The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Advisory Council met March 16 at the White House.
Topics discussed include enhanced supply chain security, improved intelligence and information sharing capabilities, greater transparency, improved customer service and the expansion of the Homeland Security Technology and Innovation Network, according to a March 17 news release.
"No federal Department touches the lives of more people on a daily basis than the Department of Homeland Security, and those we serve deserve to see our government working to become more innovative, more efficient and more responsive," DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in the news release. "The work of the Homeland Security Advisory Council is central to informing those efforts."
Council members include advisors to former presidents, national law enforcement executive leadership, some of the world’s largest companies' CEOs and presidents and CEOs of non-government organizations, Mayorkas said in the release.
"From combatting forced labor around the world to fortifying our critical infrastructure, we cannot succeed in our mission without robust collaboration with community and private sector partners," he added, according to the release. "I am confident the recommendations made by members of the Council will help our 260,000-person workforce better deliver on our critical mission and continue to build trust in our Department for years to come."
Among those attending the meeting were Michael Chertoff, former secretary of homeland security who oversaw DHS from 2005 to 2009. In his remarks, Chertoff discussed how DHS has evolved over its 20 years against an ever-changing threat landscape and emphasized DHS "is fit for purpose for the threats of today and tomorrow," the news release said.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed the convergence of homeland security with national security, echoing President Joe Biden's comments to DHS' workforce earlier this month about dedication and resolve of the department's employees over the past two decades, the release reported.
During the meeting, Homeland Security Advisory Council Chair Emeritus Judge William Webster received a Distinguished Service Medal from Mayorkas in recognition of his 20 years of service to the DHS. Webster, who recently celebrated his 99th birthday, was first appointed in April 2003 by then DHS Secretary Tom Ridge and brought with him a wealth of experience working for the public good, according to the release
Webster previously served as CIA director 1987 to 1991, FBI director 1978 to 1987, judge on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals 1973 to 1978 and a district court judge for the Eastern District of Missouri 1970 to 1973. Webster is a recipient of the National Security Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom and Superior Intelligence Medal, the release said.
