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. The HSC provides an annual report to the Mayor and District of Columbia Council.
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 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 presidental inaugurations and two papal visits. Before becoming Interim Director, Brian served as the Deputy Director, Homeland Security Advisor, Chief of Staff, and State Coordinating Officer (SCO) and oversaw 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.
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.
Remaya Campbell is an intelligence analyst of far-right disinformation, radicalization, and extremism at technology startup Blackbird AI. In this role, she serves as an extremism and disinformation subject matter expert for an international suite of clients. A large portion of her work involves identifying, researching and authoring intelligence reports on disinformation campaigns and wider information operations related to right-wing extremism and electoral integrity for international government and private sector clients using a wide collection of open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools and quantitative techniques. Prior to her role with Blackbird AI, Ms. Campbell worked as a Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst at cybersecurity and geopolitical risk firm Recorded Future and as a humanitarian aid and disaster relief associate at Team Rubicon. She began her career in intelligence analysis with the Central Intelligence Agency before departing federal service to pursue her master's degree. She loves living in Washington, D.C., where she enjoys summer thunderstorms and the many boundless opportunities to make a difference in an ever-changing world. A Ward 6 resident, Ms. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, History, and Culture from the University of Southern Califomia and a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago, New Zealand.
Are you interested in serving on the Homeland Security Commission? Application information is available through the Mayor's Office of Talent and Appointments.
Archive
For notices of quarterly meetings, meeting minutes, and notices of fact finding meetings, please visit the Homeland Security Commission Archive Page.
