2022 Homeland Security Enterprise Forum

Heather Adkins is a 21-year Google veteran and founding member of the Google Security Team. As VP, Security Engineering, she has built a global team responsible for maintaining the safety and security of Google’s networks, systems and applications. She has an extensive background in practical security, and has worked to build and secure some of the world’s largest infrastructure. 

Adkins now focuses her time primarily on the defense of Google’s computing infrastructure and working with industry to tackle some of the greatest security challenges. She is co-author of Building Secure and Reliable Systems (O’Reilly, 2020), co-chairs CISA’s Cyber Safety Review Board, and has advised numerous organizations on how to adopt modern defendable architectures. She is passionate about the security of election systems, and has consulted as part of the Defending Digital Democracy project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School.

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Mr. Evanina currently serves as Founder and CEO of the Evanina Group advising CEOs and Board of Directors on strategic corporate risk. Mr. Evanina provides a wide array of elite strategic risk consultation services to Boards of Directors, CEOs, and senior decision makers operating within a very complex and competitive global economy and with nefarious nation state actors. Clients include corporations within energy, financial services, telecommunications, biomedical, technology, private equity, national security, and retail sectors. 

Mr. Evanina currently serves on multiple advisory boards and is an instructor at the University of Chicago’s distinguished Graham School. 

Mr. Evanina frequently appear in national news outlets (television, print, op-eds) advising on threats, vulnerability and mitigating strategies. 

Previously, Mr. Evanina was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 6, 2020, to be the first Senate-confirmed Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC). Mr. Evanina served as the Director of NCSC since June 2, 2014. In this position, he was the head of Counterintelligence (CI) for the U.S. Government.  

Mr. Evanina was responsible for leading and supporting the CI and security activities of the US Intelligence Community, the U.S. Government, and U.S. private sector entities at risk from intelligence collection or attack by foreign adversaries. Under NCSC, he oversaw national-level programs and activities such as the National Insider Threat Task Force; personnel security and background investigations; information technology protection standards and compliance; CI cyber operations; supply chain risk management; threat awareness to sectors of the US critical infrastructure; national-level damage assessments from espionage or unauthorized disclosures, CI mission management, and national CI and security training programs. 

Under Mr. Evanina’s leadership, NCSC produced the President’s National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America 2020, which has been instrumental in raising foreign intelligence threat awareness to critical infrastructure sectors and the private sector executives regarding supply chain, economic security, cyber, and malign foreign influence. 

Mr. Evanina chaired the National Counterintelligence Policy Board, and the Allied Security and Counterintelligence Forum comprised of senior CI and security leaders from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. Mr. Evanina also served as Chair of the NATO Counterintelligence Panel.  

Prior to his selection as the Director of NCSC, Mr. Evanina served as the Chief of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Counterespionage Group.

Mr. Evanina previously served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, where he led operations in both the Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Divisions. 

Mr. Evanina served over 31 years of distinguished federal service, 24 of which as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). At the start of his law enforcement career in 1996, he investigated organized crime and violent crimes through the FBI’s Newark Field Office. He then served on an FBI SWAT unit for 10 years, ultimately supervising this unit. He led some of the highest profile terrorism investigations in our nation’s history including the 9/11 attacks, the anthrax attacks, and the Daniel Pearl kidnapping. During his tenure with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Mr. Evanina was selected as a Supervisory Special Agent and received the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence for his leadership in the investigation into convicted spy Leandro Argoncillo. 

Mr. Evanina’s government career began in 1989 as a Project Manager with the General Services Administration, in Philadelphia. 

Mr. Evanina was born and raised in Peckville, PA. He holds an Associate’s Degree in History from Keystone College in LaPlume, PA, a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Wilkes University in Wilkes Barre, PA, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Arcadia University in Philadelphia. Mr. Evanina was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Keystone College. 

Mr. Evanina is married to his wife JulieAnne and has two sons, Dominic and Will.

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Bob Kolasky is Senior Vice President for Critical Infrastructure at Exiger where he focuses on developing cutting-edge risk management solutions for critical infrastructure companies and supporting government agencies.  In this role, Mr. Kolasky leads market strategy for addressing third party and supply chain risk in critical infrastructure and delivering analysis to support enhanced business and government operations.   

Mr. Kolasky also serves as a Nonresident Scholar in Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as a Senior Associate for the Center on Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and a Senior Fellow at Auburn University’s McCrary Institute.  He is the former Chair of the High-Level Risk Forum for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  

Mr. Kolasky joined Exiger after 15 years as a senior leader in the Federal government, where he was responsible for foundational work in national security risk management and election security, to include the development of the National Critical Functions risk framework.

He was the founding Director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) National Risk Management Center (NRMC) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As one of CISA’s Assistant Directors, he oversaw efforts to facilitate a strategic, cross-sector government and industry risk management approach to cyber and supply chain threats to critical infrastructure including U.S. elections systems. As head of the National Risk Management Center, he co-chaired the Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force and led CISA’s efforts to support development of a secure 5G network.  He also led the Agency’s work to support the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).  

Mr. Kolasky has served in a number of other senior leadership roles for DHS, including Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection.  He served as the Director of the DHS Cyber Physical Critical Infrastructure Integrated Task Force to implement Presidential Policy Directive 21 on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, as well as Executive Order 13636 on Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. 

Earlier in his career, Bob was a management consultant, a journalist and an entrepreneur. He graduated from Dartmouth College and from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  He is the proud father of three wonderful teenagers.  

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Kevin has spent decades managing multi-thousand, cross-functional teams for U.S national security agencies around the world. Most recently he served as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he managed over 240,000 employees and components of multiple security agencies including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, and more. His past experiences include implementine innovations to the U.S. international arrival and departure process, which saved the government and travel industry millions of dollars. Kevin's received numerous awards for his service and leadership including a Presidential Rank Award-the nation's highest civil service award, and the Service to America Medal. Call to Service Award.

David Pekoske was first confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Transportation Security Administration’s seventh administrator in August 2017 and was reconfirmed for a second term in September 2022. Pekoske leads a workforce of over 60,000 employees and is responsible for security operations at nearly 440 airports throughout the United States. TSA is also the lead federal agency for security of highways, railroads, mass transit systems and pipelines. Under his leadership, TSA improved transportation security through close partnerships and alliances, a culture of innovation, and development of a dedicated workforce.

During his tenure as TSA Administrator, Pekoske also served at the Department of Homeland Security as Acting Secretary from January 20 to February 2, 2021, and as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary from April to November 2019, and again from February to June 2021. At the Department, Pekoske helped lead a unified national effort to ensure the continued security of the United States, coordinating components with missions ranging from prevention and protection to recovery and response. He was also a commissioner on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission that developed a consensus on a strategic approach to defending the United States in cyberspace against attacks of significant consequence.

Before joining TSA, Pekoske was an executive in the government services industry, where he led teams that provided counterterrorism, security and intelligence support services to government agencies. Pekoske served as the 26th Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, culminating a Coast Guard career that included extensive operational and command experience. As the Vice Commandant, Pekoske was second in command, also serving as Chief Operating Officer and Component Acquisition Executive of the Coast Guard. He is a recognized expert in crisis management, strategic planning, innovation, and aviation, surface transportation and maritime security. In addition, he has been twice awarded the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal.

Pekoske holds a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

‍Diane J. Sabatino is the Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). As the senior official for OFO, Mrs. Sabatino leads more than 31,000 employees and oversees an annual operating budget of $6.5 billion. In a typical year, Mrs. Sabatino oversees the facilitation of legitimate travel for more than 410 million travelers in the air, land, and maritime environments. In the cargo environment, she oversees the review of more than 29 million cargo containers to identify high-risk shipments, including processing more than 5.2 million containers.

Mrs. Sabatino most recently served as the Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (DEAC) of OFO. Among her notable achievements as DEAC includes her role in leading CBP’s National Incident Command for Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), a historic success for CBP. As part of OAW, CBP upheld the United States’ safety and security while providing humanitarian relief for more than 84,000 people fleeing Afghanistan. She has also led development of the OFO strategy, incorporating field priorities and realigning key OFO processes to meet Agency mission goals.

Mrs. Sabatino previously served as the Director, Field Operations (DFO) for the Miami and Tampa Field Office, one of CBP’s largest and most complex operations. As the DFO, she oversaw all inspectional operations throughout the State of Florida, encompassing 19 airports and 12 seaports, including the top 3 cruise ship ports in the world. She also served as the Lead Field Coordinator for Incident Response, charged with managing the response to multiple hurricanes for all CBP resources compromising FEMA Region IV.

From September 2011 to August 2015, Mrs. Sabatino served as the Port Director for the Port of Miami, managing complex operations for maritime cargo and the largest cruise passenger port in the country. Prior to her appointment as the Port Director, Mrs. Sabatino served as the Assistant Port Director, Passenger Operations, at Miami International Airport where she was responsible for the oversight of all international passenger inspections and enforcement activities.

A native of New Jersey, Mrs. Sabatino graduated from Fordham University, New York City with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a minor in Philosophy. Mrs. Sabatino is also a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Senior Executives in National and International Security Program and the Department of Homeland Security, Partnership for Public Service Fellows Program. She began her Federal Law Enforcement career in 1998 as an Immigration Inspector at John F. Kennedy International Airport.  

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Suzanne Spaulding is senior adviser for homeland security and director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She also serves as a member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Previously, she served as undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where she led the National Protection and Programs Directorate, now called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), managing a $3 billion budget and a workforce of 18,000 that is charged with strengthening cybersecurity and protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, including election infrastructure. Ms. Spaulding has worked in the executive branch in Republican and Democratic administrations and on both sides of the aisle in Congress. She was general counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and minority staff director for the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She also spent six years at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she was assistant general counsel and the legal adviser to the director’s Nonproliferation Center. She was executive director of two congressionally created commissions, on weapons of mass destruction and on terrorism. Following the attacks of 9/11, Ms. Spaulding worked with key critical infrastructure sectors as they reviewed their security posture and advised the CEOs of the Business Roundtable. In 2002, she was appointed by Governor Mark Warner of Virginia to the Secure Commonwealth Panel to advise the governor and the legislature regarding preparedness issues. She was managing partner of the Harbour Group, a principal in the Bingham Consulting Group, and of counsel to Bingham McCutchen LLP. In addition to her work at CSIS, Ms. Spaulding currently serves on a number of corporate boards and advisory boards and is a member of the Homeland Security Experts Group (HSEG).

Kimberly Walton is a highly  accomplished executive with extensive experience in government administration, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) consulting. She recently started as an adjunct professor at Boston College. In this role, she contributes her expertise to educate and mentor students in public administration and DEIA.

As the Chief Executive Officer of DiverseUSA, LLC, a leading DEIA consulting firm, Kimberly is committed to driving sustainable and measurable results in the workforce, workplace, community, and marketplace. She leverages her deep knowledge and strategic insights to help organizations create inclusive cultures and achieve diversity goals.

With an impressive background in public administration, Kimberly Walton has made significant contributions to various government agencies. She is the former Executive Assistant Administrator for Enterprise Support at the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In this role, she implemented processes to strengthen enterprise support services across critical functions, including human resources, acquisition and procurement, training, logistics, and more. Her expertise ensured the smooth functioning of TSA's operations, benefitting 62,000 employees and safeguarding over 2.2 million passengers.

Before her work at TSA, Kimberly held key positions within the Department of Commerce. She served as the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the United States Patent and Trademark Office and as the Director of Civil Rights for the department. Her leadership also extended to chairing the department's diversity council. Before her time at the Department of Commerce, she was an attorney with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Kimberly Walton's commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion is further evident in her creation of Women Executives at TSA (WE@TSA) in 2015. This Employee Advocacy Council aimed to address the unique challenges faced by women in the workplace and allowed female executives and interested employees to contribute their valuable perspectives.

Kimberly's exceptional leadership and dedication have earned her several prestigious awards and recognition throughout her career. She was honored with the Presidential Rank Award and the Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership in 2021. In addition, she has received the DHS Secretary's Award for Diversity Management, TSA Silver Medal Award, TSA Core Values Award, and TSA Trailblazer Award for her outstanding contributions in advancing diversity and equality.

Kimberly Walton's invaluable expertise, combined with her passion for diversity and inclusion, has positioned her as a respected leader in the field. As the Vice-President of Executive Women in Government and a Fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration, she continues to drive positive change, empower individuals, and provide strategic solutions to organizations seeking to foster inclusive cultures. As an adjunct professor at Boston College, she imparts her knowledge and experiences to the next generation of public administrators, shaping their understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field.