Jeff Robertson, Former Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Jeff Robertson is currently at the Homeland Security Institute in Arlington, VA. HSI, a division of Analytic Services, Inc., is a federally funded research and development center providing studies and analysis to DHS and other government agencies. His career has focused on maritime and border security issues. He has more than 25 years of experience with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, serving in operations, intelligence, and public affairs roles.

He last served in government as CBP’s Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs – principal communications executive for the $11 billion federal law enforcement agency. He led day-to-day and strategic communications for CBP’s portfolio of responsibilities, including the Border Patrol, Field Operations, Air and Marine Operations, and Trade regulation. In this role, he advised the Commissioner on public relations issues, messaging, branding, media interviews, and communications strategy for border security and comprehensive immigration reform initiatives.

Prior to CBP, Mr. Robertson was a consultant with Whitney, Bradley, and Brown, Inc., and he has also served in industry as Communications Director with Parsons Infrastructure and Technology. He retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2005.

Mr. Robertson has a B.S. in Government from the United States Coast Guard Academy, an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the National Military Intelligence College, and is a graduate of the Defense Information School. He serves on the Maritime Security Working Group at the Heritage Foundation and provides pro-bono communications consulting to non-profit organizations.

Keynote Speakers

Col. Randall Larsen (Ret. USAF), Former Executive Director of the Congressional Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism

Dr. Jeffrey Runge, Former Chief Medical Officer, DHS

Robert Hooks, Deputy Assistant Secretary for WMD and Biodefense, Office of Health Affairs

Guest Speakers

Penny J. Hitchcock, D.V.M., M.S., Chief Scientist, Chemical and Biological Early Detection (BioWatch), Systems Program Office, Tauri Group

Tina Gabbrielli, Director of the Office of Risk Management and Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Peter Jutro, Deputy Director for Science and Policy, National Homeland Security Research Center, EPA

Daniel Marc Sosin, MD, MPH, FACP, Acting Director, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, CDC

Pietro D. Marghella, Former Director of Medical Contingency Operations, Office of the Secretary of Defense

Joanne Cox, Deputy Chief, Emergency Risk Communication Branch, CDC

Dr. Brian Flynn, Former Assistant Surgeon General, US Public Health Service

Gerald W. Parker, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Dave Gruber, Deputy Commissioner of Health (Preparedness and Response), State of New Jersey

Michael J. Fischer, Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Maryland Department of Transportation

John H. Bridges III, Former Incident Commander for Anthrax Response and Mitigation, US Postal Service, 2001 to 2004

Glen D. Gilmore, Responded to anthrax attack as Former Mayor of Hamilton Township, New Jersey

Gary Cecchine, Ph.D., Biology/Public Policy, Natural Scientist, RAND

Dr. William J. Parker III, Biodefense and Critical Infrastructure Expert

Thomas R. Austin, Ph.D., Manager CBRNE Countermeasures Programs, The Boeing Company

C. Randal Mullett, Vice President, Government Relations and Public Affairs for Con-way Inc.

Michael Luke, Command Agreements Manager, Mortuary Affairs Officer, Logistics Planning,NORAD-USNORTHCOM

Margaret Jo Velardo, PhD, Director of Research, Homeland Security Institute

Dr. David McWhorter, Principal, Catalyst Partners, LLC

Jennifer Nuzzo, Associate, UPMC Center for Bio-Security

Arthur L. Kellermann, MD, MPH, Senior Principal Researcher, Paul O'Neill-Alcoa Chair in Policy Analysis, RAND Corporation

Dr. Thomas K. Zink, MD, Adjunct Associate Professor, Institute for Biosecurity, Saint Louis University

Dr. Joseph Tricarico, Jr., Esq., Assistant Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

Richard Cooper, Chairman, Homeland Security Division, National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)

Anthony S. Mangeri, MPA, CPM, Assistant Professor School of Public Safety & Health American Military University

M. Allen Northrup, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Microfluidic Systems

Tim Tinker, MPH, DrPH, Senior Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

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