Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security alumna Cathy Lanier was the guest speaker as 58 participants completed a Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Center December 15.
The CHDS participants were among 396 graduates during the ceremony in King Hall on the Naval Postgraduate School campus.
Lanier, chief of NFL security, earned her CHDS master’s degree in 2005, two years before she was named chief of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department.
Reflecting on her time at the Center, she told graduates that an NPS degree carries with it a responsibility to the country and cited CHDS Director of Academic Programs Chris Bellavita.
“What Chris [Bellavita] and the faculty at the NPS do better than anyone else – is force you to create what doesn’t exist,” Lanier noted. “They teach you how to use collaboration and innovation to solve problems; sometimes before anyone else is even thinking about them.”
Ronald A. Route, VADM, USN, (Ret.), President, Naval Postgraduate School, presented Lanier with a Distinguished Alumni Certificate, an honor afforded graduates who have “demonstrated extraordinary leadership, achieved a distinguished career in national security, and provided valuable support of graduate education and the Naval Postgraduate School.”
CHDS graduates comprise professionals from the fields of homeland security, emergency management, law enforcement, the fire service, public health, education, and city/county government (see list).
“These graduates will join a national cadre of cohorts who are helping keep our nation safer,” CHDS Director Glen Woodbury said. “We are proud and look forward to their contributions to the homeland security enterprise in the coming years. They reflect the professionalism and dedication our nation deserves.”
Five CHDS graduates earned special recognition:
- Outstanding Thesis Award: Jessica Bress, Policy Advisor with the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health, and Craig Schwartz, Captain with the Santa Rosa (Calif.) Police Department. The award is based on academic rigor and the quality of the literature review, analysis and conclusions as well as writing and overall presentation of the thesis.
- The Curtis “Butch” Straub Award: Schwartz and Jackie White, Captain of the Albuquerque Fire Department. The Straub Award is based on grades, thesis and classroom leadership. The award is in honor and memory of one of CHDS’ founders.
- Mark Carr Esprit De Corps Award: White, along with Giacomo Sacca, captain with Elizabeth (N.J.) Police Department and Dave Hutcheson, Chief of the Virginia Beach Fire Department. The Mark Carr Esprit De Corps Award and is named in honor of a former CHDS student who died in August 2014.
The first program in the nation of its kind and located at the Naval Postgraduate School, CHDS provides a leading-edge, multi-disciplinary curriculum in its 18-month master’s degree program in homeland security. Graduates are expected to write theses pertinent to their employing agencies.
Naval Postgraduate School
Center for Homeland Defense and Security
- Barry Ramey, Major, South Carolina Army National Guard, West Columbia, S.C.
- Nicholas Winters, Major, Washington Army National Guard, Seattle
- Kevin Barklage, Commander, United States Coast Guard, Washington, D.C.
- Brian Bean, Major, Oregon Air National Guard, Portland
- Carole Allen, Inspector, Amtrak Police Department, Washington, D.C.
- Mike Alvarez, Lieutenant, California Highway Patrol, Sacramento, California
- Craig Barnett, Lieutenant, Raleigh Police Department, North Carolina
- Douglas Berglund, Director of Emergency Management, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Stillwater, Minnesota
- Atithi Bharth, Transportation Security Specialist, Transportation Security Administration, Arlington, Virginia
- Daniel Bradley, Director, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management
- Jessica Bress, Policy Advisor, District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health
- Justin Bristow, Director of Border Security, U.S. Border Patrol, Washington, D.C.
- Alan Butsch, Battalion Chief, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services, Gaithersburg, Maryland
- Caleb Cage, Chief, Nevada Division of Emergency Management – Homeland Security, Carson City, Nevada
- Johanna Canaday-Gibson, Criminal Intelligence and Analysis Manager, Fremont Police Department, Fremont
- Kathleen Christie, Patrol Agent in Charge, U.S. Border Patrol, Del Rio, Texas
- Jeffery Davis, Chief, El Cajon Police Department, California
- Jared Goff, Captain, Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, Virginia
- Eric Greening, Captain, Seattle Police Department
- Rick Griggs, Battalion Chief, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, California
- William Hegedusich, Plans and Exercises Coordination Officer, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, Washington, D.C.
- Troy Hughes, Chief, Los Alamos County Fire Department, New Mexico
- James Huse, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service
- David Hutcheson, Chief, Virginia Beach Fire Department, Virginia
- Ryan Dean Jerde, Supervisory Special Agent, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington, D.C.
- Susann Kimmelman, Lieutenant, New York City Police Department
- Niko King, Deputy Fire Chief, Sacramento Fire Department, California
- Reiss Kuczera, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington D.C.
- Jason Lim, Program Manager, Transportation Security Administration, Arlington, Virginia
- Judith Lynn, South Region Field Operations Coordinator/EOC State Liaison Officer, Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, Tucson
- Tara Matthews, Section Chief, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Washington, D.C.
- Ryan McGovern, Captain, Boston Fire Department
- Daniel McMasters, Program Analyst, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC
- Ronald Menz, Port Director, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Rochester, New York
- John Murray, Patrol Commander, Salinas Police Department, California
- Scott Neal, Assistant Chief, Bullhead City Fire Department, Arizona
- Daniel O’Sullivan, Captain, New York City Fire Department
- Joseph Patterson, Captain, Amtrak Police Department, Chicago, Illinois
- Jason Reardon, Lieutenant, California Highway Patrol
- Kathryn Roberts, Program Specialist, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.
- Ryan Rockabrand, Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Denver
- Nicole Rosich, Policy Analyst, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Washington, D.C.
- Eric Rosner, Management Program Analyst, National Protection and Programs Directorate; Washington, DC
- Giacomo Sacca, Captain, Elizabeth Police Department, New Jersey
- Michael Saltz, Unit Chief, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC
- Patricia Schaffer, Senior Planning Coordinator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Denton, Texas
- Craig Schwartz, Captain, Santa Rosa Police Department, California
- Adrian Sheppard, Chief, Richmond Fire Department, California
- Michael Silver, Director, Military Support, Utah National Guard
- Michael St. Jeanos, Major, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police
- Craig Stewart, Master Detective, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana
- John Tani Jr., Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Washington, D.C.
- Jay Teitelbaum, Strategy and Operations Expert, U.S. Digital Service
- Mark Timpf, Captain, Tucson Police Department, Arizona
- Danielle Turner, Transportation Security Analyst, Transportation Security Administration, Arlington, Virginia
- Jackie White, Captain, Albuquerque Fire Department, New Mexico
- John Whitney IV, Division Chief, Scottsdale Fire Department, Arizona
- Diane Wilson, Policy Advisor, Transportation Security Administration, Arlington, Virginia
