After five years leading the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leaders Program (ELP), Sara Kay has passed the torch to new leadership. Kay, who has guided the program since 2020, has stepped into an advisory role, paving the way for incoming director Lushan Hannah (ELP 2202), a 2022 graduate who began co-facilitating in 2024.
Kay’s leadership left a lasting mark on the program. Drawing on her career in federal and state government organizations, the military, and the private sector, she introduced student-centered changes that elevated ELP’s experience. Her signature initiatives included “Fireside Chats” with subject-matter experts and a program requirement for participants to write an article for publication, supported by the self-study course (designed by ELP graduate Kevin Duffy) Writing for Publication.
Kay built on the foundation laid by Ellen Gordon, ELP’s founding director from 2006 to 2020, who became a trusted mentor during Kay’s transition into leadership. Kay and the ELP team created the Ellen Gordon Award to honor Gordon’s leadership.
“The fact that Ellen started this program and made it such a success and then had the trust in me to hand it over was huge and definitely a high mark in my career. It was the biggest privilege of my career to run the ELP program,” Kay said, adding that passing the torch to Hannah has been seamless.
“Lushan has a deep understanding and perspective on emergency management and all the issues that are wrapped up in the Homeland Security enterprise. He is a natural fit for this role.”
“We’re preparing these executive leaders for a future of uncertainty and dynamic crises. We need them to develop these critical thinking skills to help lead us through these crises. That’s the value of our program.”
– Lushan Hannah, Director, Executive Leaders Program
Hannah’s career spans 26 years with the Coast Guard, where he served in a range of leadership roles focused on regulatory enforcement, environmental protection, public safety, and maritime security. His final assignment was as Chief of the Preparedness Division at Coast Guard Pacific Area, where he led operational planning and international engagement for missions spanning six continents, 71 countries, and more than 74 million square miles of ocean—from the U.S. Western States to Asia, and from the Arctic to Antarctica.
He is also a Certified Business Continuity Professional and Certified Emergency Manager and holds three master’s degrees: a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland – University College; a Master of Public Health in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Michigan; and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
Now at the helm of the Executive Leaders Program, Hannah is focused on expanding its reach. One of his main initiatives is extending ELP’s footprint beyond Monterey, taking participants on field trips to the Bay Area to connect directly with technology leaders and national security experts.
While bringing a fresh perspective to ELP, Hannah remains focused on the program’s core mission: shaping leaders who can thrive in uncertainty.
“We offer students an opportunity to focus on themselves and develop their critical thinking in a world that’s continually changing,” he said. “We’re preparing these executive leaders for a future of uncertainty and dynamic crises. We need them to develop these critical thinking skills to help lead us through these crises. That’s the value of our program.”
