Stephen Flynn

Homeland and Maritime Security Expert, former US Coast Guard Commander and author of "The Edge of Disaster" and "America the Vulnerable"

Dr. Stephen Flynn is one of world's foremost authorities on homeland and maritime security and critical infrastructure protection. In his new landmark book, The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation, Flynn details the major man-made and natural perils that will almost certainly confront the United States and offers a menu of actions the U.S. government, the private sector, and everyday Americans should undertake right now to manage these dangers. Flynn is also the author of the critically acclaimed and national bestseller, America the Vulnerable, the first book to comprehensively analyze America's susceptibility to deadly and disruptive attacks on America's domestic front, and to propose more inclusive, more democratic and ultimately more effective measures to confront our current state of homeland insecurity.

A Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Commander in the United States Coast Guard, Flynn has been at the forefront of homeland and maritime security issues since long before the attacks of September 11. A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Flynn is a highly-decorated officer who spent twenty years on active duty in the Coast Guard, including twice in command at sea. He served in the White House Military Office during the George H. W. Bush administration and as a director for global issues on the National Security Council staff during the Bill Clinton administration. Dr. Flynn is currently a consulting professor at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation.

David M. Stone

The Honorable David M. Stone is currently the President and CEO of The Alacrity Homeland Group - a homeland security and critical infrastructure protection advisory firm. He is Vice Chairman of the Board of the Ocean Security Initiative (OSI) which is a non-profit organization that focuses on building global Public and Private partnerships in the Maritime domain. David Stone is also the former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). A 28 year career naval officer, he served with great distinction achieving the rank of Rear Admiral and retiring from active duty in April 2002. As Rear Admiral, he served as the Commander of NATO's Standing Naval Force Mediterranean during operations in the Adriatic in support of the Kosovo conflict.

Frances Townsend

Ms. Frances Fragos Townsend was appointed Homeland Security Advisor by the President on May 28th, 2004. Ms. Townsend chaired the Homeland Security Council and reported to the President on United States Homeland Security policy and Combating Terrorism matters. She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism.

Ms. Townsend came to the White House from the U.S. Coast Guard, where she had served as Assistant Commandant for Intelligence. Prior to that, Ms. Townsend spent 13 years at the U.S. Department of Justice in a variety of senior positions, her last assignment as Counsel to the Attorney General for Intelligence Policy. Ms. Townsend began her prosecutorial career in 1985, serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York.