Meet Our Staff

• Michael W. Lowder, Director
• Donna O'Berry, Deputy Director
• Donald Price, Associate Director for Intelligence
• Charles Benard, Program Director for National Security Programs
• Dan Noel, Senior DOT Representative to NORAD/NORTHCOM
• Gregory Brown, Associate Director for International Preparedness Programs
• Richard Moore, Associate Director for Security Policy and Plans 
• Jennifer Roberson, Program Manager for Training and Exercises
• Bradley K. Hoilman, Associate Director for Business Services and Administration

MAIN CONTACT INFORMATION

IMMEDIATE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

INTELLIGENCE DIVISION

SECURITY POLICY and PLANS DIVISION

OPERATIONS DIVISION

PREPAREDNESS DIVISION

PROTECTIVE SERVICE DIVISION

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Michael W. Lowder

Director

Michael W. Lowder serves as the Director of the Office of Intelligence, Security & Emergency Response (S-60) for the U.S. Department of Transportation.  A member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and is designated as a National Security Professional and a Federal Senior Intelligence Coordinator.  Mr. Lowder is the Department’s Emergency Coordinator providing leadership for all departmental civil transportation intelligence issues, security policy, and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities related to emergencies that affect the viability of the transportation sector.  In 2012 he was awarded the Presidential Rank Award – Distinguished Executive.  In 2011 he was awarded the DOT Secretary’s Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement. He was selected in 2015 to represent the U.S. at the China Executive Leadership Academy (CELAP).

Prior to this Mr. Lowder served as the Deputy Director of the Response Division for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Lowder has been designated and served as both a Principal Federal Official (PFO) and a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO).  Mr. Lowder was a member of FEMA’s National Emergency Response Team (ERT-N), and the Domestic Emergency Response Team (DEST).

Mr. Lowder has more than 35 years of experience in the law enforcement, and emergency services field, as a Special Agent with the US Government, the State of North Carolina as a Special Agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and as the Director of Emergency Services with Bladen County, North Carolina.   

Mr. Lowder has represented the U.S. government at meetings and conferences in the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Australia, Japan, Belgium, Taiwan, and Turkey, as well as throughout the United States.  He represented the U.S. at NATO-RUSSIA counter-terrorism exercises in Kaliningrad, Russia and at the “Black Rain” CT exercises in the UK.   He serves on the Executive Board on the FBI’s National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF), the ODNI’s  National HUMINT Committee, and represents the Department on National Security Council (NSC) and Homeland Security Council (HSC) policy and advisory groups.  He is the US lead for the US-China Transportation Forum-Transportation Emergencies Working Group.  He also serves as the DOT lead on the US-Russia Joint Committee on Cooperation in Emergency Management.

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Donna O'Berry

Deputy Director

Donna O’Berry is the Deputy Director of the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).   A member of the Senior Executive Service, Donna is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the office and assists the Director in leading departmental civil transportation intelligence issues, security policy, and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities related to emergencies that affect the viability of the transportation sector

Donna has a long history with USDOT and with the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response, having served as the primary staff attorney-advisor on all legal aspects of intelligence, security, and emergency response, during her tenure as a Senior Attorney-Advisor with USDOT’s Office of General Counsel.  As an additional duty, she spent one year managing the office’s security policy initiative and activities at the Director’s request.

Donna began her Federal Government career as an Attorney-Advisor with USDOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA)/Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and was responsible for legal services related to the transportation of hazardous materials. 

While at RSPA/PHMSA, she also served as the Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Transportation.  The Office of Emergency Transportation merged with the Office of Intelligence and Security in 2003.  In this position she managed the implementation and execution of the Secretary’s statutory and administrative responsibilities in civil transportation emergency preparedness, which included the overall Departmental civil emergency preparedness policies, plans, procedures, systems, and programs on transportation matters ranging from man-made crises and national security emergencies to natural disasters.

In 2003, Donna served as the Staff Director for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transition Team.  In this capacity she led the USDOT team in executing a timely and smooth transition of the USCG and TSA to the Department of Homeland Security.  She received the USCG Meritorious Public Service Award for her leadership on the Transition Team.

Prior to joining USDOT, Donna served as a judicial clerk in the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Maryland.  Previous to attending law school, Donna was a grants administrator and program officer for an international nonprofit organization that works to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide by helping build political and civic organizations, safeguard elections, and promote citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

A graduate of the University of Tulsa and the American University Washington College of Law (cum laude), Donna resides in Maryland with her husband Bob.

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 Donald Price     

Associate Director of Intelligence

Mr. Price assumed duties as the Associate Director for Intelligence in the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response under the Office of the Secretary of Transportation in July 2014.  As the Associate Director of Intelligence, he is responsible for leading and managing all aspects of intelligence programs, planning, and operations directly supporting the information needs of the Department’s Secretary, senior staff, and ten Operating Administrators.  His office conducts activities to identify, access, and deliver high value information necessary for the Department to develop and enforce national transportation policy and regulations contributing to national security and safety efforts that ensure the safe, secure, and resilient operation of the nation’s transportation systems and infrastructure. Mr. Price represents the Department’s interest and equities at multiple national level meetings concerning the development and execution of intelligence, information sharing and safeguarding, and domestic and international security related programs. 

Mr. Price enlisted in the US Army in 1982, received an active duty Army ROTC scholarship in 1987, and was commissioned as a US Army 2^nd Lieutenant in 1990 through the University of Tampa.   He retired in 2006 from the Army after serving twenty-one years in a variety of strategic, operational, and tactical level intelligence assignments around the globe as an enlisted soldier and a non-commissioned and commissioned officer.  Mr. Price then took a position with the FBI as a senior intelligence analyst at the National Joint Terrorism Task Force.  In this position, Mr. Price led and managed the daily coordination and collaboration on intelligence community all-source intelligence reporting between the NJTTF interagency task force officers representing 44 separate federal, state, or local agencies. In addition to his intelligence duties, Mr. Price was selected to represent the FBI as a subject matter expert for a US effort to train foreign countries in establishing interagency counterterrorism programs. Following his time with the FBI, Mr. Price assumed the Lead Analyst Position at the US Department of Transportation where he was responsible for leading, managing, and coordinating all aspects of intelligence analysis and production in support of the Secretary’s and other senior DOT leadership requirements.

Mr. Price holds several Masters of Science degrees to include a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University; a Master of Science in Technology Management, Johns Hopkins University; and a Master of Science in Human Resource Management, Central Michigan University.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Psychology from the University of Tampa.  He is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, and the National Security Agency’s Joint Officer Cryptologic Career Program. 

Mr. Price is married to Jennifer (Flores) Price, a graduate of West Point and a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel. They have two daughters, Sasha and Kaelani, and two grandchildren.

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Charles Benard

Program Manager for National Security Programs

Charles Benard is the Manager, National Security Continuity Programs, Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response.  Mr. Benard was born in Germany to a military family and attended school in Albuquerque and Southern California as well as International and Department of Defense schools before graduating from Munich American High School. He attended the University of Munich and the University of Vienna where he obtained his degree. He is fluent in German.

He began his professional career as the Director of Civil Rights for a Department of Defense agency before joining the Department of Transportation in a similar capacity. He later was the Assistant Manager for National Security Programs then transferred to the Federal Aviation Administration as the Continuity Program Manager prior to rejoining OST.

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Dan Noel

DOT Senior Representative to NORAD/NORTHCOM

Dan Noel serves as the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Senior Representative to NORAD/NORTHCOM.  A member of DOT’s Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response; Mr. Noel has served as the National Continuity Program Manager for the Department.  His experience includes developing departmental policy, plans, and exercises to ensure Departmental and Operating Administrations’ continuity plans and capability fulfills the requirements to perform Primary Mission Essential Functions during any catastrophic event.

Previously, Mr. Noel served as Manager of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Emergency Operations Division.  Mr. Noel led the crisis management infrastructure employing an integrated system of policy, procedures, personnel, facilities, and communications; ensuring FAA senior officials had timely accurate information to plan, direct, and control all aspects of FAA essential operations.  He was responsible for FAA’s preparedness and response to natural disasters, Continuity of Operations (COOP), support to special access Continuity of Government (COG) programs, pandemic influenza planning, facilitating FAA support for the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, and overall emergency preparedness.  Mr. Noel led the Emergency Operations Division during 9/11/01 and Hurricane Katrina. 

Mr. Noel is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel, Command Pilot who served as a C-141 Instructor Pilot.  His assignments included Laredo AFB, TX, Travis AFB, CA, McGuire AFB, NJ, Altus AFB, OK, and a joint tour to the FAA Headquarters in Washington DC.  His C-141 missions included Operations Baby Lift and New Life extracting orphans and South Vietnamese civilians who supported the U.S. from Saigon prior to Viet Nam’s fall.  Lieutenant Noel was transiting Tan Son Nhut airport just days before the fall of Saigon.

During his Air Force assignment to FAA Headquarters, Lt. Col. Noel made great strides to collaborate with the Air Force to augment military mobilizations with civilian airlift while ensuring flight safety.  In Operation Desert Shield, during the first historic activation of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, Lt. Col. Noel led the FAA Crisis Response Working Group facilitating the safe movement of 709,000 personnel and 126,000 tons of equipment on 5,441 civilian CRAF missions.

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Gregory Brown

Associate Director for the International Preparedness Division

Gregory D. Brown is the Associate Director for the International Preparedness Division in the Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response. With 19 years of experience in Transportation Program Management, he has worked with Civil Aviation, Highways, Transit and Maritime. His international project management skills include programs in Canada, China and Europe.

Gregory has developed numerous national and international organizational relationships within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, where he serves as the vice chairman of the civil aviation working group, the World Bank, the American Public Transportation Association, Brazil and Canada’s Civil Aviation Agency as well as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Gregory obtained a Master of Arts in Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs, where his fellow students were a select group of international military officers and professionals.

When he was the head of the transportation element (ESF #1) of the US National Response Program, he led a cadre of over 50 people from throughout the nation during disasters such as Hurricane Gustav & Ivan.  He has also worked in private industry as well as for the United States Congress.

In addition to the program mentioned above, Gregory has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Delaware State University and a Master of Business Administration from Morgan State University.

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Richard Moore

Associate Director for Security Policy and Plans

Richard Moore began his federal career in 2008 as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Policy Honors Fellowship, a two-year rotational program. Through the program, Richard experienced DHS assignments with the Privacy Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Office of Cyber Security Policy.

In 2010, Richard transitioned from the DHS Office of Policy to the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection’s Homeland Infrastructure Threat and Risk Analysis Center (HITRAC), serving as an Infrastructure Risk Analyst.  In 2013, HITRAC became the Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis (OCIA), and Richard became the Branch Chief for Cyber-Physical Analysis.  In this role, Richard supervised several staff members that worked to assess the potential infrastructure consequences related to threat actors exploiting cyber security vulnerabilities.  Richard oversaw branch projects with national laboratory and other partners, and he coordinated the branch’s analytical production to support the Strategic Infrastructure Analysis Division of OCIA.

Prior to joining the federal government, Richard earned two degrees from the University of Southern California: a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Arts degree in English.  More recently, he also earned a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University.

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 Jennifer Roberson

Program Manager for Training and Exercises

Jennifer Roberson is the Training and Exercise Manager within the Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response, representing and coordinating the Department’s participation in all interagency matters involving emergency response/homeland security training and exercises. She has over twenty years of exercise experience at the local and federal levels, as well as in the private sector. While in the Private Sector she helped to lay the foundation for what would become the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) with her work on the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Domestic Preparedness Program.

Upon her arrival at the Department of Homeland Security in March 2003, she became part of the team responsible for developing the core doctrine of HSEEP, as well as for working with States and Territories to develop State Homeland Security Training and Exercise Plans.Additionally, she was responsible for oversight of the State Exercise Support Program, working with states and territories to identify ways in which DHS could assist in exercise planning and conduct through temporary provision of contract personnel. Further, Ms. Roberson was involved in planning for Senior- and National-level exercises. Following her five years at the National Exercise Division, Ms. Roberson spent two years at the United States Fire Administration, serving as the Continuity of Operations lead, the Administrator's representative to interagency wild land fire organizations, and USFA's representative to FEMA's Policy Working Group.

Ms. Roberson holds a degree in Justice from American University, and is a life member of the Glen Echo Volunteer Fire Department in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2013 she became a Distinguished Graduate of the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University, earning a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Security Studies.

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Bradley K. Hoilman

Associate Director for Business Services and Administration

Mr. Hoilman is the Business Services and Administration manager within the Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response (S-60).  In this capacity, Mr. Hoilman manages the business and administrative management activities of the office as well as human resource functions.  In addition to day-to-day responsibilities, this program has a major role in supporting Emergency Response Function #1 under the National Response Framework.  Following a disaster, this office is responsible for conducting the financial administration function required under the National Incident Management System.  The Associate Director also administers the DOT Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) allocation process in coordination with the National Response Program Manager, DOD Transportation Command staff, and the OST Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs.  Prior to leading the Business Services and Administration Program, Mr. Hoilman was the Deputy Director for the Resource Management Office for the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Mr. Hoilman has over 30 years of Federal government service with over 16 years of experience served with the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Prior to the DOT, Mr. Hoilman managed the Washington Metropolitan Area Optimization (WMAO) project for the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The objective was to optimize and consolidate telecommunications services and equipment in the Washington Metropolitan area to achieve a more efficient and cost effective telecommunications infrastructure, and reduce costs.  Annual cost reductions were over $1.0 million.  In addition, Mr. Hoilman was an integral part of the USDA’s,  Network Aggregation and Planning program which focused on optimizing and consolidating FTS2000 service access arrangements in order to reduce USDA telecommunications costs.  This program won the 1995 Technology Innovation Award and earned the 1995 Interagency Management Council Award.  Millions of dollars in cost reduction opportunities in telecommunications services were identified.

Mr. Hoilman’s educational qualifications include a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Information Technology and an Associate’s in Applied Science degree in Data Processing.

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