Leadership Conference

Admiral Allen is THE crisis leadership expert. In 2010, President Obama selected Thad to serve as the national incident commander for the unified response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to that, he was designated principal federal official for the government’s 2005 response and recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Commander, Thad led the area forces following the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Senior Executive Advisor, Booz Allen Hamilton, and former Commandant of the U. S. Coast Guard

An award-winning journalist, Ms. Phillips joined CNN in 1999 anchoring Live From, CNN Newsroom, and American Morning. She moved to HLN in 2012 to anchor Raising America with Kyra Phillips, and is now a correspondent for the CNN investigative and documentary units.​  Throughout her career, Ms. Phillips has garnered exclusive interviews with some of the world's most public figures, including Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander for the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Author. Anchor. Correspondent.

Vice Admiral Lee retired from the Coast Guard in 2016, following his final assignment as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, where he oversaw a force of 21,000 active duty personnel conducting missions spanning across 40 states, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.​ In addition to his duties at Atlantic Area, he served as Commander, Defense Force East, and provided Coast Guard mission support to the Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders in the Arabian Gulf.

Vice Admiral, United States Coast Guard (Retired)

Rear Admiral Atkin retired from the Coast Guard in June 2012 after serving more than 30 years in various operational and strategic roles, including serving as Chief of Staff to the DHS Principal Federal Official for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He has significant government experience, including serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Transborder Security on the National Security Council, and filling various roles for the Department of Defense, DHS, FEMA, and the U.S. Navy. 

Founder & Managing Partner of The Atkin Group

Mr. Darnell is The George Washington University's first Senior Associate Vice President for Safety and Security and comes to the university from the White House, where he served as director of critical infrastructure protection and resilience policy for its National Security Staff. A retired Master Sergeant with the United States Air Force, Mr. Darnell has nearly a decade of experience at the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Justice.

Senior Associate & Vice President for Safety and Security; The George Washington University

Rear Admiral Landry retired from the Coast Guard in 2011. One of her assignments included commanding the Coast Guard’s 8th District in New Orleans, LA, where she served as the Federal On-Scene Commander during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. She was the Coast Guard's inaugural Director of Incident Management and Preparedness from 2012-2015, and from 2013 to 2014, she served at the White House as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience Policy.

Rear Admiral, United States Coast Guard (Retired)

Dr. Jeff Stern was appointed to lead the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Commonwealth’s all-hazards disaster preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery agency, in 2014. Dr. Stern previously served in both the public & private sectors and academia. A former firefighter/paramedic, battalion chief, special ops team leader, and local emergency manager, his career has spanned operational, policy-making, and advisory roles from the local firehouse to the White House. 

Virgina State Coordinator of Emergency Management

Master Chief Dewilde retired from the Navy in 2017 after serving more than 30 years in various operational and strategic roles. He has vast experience in leading SEALs and other Special Operations units worldwide. His operational assignments and leadership tours include SEAL Team Two, Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGROUP), Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Naval Special Warfare Center, and Naval Special Warfare Group Two. 

Independent Executive Leadership Advisor and Business Development Professional

Mr. Henzel is a global business executive, entrepreneur and advisor to C-Suite Executives in the Global Fortune 100 / FTSE 50. He has 25+ years of experience at General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, AstraZeneca, Genpact, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security. Delivering a track record of consistent business success in Management Consulting, Mr. Henzel has broad business exposure in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific markets.

C-Suite Advisory -- Fortune 100 / FTSE 50

Dr. Harkins is the CEO of Harkcon, Inc., an award-winning Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned business, and has more than 30 years experience leading and consulting across a broad-spectrum of human performance improvement areas in the public and private sectors. A retired U. S. Coast Guard officer, he is recognized as a subject matter expert in discerning the nature of work and creating an environment where people thrive, and is the driving force behind Harkcon Academy.

Chief Executive Officer, Harkcon, Inc.