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Homeland Security Commission

The District of Columbia Homeland Security Commission (HSC) was established by the Homeland Security, Risk Reduction and Preparedness Amendment Act of 2006. The HSC makes recommendations for improvements in security and preparedness in the District. Specifically, the Commission gathers and evaluates information on the status of homeland security in the District, measuring progress and gaps in homeland security preparedness, recommending security improvement priorities in consultation with major public and private entities and advising the District government on the homeland security program. Each year, the HSC provides an annual report to the Mayor and District of Columbia Council. 

Homeland Security Commission Members

Commission members are experts in the areas of security, transportation, communication, risk assessment, public health, and terrorism. Each member’s background and expertise is listed below

Brian Baker: Brian Baker is an expert in preparedness, response, disaster recovery, and homeland security. With close to two decades of public service and public safety leadership, he has served in a variety of senior level management positions for public, private, and non-governmental organizations. Brian currently serves as the Vice President of Hagerty Consulting, where he acts as one of Hagerty's public facing leaders and plays a leading role in Hagerty's business development and growth efforts. Prior to joining Hagerty, Brian served as the Interim Director of the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (DC HSEMA). In this role, he led a team of over 100 full time employees, managed over $500 million in local and federal grant funds, served on prominent policy groups, oversaw the DC fusion center, and served as the Consequence Management Chair for more than 25 National Special Security Events (NSSEs), including four presidential inaugurations and two papal visits. Before becoming Interim Director, Brian served as the Deputy Director, Homeland Security Advisor, Chief of Staff, State Coordinating Officer (SCO) over saw the State Administrative Office for grants and federal funding. Overall, he was responsible for emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery for the City, including operations for a 24-hour emergency operations center and the Washington Regional Threat Analysis Center. A Ward 6 resident, Mr. Baker received his undergraduate degree at Johnson and Wales University and his graduate education at the George Washington University School of Public Health. He is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security's Homeland Security Executive Leaders Program. 

Kelvin Coleman: Kelvin currently serves as an Executive Partner with IBM Consulting in the Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Unit. Prior to this role, he worked with the world’s most recognizable technology and financial services companies to build strong public/private partnerships as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance.Kelvin has served in several roles in the private and public sectors including Cyber Policy Executive at the National Defense Information Sharing and Analysis Center and as Strategic Director at FireEye where he managed National Security Agency and Department of Defense issues related to protecting government intelligence networks. Kelvin also spent a number of years with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Cybersecurity and Communications. While there, he was the staff director for the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. Later in his career at the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, he served as the Branch Chief of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs – Stakeholder Engagement. During the Obama Administration, he joined the White House staff. While at the White House he was director of State Engagement at the National Security Council - Cyber Directorate.Kelvin currently serves on several boards in the Washington Metropolitan area including Dumbarton Arts & Education (board chair), the Beauvoir School (board vice chair), and the National Cathedral Foundation (cybersecurity/emerging technology chair). He also served as a board director of Fair Chance, the Black Student Fund, and the National Child Research Center.He is a proud resident of Washington, DC.

Edward Pearson: Edward Pearson retired from the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS) after thirty years of dedicated service to the citizens and visitors of our nation’s capital. His career began in 1987 as a firefighter and he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1995. Edward held the rank of Lieutenant and Captain before his promotion to Battalion Fire Chief in November of 2005. He was promoted to the rank of Deputy Fire Chief on January 3, 2011. He is the only Deputy Fire Chief in the Department’s history to serve as Firefighting/Operations Deputy on Platoon #1, #2, #3, and #4. Edward is a 2007 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program (EFO). He is a 2003 graduate of the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Municipal Management (CEMM). A native Washingtonian and Ward 7 resident, Edward received his Master of Arts in Security Studies from Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California in 2014, a Master of Public Administration in Public Management in 2002, and a Bachelor of Science in Fire Science Administration in 2000, both from the University of the District of Columbia.

Joanna Turner: Joanna Turner currently serves as Director of Government Relations at The Hershey Company, where she advises the business on federal, state and local policy and legislative matters. Prior to her position at The Hershey Company, Joanna was the Executive Director of the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the US Department of Transportation, a position she held from 2009 to 2014. Before her federal service, Joanna was the lead advocate and negotiator on federal transportation policies on behalf of the National Governors Association and the nation's 55 state and territorial governors. She also spent eight years at the National League of Cities, where she developed and advanced an advocacy platform to support the national transportation, environmental, and energy-related goals of the nation's 18,000 municipal governments. A Ward 6 Resident, Joanna received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Geography from George Washington University. 

Wendy Villatoro: Wendy Villatoro, a native Washingtonian, is a dedicated homeland security and international security consultant, scholar, and public servant, committed to developing solutions for the risks our nation faces. With analytical and program management expertise alongside a background in public affairs and crisis management, she specializes in strategies for effective decision making, goal achievement, risk management, emergency planning and preparedness solutions. Throughout Ms. Villatoro’s career, she has managed high value asset programs for the federal government and served in a leadership role as an advisor to several strategic initiatives and stakeholder engagement programs. She has also been responsible for developing, evaluating, and implementing training and technical concepts, policies, and procedures for specialized logistics Continuity of Operations (COOP) support to government entities. A Ward 5 resident, Ms. Villatoro holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Colorado Denver, a master’s degree in Cybersecurity from Marymount University, a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Disaster Management from University of Alaska Fairbanks, a master’s degree in International Security from Trinity Washington University, and a master’s degree in International Relations & Conflict Resolution from American Military University. Ms. Villatoro is currently enrolled in Marymount University’s Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) Cybersecurity program.

Are you interested in serving on the Homeland Security Commission? Application information is available through the Mayor's Office of Talent and Appointments.

HSC Quarterly Meetings

The most recent quarterly meeting of the HSC took place on July 6, 2021. To view notices for quarterly meetings that took place prior to 2019, please visit the Homeland Security Commission Archive Page.

Additional Fact Finding Meetings 

To view an archive of fact finding meetings that took place prior to 2019, please visit the Homeland Security Commission Archive Page.

Meeting Minutes

To view minutes from quarterly meetings that took place prior to 2019, please visit the Homeland Security Commission Archive Page.