The Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) celebrated the graduation of Executive Leaders Program (ELP) Cohort 2501 on June 4, 2026, bringing together 28 senior leaders from across government, law enforcement, emergency management, critical infrastructure, and the private sector.
Participants examined complex homeland security challenges, exchanged lessons learned, and built professional relationships that will continue long after the program concludes.
For W. Kirby Saunders, Director of Emergency Services, Orange County, NC, the experience culminated with an unexpected honor. Saunders received the Ellen Gordon Award, presented to the graduate who best exemplifies a passion for learning and critical thinking, collaboration with peers, and commitment to the cohort.
“I think for me, it was about absorbing everything possible,” said Saunders. “Not just the curriculum and presentations, but also the lessons from the cohort, asking questions for deeper knowledge and deeper understanding, and sharing my perspective.”
Saunders said one of the program’s greatest strengths is the diversity of experience in the classroom. Participants represented organizations ranging from local agencies to national-level institutions, creating opportunities to learn from challenges and perspectives outside their own professional environments.
“By the end of the four in-residencies, we realized we all felt the same thing,” Saunders said. “We had this mutual appreciation and perspective for each other.”
Saunders said he incorporated ideas from ELP into his organization, including sharing books from the program with senior leaders and implementing new employee engagement practices inspired by the cohort experience.
For Patrick Scanlan, Director of Global Intelligence and Threat Analysis for The Walt Disney Company, ELP reinforced the importance of professional relationships and local partnerships.
A former FBI executive with more than two decades of public service experience, Scanlan brought both government and private-sector perspectives to the cohort. One of his key takeaways was that even large-scale incidents are ultimately addressed at the local level.
“No matter how big a problem or an incident is, it starts at a local level, and the solution starts there,” Scanlan said. “Having those localized personal contacts is one of the strengths of the program.”
Scanlan also highlighted the program’s ability to address emerging challenges facing homeland security professionals.
“It was a curated set of speakers that reached a wide, diverse audience,” Scanlan said. “The timeliness of the topics was necessary in a time where risk continues to evolve,”
Kristen de Tineo, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said ELP prepared the cohort to address modern security challenges.
“When you look at modern security and how we address it, we have to be collaborative,” de Tineo said. “This entire experience mirrors that.”
She described the program as a room full of experienced leaders learning from one another.
“We didn’t just have faculty experts. All of the students were experts,” she said. “Seeing the different perspectives from state, local, emergency management, law enforcement, and the private sector, it was a really incredible experience.”
Like many graduates, de Tineo emphasized the lasting value of the professional network built through ELP. Beyond the coursework and presentations, participants leave with trusted colleagues across disciplines and jurisdictions who can provide insight, advice, and support when new challenges emerge.
“You hear all these different perspectives from across the security landscape and walk out even more confident than when you came in,” de Tineo said.
That combination of executive education, peer learning, and professional networking remains a defining feature of the Executive Leaders Program. As Cohort 2501 graduates return to their organizations, they take with them not only new perspectives on homeland security challenges, but also a nationwide network of leaders committed to addressing them together.
Executive Leaders Program cohort 2501 participants:
- Michael Aguirre – Assistant Chief, Long Beach Fire Department- Long Beach, CA
- Zach Ardis – Assistant City Manager of Public Safety, Longmont Department of Public Safety – Longmont, CO
- Ian Bastek – CalOES, Deputy Director, Response – Sacramento, CA
- Ashan Benedict – Public Safety Executive, Peregrine Technologies – Washington, DC
- Katharine Bonneson – Associate Vice President, Health, Safety & Risk Management, University of Minnesota – Afton, MN
- Derek Bowmer – Deputy Chief, Philadelphia Fire Department – Philadelphia, PA
- Jeein Chung – Deputy Branch Chief, Operations & Analysis, DHS/CWMD – Fairfax, VA
- Robert Cottle – Deputy Director, Texas Office of the Governor – Homeland Security Grants Division – Austin, TX
- Kristen de Tineo – Assistant Director/Chief Security Officer, DOJ/ATF – Washington, DC
- Natalie Enclade – Executive Director, BuildStrong America – Washington, DC
- Drew Evans – Superintendent, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension – St. Paul, MN
- Mary Foote – Medical Director, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – Brooklyn, NY
- Natalie Grybauskas – Assistant Commissioner, Response, NYC Emergency Management – Brooklyn, NY
- Sean Haglund – Associate Director, Office for Bombing Prevention, DHS/CISA – Arlington, VA
- Matthew Kearney – Senior Advisor, Boston Emergency Medical Services – Boston, MA
- Sarah Mahmood – Technical Director, DHS, Science & Technology Directorate – Washington, DC
- Josh McBride – D11 Command Master Chief, U.S. Coast Guard – Oakland, CA
- William McVey – Public Safety Director, Bensalem Township – Besalem, VA
- David Mula – Deputy Director/Chief of Staff, Louisiana Military Department – Metaire, LA
- Kimberly O’Connor – Director, Arizona Department of Homeland Security – Phoenix, AZ
- Michelle Oblinsky – Strategy & Transformation Manager, Virginia Department of Emergency Management – North Chesterfield, VA
- Eric Peters – Director – National Targeting Center – Passenger, U.S. Customs and Border Protection – South Riding, VA
- Jacob Ruiz – Deputy Chief, St. Cloud Police Department – St. Cloud, FL
- W. Kirby Saunders – Director of Emergency Services, Orange County, NC – Hillsborough, NC
- Patrick Scanlan – Director, Global Intelligence and Threat Analysis, The Walt Disney Company – Burbank, CA
- Bryan Schenone – Director, Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services – Yreka, CA
- Erin Slycord – Deputy Division Chief, J26/8 (Capabilities Development), U.S. Coast Guard – Colorado Springs, CO
- Michael Smith – Vice President of Emergency Services, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians – Highland, CA
