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Read the latest news about the partners of Catalyst Partners:
 
David Olive
Richard Cooper
FranÇois BÉgin
David McWhorter
Randy Beardsworth
Vance Taylor
Rish Wood
Kevin McCarthy
Gerry Brown

The Comforting Feeling at NEMA
Rich Cooper
April 9, 2010 - There is a comforting feeling in attending a meeting with the National Emergency Managers Association (NEMA). You are literally surrounded by some of the world’s best and brightest emergency managers in the public and private sectors. Probably no where else in the world could you assemble the talent, experience, and character in one room and fulfill the Allstate marketing adage of “you’re in good hands.” Such was my experience last weekend at NEMA’s annual mid-year conference in Alexandria, VA. More


A new TSA Administrator nominated - Will his fate be different from the last one?
David Olive
April 9, 2010 - Yesterday afternoon, President Obama announced that he will nominate Retired Army General Robert Harding to be the TSA Administrator. Harding is a well-known and highly respected military and intelligence officer, and under normal circumstances, his nomination should sail through the Senate. But these are not normal times in the Senate. More


Rand Beers commits candor - and it was refreshing
David Olive
March 4, 2010 - Following his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee where he testified about chemical security, DHS Under Secretary Rand Beers met with national security bloggers for an "on the record" session hosted by the Heritage Foundation. It was a remarkably refreshing session – not only because Beers acknowledged the importance of reaching out to a wide range of critical thinkers (which occasionally includes bloggers), but also because he was characteristically candid. Would that other DHS officials followed his lead. More


The O’Toole Budget Hearing – Steady as She Goes…
Rich Cooper
March 4, 2010 - In one of her first appearances on Capitol Hill since becoming DHS’ Under Secretary for Science & Technology, Tara O’Toole showed herself to be in complete comfort with the issues and challenges that face her. Her demeanor and candor at a FY2011 Budget Hearing before the House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cyber Security and Science & Technology, also exhibited calm, cool and collected confidence in the programs she has inherited. This is just the reassurance that many from industry were looking for. More


Lessons from the Napolitano Budget Hearings
Rich Cooper
February 26, 2010 - Someone needs to buy Janet Napolitano a beer. Or at least give her a double of whatever she wants. After two consecutive days on Capitol Hill testifying in front of four different Congressional Committees, she’s earned it. In defending the Administration’s proposed 2011 budget, she took on a whole set of bipartisan punches and barbs from an array of political players who weren’t exactly happy with what she was trying to sell them. More


An “Astounding” Problem – DHS Civil Service and Contractors
Rich Cooper
February 24, 2010 - Amidst the news today are reports that DHS employs more contractors than career civil servants. Lawmakers, notably Sen. Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), have described this situation as "unacceptable, untenable and unsustainable." The other notable word that they have used to describe this situation is “astounding.” This is a situation that has been known about for some time. If we really want to be “astounded” and have a system that is “acceptable, tenable and sustainable,” we can start by fixing the problem that created the civil service and contractor imbalance. More


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