For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Dreibelbis
Friday, August 3, 2007
703-535-6897 x12
Reform Institute Welcomes Security Expert
Robert Kelly Joins Homeland & National Security Center, will Concentrate on Strengthening Resiliency in U.S. Infrastructure and Supply Chain
WASHINGTON, DC - The Reform Institute, a nonpartisan public policy organization, welcomed Robert W. Kelly as a Senior Advisor in its Homeland & National Security Center. Mr. Kelly is a Founder and Managing Partner for CenTauri Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm that specializes in high-end consulting and technical services for the public and private sectors.
"Bob Kelly brings a wealth of experience in homeland security to the Center's work," stated Reform Institute Executive Director Cecilia Martinez. "As a practitioner in government and the private sector, he brings real-world knowledge and perspective to our program. As focus shifts to strengthening our infrastructure and dealing with the effects of a devastating event, Bob's expertise is very relevant," continued Ms. Martinez.
Mr. Kelly's distinguished public service career included serving on the White House staff as General Counsel, Office of Administration in the Executive Office of the President, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Drug Enforcement). He also served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. His private sector experience includes serving as Vice President and General Counsel for Gray Hawk Systems Inc. and founder and senior executive at technology companies Response Services Center, LLC and AccessONE Communications, LLC.
The major focus of Mr. Kelly's work will center on promoting resiliency in our critical infrastructure and supply chain. Resiliency is a relatively new, yet growing, area of focus in homeland security. "Simply stated, resiliency is the ability of the U.S. to withstand a catastrophic incident without severely disrupting economic and social activity," according to Mr. Kelly. "While authorities concentrate on preventing a terrorist attack, more attention needs to be paid to ensuring that a terrorist attack or natural disaster does not cripple our economy. The Reform Institute will beat the drums for more focus on resiliency and will offer sound solutions for mitigating the cascading effects of an attack or disaster."
Mr. Kelly will author several reports on timely homeland security issues. The first report, on cargo container security, is scheduled to be released this fall and will be followed by reports on supply chain survivability and the link between narcotics trafficking and terrorism. He will also provide commentary and analysis on critical homeland and national security issues.
Regarding the newly-signed homeland security legislation, according to Mr. Kelly, "The new homeland security bill implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission is a step in the right direction; particularly concerning the requirement for 100 % screening of U.S.-bound cargo containers prior to loading at foreign seaports. However, screening is only a partial solution toward operating and maintaining a secure supply chain. We also need to be aggressively pursuing technologies that will detect and report tampering with containers while in transit and which do a better job of capturing detailed information concerning a container's contents and location. Given the reliance of U.S. and global commerce on a highly efficient supply chain, it is imperative that we greatly enhance the security of and our visibility into this vital component of national infrastructure."
On the heightened emphasis on infrastructure in light of the tragedy in Minnesota, Mr. Kelly comments, "There is no band-aid fix available here. It is not only our bridges and highways that are in desperate need of repair; we need to modernize and secure our entire critical infrastructure, including the railway system and chemical plants. We need a national task force on par with the 9/11 Commission to examine this immense issue and provide recommendations on where to start."
To arrange to speak with Reform Institute experts, please contact Chris Dreibelbis at 703-535-6897 x 12 or via email at chris@reforminstitute.org.
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