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Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership

Mr. Brian Kamoie, JD, M.Phil, MPH

Dr. Brian KamoieDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS)

Distinguished Chair of Leadership

Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership
U.S. Naval Academy


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Brian Kamoie serves as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Distinguished Chair of Leadership at the Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the United States Naval Academy, where he brings extensive experience in crisis leadership, organizational development, national security policy, and higher education. He teaches courses on leadership and American government to future sailors and Marines, along with delivering leadership training and strengths coaching to empower faculty, staff, coaches, and midshipmen to make courageous ethical decisions.

From 2017-2019, Mr. Kamoie served as Associate Administrator for Mission Support at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In that role, he led an organization of over 1,200 personnel in delivering five lines of business support before, during, and after disasters, including record-breaking hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding. Those services included information technology and cybersecurity, human capital, procurement, physical and personnel security, and administrative services (including facilities, occupational health & safety, privacy, records management, and environmental programs).
 
From 2013-2017, Mr. Kamoie served as the FEMA Assistant Administrator for Grant Programs, a Presidential appointment. In that capacity, he led 175 staff and oversaw over $17 billion in homeland security grant programs to build capabilities to prevent, respond to, and recover from terrorism and other disasters and emergencies. His oversight included a broad range of national, state, and local projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, including capabilities to counter weapons of mass destruction, improve cybersecurity, and address emerging threats from active shooters and complex, coordinated terrorist attacks. During his tenure, Mr. Kamoie issued over 12,000 new awards totaling over $16 billion after a review of over 40,000 applications. Mr. Kamoie also testified before Congress on homeland security grants following the Orlando nightclub shooting; military equipment and grants provided to law enforcement; and port security.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Kamoie served as Senior Director for Preparedness Policy on the White House National Security Council (NSC) staff from 2009 to 2013. In that role, he led a team of professionals in the development of national policy related to all-hazards preparedness, individual and community resilience, public health and medical preparedness, critical infrastructure protection and resilience, national security/emergency preparedness communications, and preparedness grants. While at the NSC, Mr. Kamoie led the development and implementation of key initiatives, including the Administration’s strategic approach to enhancing national resilience, as reflected in the President’s National Security Strategy; Presidential Policy Directive 8 on National Preparedness, including the first-ever National Preparedness Goal; reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act; and a range of policies on medical countermeasure development and distribution; biosafety & security; chemical defense; the Global Health Security Agenda; and dual use scientific research. Mr. Kamoie also played key roles in the response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic; Haiti earthquake; Deepwater Horizon oil spill; and Fukushima nuclear emergency. He was recognized by the President’s National Security Advisor for outstanding service as part of the H1N1 pandemic influenza team and Fukushima nuclear emergency team. He briefed national media routinely on Administration homeland security policies and priorities and was profiled on the C-SPAN/Brian Lamb Q&A Program in May 2012.

Before joining the National Security Council staff, Mr. Kamoie served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Director of the Office of Policy, Strategic Planning & Communications at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an office he established. Prior to his work at HHS, Mr. Kamoie was Associate Professor of Health Policy and Health Services Management and Leadership at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Mr. Kamoie received his bachelor’s degree in policy studies and political science from Dickinson College, where he serves on the Board of Trustees, and a law degree and master’s degrees in public health and political science from The George Washington University, where he was managing editor of The George Washington Law Review.

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