David Howe - Chief Executive Officer

Prior to joining Civitas, David Howe served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Homeland Security Council at the White House. While there, he coordinated policy on issues ranging from WMD defense and counterterrorism to disaster response and preparedness. He also served as the Chief of Staff to the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board where he helped draft the National Strategy for Cyber Security. Previously, he served as CEO of a California-based software company, and as Managing Director of EHS Partners, a highly successful consulting firm started by former McKinsey & Company consultants focused on turn-around projects for Fortune 500 clients. He worked for four years at McKinsey & Company, leading engagements in energy, healthcare and other commercial sectors.

Howe served for four years as a Special Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy, including leadership of a SEAL Team detachment during Operations Desert Storm and Provide Comfort. Mr. Howe received an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from Harvard University.

Parney Albright - Vice Chairman

Penrose "Parney" Albright is one of the nation's leading experts on homeland and national security technology and policy. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, where he was responsible for developing the multi-year strategy, planning guidance, programs and budget for the Science and Technology Directorate. Prior to joining the Department, Dr. Albright served jointly as Senior Director for Research and Development in the Office of Homeland Security and Assistant Director for the Office of Homeland and National Security in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He was a key architect of the President's National Strategy for Homeland Security, and directed the formation of the DHS's Science and Technology Directorate. Previously, he served as Program Manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Dr. Albright has been involved in the national security arena since 1986 with an emphasis on countering terrorism, protecting against weapons of mass destruction, border protection, developing and implementing intelligence and special operations technologies, and systems performance analysis of space systems and ballistic and cruise missile defense systems.

He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Maryland and his BS in both Physics and Applied Mathematics from George Washington University.

Richard Gordon - Managing Director

Rick Gordon is an expert on security technology, business strategy and early-stage finance. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Gordon was a senior consultant with The O'Gara Company, a strategic consulting firm that advised large systems integrators and emerging technology companies on the homeland security market. In this role, he managed several large company accounts and developed a comprehensive investment strategy for the homeland security market. Previously, he served as CEO of Tovaris, a specialized encryption software development company, where he was responsible for raising the company's initial investment capital and developing critical relationships with key strategic partners in the information security industry. Mr. Gordon was also a technology investment banker at Bear, Stearns & Co., serving many emerging technology companies and participating in several technology initial public offerings.

Mr. Gordon has also served as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. He received his MBA from The Darden School at the University of Virginia and his BS in Engineering with Merit from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Kirstjen Nielsen - Managing Director & General Counsel*

The Honorable Kirstjen Nielsen is a corporate attorney and an expert in homeland security, including preparedness, response and incident management, homeland security assistance and training programs, information sharing and infrastructure protection. Ms. Nielsen currently focuses on providing strategic homeland security consulting services to Federal, State and local governments and is also instrumental in assessing the  legislative and policy landscape for companies who are looking to enter the homeland security market, expand their presence or develop new homeland security related technologies.

Prior to joining Civitas Group, Ms. Nielsen was commissioned by President Bush to serve as Special Assistant to the President for Prevention, Preparedness and Response on the White House Homeland Security Council where her responsibilities included the development, coordination and oversight of U.S. Government homeland security policy and the development of numerous Presidential homeland security policy documents on issues ranging from public alert and warning to improvised explosive devices to the information sharing environment.

Prior to joining the HSC, Ms. Nielsen created and managed the Offices of Legislative Policy and Government Affairs at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), developing transportation security related policy and drafting legislation relating to security background checks, credentialing, passenger pre-screening, surface transportation and security funding. 

Previously, Ms. Nielsen practiced corporate transactional law with Haynes and Boone, LLP where she represented emerging, privately held and public companies with respect to general corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions and financing matters. Ms. Nielsen also served on the staff of U.S. Senator Connie Mack where her issues of responsibility included foreign affairs, national security, defense, intelligence, and transportation.    

Ms. Nielsen has guest lectured at the National Defense University on a variety of infrastructure protection issues and the George Washington University on the homeland security policy process and Katrina lessons learned.  She has also served on panels and given speeches at homeland security conferences and forums on homeland security preparedness issues.

Ms. Nielsen received a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.  In addition, she studied at the Nanzan University Center for Japanese Studies in Nagoya, Japan.

*Admitted in Texas. Not admitted in DC. Practicing under D.C. Court of Appeal's Rule 49(c)(6).     

Mark Shaheen - Managing Director

Mark Shaheen is a Managing Director at Civitas Group. At Civitas Group, he leads the firm’s efforts focused on acquisition support and investment due diligence in the homeland security, defense, and intelligence sectors, and provides strategic planning and market strategy for firm clients. Prior to joining Civitas Group as one of the firm’s original principals, he was a Foreign Service Officer at the Department of State. In this capacity he served as the senior advisor for the Middle East in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, where he led critical counterterrorism initiatives and coordinated interagency policy and numerous bi-lateral efforts in the region. Previously, Mr. Shaheen had served on the staff of the Secretary of State and also held overseas assignments as a Political/Economic Officer at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana and as Special Assistant to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in London. He has worked in numerous advisory roles related to homeland security and foreign policy/national security.

Mr. Shaheen served as an officer in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division. He is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Georgetown University.

Michael Warren - Managing Director

In addition to serving as Managing Director of Civitas Group, Michael J. Warren is also Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer of Stonebridge International LLC, an international strategic advisory firm, where he is responsible for the firm's overall management, client service and business development activities. Previously, Mr. Warren was Vice President for Corporate Development at Horne Engineering Services where he led integration of the firm's operations, business development and financial affairs, and he co-founded two software companies. He formerly worked at McKinsey & Company, both as a strategic consultant in the technology and financial institutions industries and as a fellow of the McKinsey Global Institute. Mr. Warren also served as Executive Director of the White House National Economic Council.

A Rhodes Scholar, he earned degrees from Yale University and Oxford University.

David Aidekman - Principal

Prior to joining Civitas Group, David Aidekman served as Special Assistant to the Counselor to the Secretary of State where he advised on national security and homeland security issues including counterterrorism, border and travel security, and intelligence. Prior to this position, he served as Director for Policy and Plans at the White House Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council where he was responsible for strategic planning and budgeting for government-wide homeland security programs. Mr. Aidekman helped draft the National Strategy for Homeland Security and the President's proposal for the Department of Homeland Security. He also served in the National Security Division of the Office of Management and Budget where he worked on defense acquisition programs. He has guest lectured on homeland security at Harvard's Kennedy School and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Mr. Aidekman earned a MA in Public Policy from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Warren - Managing Director

Warren Rudman - Chairman

Warren Rudman served two terms in the U.S. Senate as a Republican representing New Hampshire. He also was Chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under President Clinton and Co-Chair of the U.S. Commission on National Security. While in the Senate, he served on the Senate Select Committee investigating the Iran-Contra affair. Senator Rudman served on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Intelligence Committee, the Governmental Affairs Committee, the Ethics Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Previously, he served as Attorney General of New Hampshire. Currently, Senator Rudman is a member of the board of directors of the Chubb Corporation, American Stock Exchange, Allied Waste, Boston Scientific, Collins & Aikman and the Raytheon Company and is a trustee of several funds of the Dreyfus Corporation.

He is co-chairman of the Concord Coalition and a trustee of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Brookings Institution. Senator Rudman served in the U.S. Army as a combat platoon leader and company commander during the Korean War.

Kenneth A. Minihan

General Ken Minihan is a Principal of the Paladin Fund and Member of the Paladin's Homeland Security Fund Investment Committee. General Minihan was previously Director of both the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He led the definition and selection of technology solutions to solve the most difficult national security information needs. General Minihan is the Chairman and President of the Security Affairs Support Association, which focuses on shared government and industry national intelligence and technology challenges. He also is a member of the Air Force Association and the National Military Intelligence Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and otherwise advises a number of early stage technology, security and infrastructure service companies. General Minihan is experienced in capital-raising, enterprise operations, business development and business readiness assurance.

General Minihan has a B.A. Degree from Florida State University, a M.A. Degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, and has completed executive development programs at the University of Illinois and Harvard University. Among his awards and decorations are the National Security Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.

Tom Ridge

The Honorable Tom Ridge became the first Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and, on January 24, 2003, became the first Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Prior to his service in the White House and at DHS, Tom Ridge was twice elected Governor of Pennsylvania. He served as the state’s 43rd governor from 1995 to 2001; prior, he was elected to Congress in 1982. He was one of the first Vietnam combat veterans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and was overwhelmingly re-elected by Pennsylvania voters five times. He is currently the CEO of Ridge Global, a Washington, DC-based consulting firm.

Alan Wade

Alan Wade is a former senior executive at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he had a distinguished career focused on the use of technology in intelligence. He recently retired after a thirty-five year career in the CIA, where his most recent position was the Chief Information Officer, a role he held since 2001, in which he also served as the Chief Information Officer for the United States Intelligence Community.

Prior to his role as the Chief Information Officer, he also served as the Director of Communications and the Director of Security. Mr. Wade also served in CIA assignments that involved technical programs in the United States and overseas, principally in the areas of telecommunications and technical security.

He is a recipient of the Meritorious and Distinguished Officer designations, as well as the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Director of Central Intelligence’s Director’s Medal, and the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

Mr. Wade holds a BA in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and an MA in Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University.