ASPEN SECURITY FORUM - SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS

The 2012 Aspen Security Forum will be held July 25-28, 2012.  As in past years, it will feature top-level present and former government officials; industry leaders; leading thinkers; noted print and broadcast journalists; and concerned citizens. Confirmed speakers to date include Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command William McRaven; NSA Director Keith Alexander; former Secretary of DHS Michael Chertoff; Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman; TSA Administrator John Pistole; NCTC Director Matthew Olsen; former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley; former CIA Director Michael Hayden; Special Assistant to the President for Afghanistan and Pakistan Douglas Lute; former DNIs John Negroponte and Mike McConnell; former LAPD Police Chief and NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton; Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Sherry Rehman; and Afghan Ambassador to the U.S. Eklil Hakimi. This year's forum will also feature a screening and discussion of the hit Showtime series "Homeland" with the show's producers.

YOUR TEAM

Marc Pearl

Upcoming Events

Annual Members Meeting

Annual Report Released 

Thought Leadership Committee

March Executive Roundtable

Public Policy Discussion

Thursday, May 31st - Homeland Security Industry-Government Reception

REGISTER & Invite a Friend from the Government 

Our Annual Members Meeting was held last week. We distributed our 2011 Annual Report and new membership blocks, reviewed our past activities and those planned for the year ahead. There was an opportunity for our members to discuss the program successes and ongoing initiatives of the Council over the past year and go over our planned initiatives, activities and goals for the coming year. We had a robust discussion on how the Council's programs can be even more 'valuable' going forward, and concluded the program with Admiral Thad Allen, former Commandant of the USCG and now a Senior VP at Booz Allen Hamilton, providing his unique analysis of the budget environment, political climate and opportunities for our industry.  He also gave us his perspective on what needs to be accomplished in order to strengthen the homeland security enterprise in the years ahead.

The 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 industry. The goal of our thought leadership activities is for industry to build strong and ongoing relationships by engaging with Administration officials, Members of Congress, and other stakeholders in substantive dialogue.  This process allows us to share our perspectives and exchange ideas on critical issues in a manner that shapes policy, improves organizational processes, solves mission challenges, and strengthens and matures the homeland security enterprise.  The full TLC discusses the critical issues that the Council's members need to address, and provides direction and oversight to the ongoing initiatives of the specific-topic workgroups. 

Our special topic workgroups serve as subject matter advisors and work with government officials to exchange ideas, share the varied points-of-view and ideas of industry, and to discuss how to implement and advance a collaborative approach to the Council members' issues and mission.  We encourage you to get involved in one of the Council's workgroups (listed below). Please contact  Krista if you would like to participate (and/or can recommend a colleague) in one or more of the workgroups or learn more about their ongoing efforts.

Advancement of Technology in Homeland Security Workgroup supports the successful advancement of critical technologies from the laboratory and early research and development (R&D) phase into operational homeland security applications.  The workgroup is currently engaged in discussions with S&T on technology foraging, the roles and responsibilities for the S&T Commercialization Officer position, and programs to help link and build relationships between small, medium, and large businesses in the homeland security marketplace.   

Co-Chairs: Jill Cohen/DuPont and Mike Kelly/TASC

Cyber Security / IT Infrastructure Protection seeks to involve the leading SMEs in developing an agenda that looks at DHS' role in cyber security, and promotes the need for safe, secure, and responsible cloud computing solutions for the public sector.  The members are concentrating on issues involved with the development of the cyber workforce, virtualization, mobility, protection of data, the implications of social media, the consumerization of IT, and balancing the needs of security and efficiency as it pertains to information technology.

Co-Chairs: Martin Mackes/Unisys and Scott Price/GDIT

Homeland Security Enterprise identifies opportunities to improve the management and organizational processes across the components of DHS in a way that results in greater effectiveness and efficiency.  The members are working closely with the DHS Management Directorate to discuss issues related to industry days, DHS' communication process with industry, standards for cost estimation and scheduling, and the integrated investment life cycle.    

Co-Chairs: Rick Saunders/Booz Allen Hamilton and Donald Thomas/Ernst & Young

Information Sharing and Management examines the cultural, process-oriented, and technological challenges associated with government agencies ability to receive, manage, analyze, operationalize, and share voluminous amounts of data, particularly across different environments. The members are currently looking at outreach and engagement with fusion centers.  

Co Chairs: Phil Kangas/Grant Thornton and Wayne Lucernoni/Harris IT Services

Protection, Preparedness & Resilience promotes the importance of risk mitigation activities and building and sustaining the mission capabilities needed to ensure national preparedness and community resilience.  Members are considering outreach focused on supply chain resilience, the implementation of PPD-8, and FEMA's Strategic Foresight Initiative.

Co-Chairs: Thomas Robison/Accenture and Jan Lane/Deloitte

Recent Meetings:

• The Information Sharing Workgroup met with Ross Ashley, Executive Director of the National Fusion Center Association on March 2nd to discuss challenges and opportunities for engagement with fusion centers.

• The Homeland Security Enterprise Workgroup met with Dr. Cedric Sims of the DHS Management Directorate on March 15th to discuss standards for cost estimation modeling and schedule management. 

Upcoming Meetings and Opportunities:

• Advancement of Technology Workgroup will meet with Stephen "Herbie" Hancock, the Deputy Director of R&D Partnerships at S&T, to discuss Technology Foraging on April 12th from 9:30-11:00am. Please contact Krista if you would like to participate in this meeting.

• Companies that attended the March 15th Homeland Security Enterprise Workgroup meeting with Dr. Cedric Sims were asked to nominate practitioners to participate in smaller focused work sessions with Dr. Sims' staff to provide feedback on an existing set of draft standards.  Representatives from the following member companies will participate in two work sessions scheduled in April: Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton, Raytheon, TASC, and Unisys.  

• The kickoff meeting for the 2012 DHS Intelligence Community Analyst Private Sector Program will be held on April 30th at Booz Allen Hamilton in McLean, Virginia. 

Noah Kroloff, Chief of Staff for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, spoke with Council members at our March Executive Roundtable.  Mr. Kroloff discussed the Secretary's priorities for the year and discussed the need for continued and improved dialogue between the Department and industry.  Members had the opportunity to engage with him on a range of issues including the budget, the issues surrounding integrating assets from theatre to the border, and the Secretary's international efforts.  We thank Dave Patterson, President of Intel Federal LLC, and co-chair of the Council's Thought Leadership Committee, for moderating this discussion. 

 
The Council held a Public Policy Discussion with Nelson Peacock, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security on March 23rd. Assistant Secretary Peacock discussed his role advising the Secretary and other leadership on legislative matters, as well as his role responding to requests from Members of Congress. Thank you to Deloitte for hosting us!