DHS Announces New Members of Homeland Security Advisory Council

Jan. 11, 2006
Security and legislative backgrounds mark new advisors

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff has the appointment of Elliott Broidy, Tom Foley and John Magaw to serve on his Homeland Security Advisory Council.

The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), as established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, is the Secretary’s primary council and is comprised of experts from state and local governments, first responder communities, academia and the private sector. Members of the Council provide advice and recommendations to Secretary Chertoff on homeland security issues.

“Each of these individuals brings a vast amount of experience and expertise from public service and the private sector to the Homeland Security Advisory Council,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “I am grateful that these accomplished leaders will provide important counsel and new ideas that contribute to the department’s efforts to make our nation more prepared and secure.”

Elliott Broidy is a commissioner for the Los Angeles City Fire and Police Pension Fund and serves on the governing boards of several large charitable and educational organizations, including the Los Angeles Police Foundation. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Broidy Capital Management, a private investment company which he founded in 1991 that specializes in investing in private equity and marketable securities. He is also founder and Chairman of Markstone Capital Partners, an $800 million private equity fund.

Tom Foley, of Spokane, Wash., and Washington, D.C., is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served 15 terms from January 1965 to January 1995. During his time in the House, Foley served as Democratic Whip and Majority Leader. Between 1989 and 1995, he was the 49th Speaker of the House. Following his congressional service, President Clinton appointed Foley as Chairman of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, where he served from 1995 to 1997. Later, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan until 2001. Foley is currently a partner with the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP. He also serves as a member of the Defense Policy Board with the Department of Defense and is the Chairman of the North American Trilateral Commission.

John Magaw, of Annapolis, Md., served as Undersecretary for Security at the Department of Transportation and was responsible for implementing the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, which augmented transportation security nationwide in air, land, water and rail modes. He has a distinguished career in security and law enforcement, having served as: Director of the U.S. Secret Service; Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, where he coordinated and directed policy and organization changes in the aftermath of the Waco, Texas, tragedy; Senior Advisor to the Director of FEMA for terrorism preparedness; Acting Director and Acting Deputy Director of FEMA; and Acting Executive Director of the Office of National Preparedness.