David Howe - President & CEO

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 - Managing Director & 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 an expert on counterterrorism, national security and the homeland security market. A Foreign Service Officer from 1995-2003, he previously served as the senior advisor for the Middle East in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State. He was responsible for leading critical counterterrorism initiatives, coordinating interagency policy and numerous bi-lateral efforts in the region. Previously, Mr. Shaheen served on the staff of the Secretary of State and also held overseas assignments as a political/economic officer at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, and as Special Assistant to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in London.

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

 MANAGING BOARD

Robert H. Swindell - Chairman

Prior to joining Civitas, Mr. Swindell spent 17 years as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, most recently as head of U.S. Technology Banking. His primary client focus was the security, communications, and services sectors. He had previously headed the global consumer/industrial and debt/capital markets groups within investment banking. Mr. Swindell has extensive capital markets and corporate finance experience having initiated or executed more than 200 transactions in all product areas.

Mr. Swindell currently serves on the Board of Directors of Verified Identity Pass, and the Board of Advisors of the Benefactors Society at the University of Virginia's College of Arts and Sciences. He has a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Anthony S. Harrington

Ambassador Harrington is President of Stonebridge International, LLC, an international strategic advisory firm based in Washington, DC, co-founded with former National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger.

Ambassador Harrington previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil and as Chairman of the President's Intelligence Oversight Board, Vice Chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and a member of the congressionally-created Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the U. S. Intelligence Community.

Before serving in Brazil, Ambassador Harrington was a senior partner of Hogan & Hartson, a 900-lawyer, international firm based in Washington, DC. He was a founder of Telecom*USA, which became the fourth largest U. S. long distance telephone company, prior to its merger with MCI.

He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

Charles R. Black, Jr.

Mr. Black, former Chairman of BKSH & Associates, is recognized as one of the nation's leading public affairs professionals. A senior advisor to Presidents Reagan and Bush, he served as principal public spokesman for President Bush in the 1992 presidential campaign, and, earlier, as spokesman for the Republican National Committee. In 2000, he served as a volunteer political advisor and surrogate spokesman for the Bush/Cheney presidential campaign. Mr. Black has managed the successful elections of more than ten members of the U.S. Senate and more than a dozen Members of Congress. He acted as political consultant to U.S. Senators Jesse Helms, Robert Dole, Phil Gramm and Dave Durenberger, and as political director of the Republican National Committee under Chairman Bill Brock.

A graduate of the University of Florida and The American University School of Law, Mr. Black currently serves on the boards of directors of the American Conservative Union, the Fund for American Studies, the U.S. Air Force Academy Foundation and The Mills Corporation.

R. Scott Pastrick

Mr. Pastrick is President and Chief Executive Officer of BKSH & Associates, a world-wide government relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., London and Brussels. Mr. Pastrick previously served as a Staff Director in the United States House of Representatives, and as a Special Assistant in the Treasury Department during the Carter Administration. Mr. Pastrick has served as an advisor to numerous Presidential, Congressional and Senatorial Campaigns. He also served in the National Democratic Party leadership as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Trustees, Democratic National Committee's 1996 Site Selection Committee member, and Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee.

He is a graduate of Wabash College, with graduate studies at George Washington University and the Indiana University School of Law.

Michael Warren

Michael J. Warren is Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer of Stonebridge International LLC, an international strategic advisory firm. Michael J. Warren 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.

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.

James B. Francis, Jr.

Jim Francis is the President of Francis Enterprises, Ltd., a Dallas-based company focused on investments and government and public affairs consulting. He is a past partner at Bright & Company, a Dallas holding company with interests in professional sports, transportation, finance and oil and gas. Mr. Francis is the past Chairman of the Texas Public Safety Commission and is a veteran of numerous political campaigns for state and national office.

Gene Gabbard

Gene Gabbard was a founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom*USA, founder and CEO of Digital Communications Corporation (now Hughes Network Systems), and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MCI Communications. He is a director of Colt Telecom in Europe, Knology, Inc., a broadband services company in the Southeast, Trillion Partners, a broadband wireless internet provider, and PRE Holdings, Inc., a stored value card services company. Gabbard is a special limited partner of Ballast Point Ventures, providing expansion capital to growing businesses in the Southeast and Texas, and serves on the review committee for Dali Hook Partners.

Previously, Gabbard served as an advisor to The Walt Disney Company, NEC and Telecom Italia and worked for COMSAT Laboratories. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a member of the Society of International Business Fellows.

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.

Richard Trutanic

Richard S. Trutanic is Chairman of the Somerset Group, a private investment management firm. Previously, Mr. Trutanic was a partner and Senior Managing Director of Groupe Arnault S.A,, a private investment company holding controlling interests in several public companies, including Luis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy (LVMH) and Christian Dior, as well as equity interests in diverse private enterprises in the U.S., Europe and Asia. An accomplished senior executive and investment professional, Mr. Trutanic has served as a senior advisor to the Carlyle Group and the Friedman Billings Ramsey Group, and was a Managing Director of Washington National Investment Corporation, a private merchant bank. Mr. Trutanic currently serves on several private company boards and is a Trustee of the New York Life Mainstay Funds, a $24 billion family of institutional and mutual funds.

A graduate of Stanford University, Mr. Trutanic received his graduate degrees in business and law from the Stanford School of Business and the Stanford Law School.

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.