Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) promotes an integrated national approach to homeland security by coordinating and advancing federal interaction with state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. IGA is responsible for opening the homeland security dialogue with executive-level partners at the SLTT levels, along with the national associations that represent them.

Leadership and Organization

Assistant Secretary – Phil McNamara
Deputy Assistant Secretary– Alaina Clark
Director of Local Affairs – Brad Johnson
Director of State Affairs – Brian Hyer

Director of Tribal Affairs - David Munro

IGA is focused on outreach to three major stakeholder groups: State officials, local officials and tribes. The State, local, and tribal teams are each served by a Director, who is charged with overseeing outreach and engagement with SLTT stakeholders on a variety of DHS-related programs and policy issues.

State Affairs

State Affairs is the designated lead for state relations and consultation at the Department. Governors, State Homeland Security Advisors (HSAs), and state agencies constitute a large amount of the Department’s outreach and collaboration. IGA State Coordinators are tasked with maintaining relationships and situational awareness of events and issues in all 56 states and territories, as well as communicating with numerous associations that address homeland security-related issues.

State Coordinators are also responsible for maintaining an up-to-date awareness and continuous communication with all Department of Homeland Security components, and facilitating direct communication and flow of information on all Department issues with our SLTT stakeholders.

Local Affairs

IGA is the designated lead for local engagement at the Department. Through the Local Affairs team, IGA emphasizes direct relationships with cities and localities nationwide in order to understand the needs of our key local stakeholders, incorporate their views into the policy formulation and implementation process and foster positive programmatic outcomes at the local level. To accomplish this, IGA engages with Mayors, Deputy Mayors, local emergency managers, City Councilors, County Commissioners and other local officials to ensure a coordinated approach to DHS issues.

Tribal Government Affairs

We acknowledge the importance of working in a nation-to-nation manner with the 567 federally recognized Native Alaskan Village and American Indian Tribal governments. IGA is the designated lead for tribal relations and consultation at the Department.  The Department’s Tribal Consultation Policy [link to tribal consultation policy] guides our efforts to meet the requirements of the longstanding Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments. The tribal government affairs program supports DHS components in their interactions with federally recognized tribal nations with a focus on developing mutually responsive engagement approaches. Tribal Government Affairs hosts monthly calls with interested Alaskan Villages and Indian tribes to increase collaboration of homeland security efforts between the governments. The program also maintains the Department’s Tribal Resources Guide [link to TRG].    

Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

By phone:
(202) 282-9310

By e-mail:
DHS.IGA@hq.dhs.gov