Donald R. Byrne

SDMI Senior Fellow- Private Sector Resilience

An entrepreneur and former venture capitalist, Don Byrne brings an executive perspective to the business continuity field. He is a Senior Fellow at the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute at LSU and an Adjunct Professor at Boston University. An advisor to the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) on the PS-Prep Program he is a member of their Committee of Experts. A certified contingency planner and ISO lead auditor, he has consulted with some of the largest certification firms in the U.S. on the PS Prep program.

A frequent speaker at conferences, he regularly conducts workshops on strategic management, business operations, and resiliency planning. Don is president and CEO of METRIX411, LLC – a software company specializing in business assessments; and a Managing Director of GRCS, LLC a consulting and training firm. He holds degrees in mathematics, philosophy, and international marketing.

He is a contributing writer for the Domestic Preparedness Journal and the NEWS website Continuity Compliance.

W. Michael Dunaway, PhD.

SDMI Senior Fellow

Michael Dunaway is a partner with VTI, LLC, a small business specializing in identifying technologies and building partnerships to enhance community and enterprise resilience. Previously, he served as Senior Director for Preparedness and Resilience Programs at the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross, and as Chief for Risk Management and Program Manager for Community Resilience in the Science & Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

In 2003, he was founding chairman of the Chesapeake Critical Incident Partnership, a Maryland-based organization dedicated to improving private/public sector collaboration for disaster planning and preparedness. He also served as a consultant to the National Bioterrorism Medical Response Center in Philadelphia, where he authored the first on-line guidebook for hospital contingency planning for large-scale emergencies, published by Drexel University in 2003. From 1973-2000 he served as a surface line officer in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Captain. He has taught strategy, operational planning, and crisis and risk management at the National Defense University, Naval Postgraduate School, and Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

He holds a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy, M.A. in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University. He is a certified Search & Rescue Technician with the DELMARVA SAR Group.

Jeffrey P. Gerald

SDMI Senior Fellow

Jeffrey P. Gerald is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Comprehensive Intelligence Technology Training Corporation. CINTT Corp. is a new company focused on real world analytical intelligence processing, analyst technology development and Intelligence Community education and training. Jeff was formerly the manager of the Department of Defense’s premiere initiative in Homeland Security command, control and coordination. He was selected from industry to create, formulate and lead this crucial Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program in November 2001 to improve the DoD response in consequence management, crisis response, prevention and deterrence of terrorist events. Jeff has led several successful commercial ventures that developed new technology and innovative telecommunications systems, and he has been a leader in transforming technologies from concept to reality in both the marketplace and in military applications through government procurement. With an extensive background in the government and in the military, Jeff has worked both in military and civilian positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Intelligence Community. He spearheaded the early development of the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle program that began to examine the use of technology and equipment to reduce the need for deployment of battlefield personnel. His military background includes management of airborne reconnaissance systems, development of space-based sensor and communication systems, administration of leading advanced research programs, and command of aviation operations and intelligence training. He pioneered the first seamless, scalable, commercially derived communication system that addressed every echelon from combatant commander to tactical user. And, he created the first spaced-based sensor-to-shooter program that revolutionized military operations by bringing space reconnaissance into the cockpit of aircraft.

Jeff served as a select member of the Gore-Chernamyrdin Commission exchanging environmental, resource, oceanographic and disaster information with Russia and is the recipient of numerous military awards for leadership and innovation. He is a graduate of several pre-eminent military aviation, business and technology curricula. He is currently on the boards of several Government Homeland Security conferences and is often the keynote speaker for DoD Homeland Security technology initiatives.

Jeff currently provides in house strategic development and advisory support to top ten Intelligence Community and Defense Contractors. He is an executive consultant on for multiple successful IC, Defense and DHS billion dollar proposals. Routinely advises corporate leadership on business development, strategy implementation and alignment.

David M. Hall

SDMI Senior Fellow

Born and Raised in Sinking Spring Pennsylvania, Dave joined State Farm Insurance in February 1988 after Graduating from Bloomsburg University with a BS in Marketing.

Dave earned his CPCU and ALCM designations in 1995. Dave has worked in Commercial Lines Insurance his entire career at State Farm passing through Pennsylvania, Indiana, Louisiana and finally Oklahoma Offices. He is currently serving as the Section Manager for the Innovation and Small Business Solutions for the Central Zone of State Farm Insurance.

Dave served as an adjunct instructor at Indiana State University, Department of Insurance (1999-2000), was a member of the State Farm Insurance Small Business Advisory Council. (2002), and is a frequent speaker around the country on the subject of Small Business Continuity Planning.

Dave’s Community Involvement include serving as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of Tulsa Partners

Dave serves as a volunteer for the Institute for Business and Home Safety, serves on the Insurance working group for The International Center for Enterprise Preparedness (InterCEP), he is the chairman of the Loss Control Interest Group for the Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters and serves on the National Private Sector Working Group for PS Prep through the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute at Louisiana State University.

He is the Chair of the Disaster Resistant Business Council – A Public/Private partnership between the Institute for Business & Home Safety, State Farm Insurance, Tulsa Partners Inc., the Association of Contingency Planners, Tulsa Public Schools, the Tulsa Metro, Broken Arrow and Bixby Chambers of Commerce, the Bank of Oklahoma, TRC Disaster Solutions, Titan Private Security Vault, and the Tulsa Health Department designed to raise Business Continuity Planning awareness and participation. The Disaster Resistant Business Council has also partnered with the Tulsa Area United Way, the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, the Bixby Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, and Save the ChildrenÒ to co-Sponsor Business Continuity Educational and Planning efforts.

George Perera

SDMI Senior Fellow

George Perera is a career law enforcement officer with 25 years service in the Miami-Dade Police Department. He has served in various assignments throughout his career, but spent the majority, prior to promotion, in major crime investigations. As a young investigator he was involved in disaster related investigation in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. This event prompted him to learn about construction and pursue his undergraduate degree in Construction Management from Florida International University. He promoted to Sergeant in 2000 and was assigned to the Communications Bureau, which afforded him the opportunity to learn about police technology. Perera excelled in technology and ultimately has become a subject matter expert in the areas of communications interoperability and cyber security. He is frequently called upon by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to participate in policy related forums as well as speaking engagements. During his tenure at the Communications Bureau he obtained his first Master degree in Public Administration from Lynn University as well as a graduate certificate in Emergency Planning and Administration. He promoted to Lieutenant and was assigned to the Information Technology Services Bureau (ITSB). In this assignment he continued to expand his knowledge of security, data storage, networks, as well as all other aspects of police technology. He served as project manager for several significant IT projects, including the 911-telephone switch replacement. While assigned in ITSB he was accepted to the Naval Post Graduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security Master’s degree program sponsored by DHS and graduated December 2012. He promoted to Captain and is serving as the executive officer in the Robbery Bureau.

Perera has authored several articles related to police technology as well as his thesis regarding cyber security. He belongs to numerous committees and organizations including the International Association of Chief’s of Police, Interagency Board, SAFESOM Emergency Response council and, multiple DHS sponsored working groups on cyber security, police technology and interoperability. He is also the recipient of many awards and commendations including the International Association of Chief’s of Police, Leadership in Technology Award in 2004.

His interests include research into police technology, cyber security, and cyber terrorism.

John P. Sullivan

SDMI Senior Fellow

John P. Sullivan is a career police officer. He currently serves as a lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He is also an adjunct researcher at the Vortex Foundation in Bogotá, Colombia; a senior research fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies on Terrorism (CAST); and a senior fellow at Small Wars Journal-El Centro. He is co-editor of Countering Terrorism and WMD: Creating a Global Counter-Terrorism Network (Routledge, 2006) and Global Biosecurity: Threats and Responses (Routledge, 2010) and co-author of Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency: A Small Wars Journal-El Centro Anthology (iUniverse, 2011). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government form the College of William and Mary and a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs and Policy Analysis from the New School for Social Research. His current research focus is the impact of transnational organized crime on sovereignty in Mexico and other countries.