central organizing force that aids or authorizes terrorist attacks or recruits terrorists. It is now more a source of inspiration for terrorist acts carried out by independent local groups that have branded themselves with the Al Qaeda name. Building on his previous groundbreaking work on the Al Qaeda network, forensic psychiatrist Marc Sageman has greatly expanded his research to explain how Islamic terrorism emerges and operates in the twenty-first century.
WHS University:  Paper of the Month
 
whs logoWe all want to be better and smarter at our jobs and in our understanding of terrorism, its origins and the latest information on how we may stop it.  WHS will offer papers and documents from think tanks, universities, research facilities and other organizations to help you on your journey to be the best.  The feature this month is:
 
WHS Summer BBQ  August 21
 
 
WHS Family BBQ!!

1st Annual WHS Family BBQ!!

Join WHS 
August 21 with your family for a pig-roast extravaganza with live music, games and a massive capture the flag adventure for the kids!  Volunteers are needed to help plan and organize so if you're in the mood to plan some summer fun, let us know!
 
Stay tuned for a number of special guests and activities for kids and adults!
Help plan by emailing us! 
Chapter Updates!
 
 
Arlene Patel apatel@tougaloo.edu
ARLENE PATEL STARTS WHS CHAPTER IN MISSISSIPPI!
Arlene Patel, Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security Initiatives, cannot stay out of the WHS newsletter!  After attedning our event with Fran Townsend (another special assistant to the president!) and working to place some interns through our organization, Arlene volunteered to start a chapter in Mississippi.  She plans to invite the State Homeland Security Director, J.W. Ledbetter to their first meeting.  Congratulations and Thank you Arlene!    Contact Arlene TODAY with referrals and congratulations! 
 
Jamie Gorelick, Partner, WilmerHale
FLORIDA CHAPTER HOSTS NETWORKING RECEPTION
Kim Deorsey of Relcor
, Inc.  Leader of the WHS Chapter in Florida will host a reception in partnership with the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT South Florida).  Hosted by RoboVault, the event will feature some top notch networking, a wine and cheese reception and great new colleagues and friends. 
Join them:
Wednesday June 23 from 5:30pm - 7:30 pm
Contact Kim Deorsey for more information.
 
Member News
 
 
Linda Solomon, Homeland Security Lead, DeloitteLINDA SOLOMON OF DELOITTE NAMED TOP 25 CONSULTANTS FOR 2010
 
Consulting Magazine has named WHS member Linda Solomon one of the top 25 consultants for 2010.  Solomon, with Deloitte since 1990, was one of the first to develop the firm's federal practice and has worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security since its inception.  Read the full article here and congratulate her when you see her at our next event!
 
Thank you to Members of the Honor Your RSVP Club
 
 
Honor Your RSVP Club
 
Thank you to all of you who have joined and  HONOR your RSVP!  Because of all of you WHS does not have to charge for its events.  Keep your RSVP's and your "presence" coming!  Thanks!Honor your RSVP Club 
Send this to 5 friends...in honor of the spring membership drive!
Make it a Great Week!   Mike O'Keefe cartoon
 
Kristina Tanasichuk
Founder & President, WHS
[email protected]