Partnership and Engagement

Leadership

• Assistant Secretary Philip A. McNamara, Office of Partnership and Engagement
• Assistant Secretary Heather Fong, Office for State and Local Law Enforcement
• Deputy Assistant Secretary Alaina Clark, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
• Deputy Assistant Secretary Sarah Morgenthau, Private Sector Office
• Executive Director Trent Frazier, Office of Academic Engagement
• Director Traci Silas, Committee Management Office
• Executive Director Sarah Morgenthau,  Homeland Security Advisory Council

Organization

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.

Office for State and Local Law Enforcement

On the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, Congress created the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) in 2007 for two key purposes:

• Lead the coordination of DHS-wide policies related to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement’s role in preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disaster within the United States; and
• Serve as the primary liaison between DHS and non-Federal law enforcement agencies across the country.

Private Sector Office

The Private Sector Office (PSO) provides the Secretary and Department leaders with advice on issues relevant to the private sector, including academia, non-profits, NGOs, and businesses.

The Private Sector Office:

• Engages businesses, trade associations and other non-governmental organizations to foster dialogue with the Department.
• Advises the Secretary on prospective policies and regulations and in many cases on their economic impact.
• Promotes public-private partnerships and best practices to improve the nation's homeland security.
• Promotes Department policies to the private sector.

Loaned Executive Program

The Loaned Executive Program is a special opportunity (unpaid) that provides top executive-level talent from the private sector an opportunity to share their expertise with Homeland Security.  Through the Loaned Executive Program, Homeland Security is working with the private sector on innovative solutions to our homeland security challenges.  The Department is looking to the nation’s top executives and industry experts to partner with us as we strive to solve problems, improve processes, and fully realize our mission. 

Office of Academic Engagement

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains numerous relationships with members of the academic community and directly engages with school administrators, faculty, and students on a range of issues. DHS strengthened its outreach efforts to academic institutions by forming the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE), which supports DHS’s mission by building, improving and leveraging relationships with the academic community.

OAE’s work with the academic community occurs across DHS, and focuses on six key areas:

• Academic Research and Faculty Exchange: Taps into the expertise of the nation's colleges and universities to address pressing homeland security needs;
• Campus Resilience: Strengthens the ability of colleges and universities to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk;
• Cyber security: Strengthens partnerships to enhance DHS’s cybersecurity recruitment efforts and support resilient campus systems and network;
• Homeland Security Academic Programs: Supports academic programs that help create an educated and informed workforce now and in the future;
• International Students:  Advances opportunities for international students to study in America while maintaining the integrity of the immigration process; and
• Student and Recent Graduate Recruitment: Focuses on the unique career opportunities that DHS offers in a variety of fields to build the next generation of homeland security leaders.

The Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC)

The Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC) provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and senior leadership on matters related to homeland security and the academic community, including: student and recent graduate recruitment; international students; academic research and faculty exchanges; campus resilience; homeland security academic programs; and cyber security.

Committee Management Office

The Committee Management Office (CMO) exercises control and lends oversight to all DHS Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) related committees; equips the Designated Federal Officials (DFO) and Alternate Designated Official (DFO) of each committee with the tools necessary to carry out their committee duties, facilitates stakeholder discussions; offers innovative solutions to FACA issues; and routinely provides the Department’s senior leaders with a snapshot of the FACA program.

Homeland Security Advisory Council

The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) leverages the experience and expertise through national and global connections of the HSAC membership to provide the Secretary and senior leadership organizationally independent, strategic, timely, specific, and actionable advice to support decision making across the spectrum of homeland security operations. The council is comprised of national, academic, and private sector leaders as well as senior level officials from state, local, and tribal governments. The HSAC currently has six active subcommittees: the Foreign Fighter Task Force, the DHS Employee Task Force, the DHS Grant Review Task Force, the CBP Integrity Advisory Panel, the Faith Based Security and Communications Subcommittee, and the Cybersecurity Subcommittee.

“If You See Something, Say Something™” Public Awareness Campaign

The "If You See Something, Say Something™” public awareness campaign works with federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners to enhance the public's awareness of suspicious activity related to terrorism and terrorism-related crime. To accomplish this, the campaign develops public awareness materials that encourage the public to report suspicious activity to the appropriate law enforcement authorities within their communities.

More from DHS

State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Contacts

State, Local and Tribal Grant Programs