New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit
November 10, 2018
New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire

Frank J. Gaffney

In April 1987, Mr. Gaffney was nominated by President Reagan to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, the senior position in the Defense Department with responsibility for policies involving U.S.-USSR relations, nuclear forces, arms control, missile defense policy and U.S.-European defense ties. He acted in that capacity for seven months during which time, he was the Chairman of the prestigious High Level Group, NATO’s senior politico-military committee. He also represented the Secretary of Defense in key U.S.-Soviet negotiations and ministerial meetings.

From August 1983 until November 1987, Mr. Gaffney was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy under Assistant Secretary Richard Perle.

From February 1981 to August 1983, Mr. Gaffney was a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by the late Senator John Tower (R-Texas). And, in the latter 1970’s, Mr. Gaffney served as an aide to the late Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson (D-Washington) in the areas of defense and foreign policy.

Mr. Gaffney holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

Tommy Waller

As Director for Special Projects, Tommy performs a wide range of duties for the Center for Security Policy. These duties include educating policymakers at the state and federal level in all branches of government and working daily with renowned national security experts to help provide those policymakers an unconstrained analysis of the current threat environment along with workable policy solutions to address these threats.

One of the most urgent areas of concern for the Center is the vulnerability of the U.S. Electric Grid. Because the effects of a pro-longed power outage could be catastrophic to our nation, The Center sponsors the Secure the Grid Coalition – a group of the country’s top-level experts on threats to the grid and how these threats must be mitigated. The Secure the Grid Coalition is co-chaired by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and President Clinton’s Director of Central Intelligence, R. James Woolsey. Frank Gaffney, the founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, has directed Tommy Waller to manage the day to day operations of the Secure the Grid Coalition.

Thomas Popik

Mr. Popik holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. In his early career, Mr. Popik served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, with a final rank of Captain. Mr. Popik is a co-founder of the Academy for Science and Design, New Hampshire’s charter high school for science and math education.

Dr. William R. Forstchen

Dr. Forstchen’s interests include the Civil War, archaeological research on sites in Mongolia, and the potential of space exploration. As a pilot he owns and flies an original World War II “recon bird.” Dr. Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his dog Maggie.

Meredith Angwin

Meredith holds an M.S. in physical chemistry from the University of Chicago. In her long research career, she was inventor on several patents in pollution control for fossil fuels, and did extensive work in corrosion control for nuclear plants. Meredith was one of the first women to be a project manager at EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute), beginning with the renewables group, and moving eventually to the nuclear group. Later, she founded a small consulting company that consulted on pollution control and water chemistry for fossil, nuclear and renewable power plants, and natural gas pipelines. The company’s clients included local and international utilities.

April Salas

Mrs. Salas has over 15 years of public and private sector experience in global and domestic energy project- and international-development. Starting her career in energy finance, she worked as a consultant in mid-/downstream oil and gas projects in Africa, as well as, an energy markets analyst covering Europe and Latin America.  Mrs. Salas has held various senior positions within the US Department of Energy in power delivery, energy reliability and systems analysis, and just prior to joining Tuck, Mrs. Salas directed the White House’s Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force Secretariat, in conjunction with the Secretary of Energy, and the White House’s Domestic Policy Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy. Domestically, Mrs. Salas served as Director of the State Energy Assurance Program, as well as, Chief of Planning and Analysis for all federal energy emergency response with FEMA. Globally, Mrs. Salas established and led a global energy security advisory program, energy security and systems analysis for DOE’s country-to-country engagements, as well as, US government support to international energy emergency response. Mrs. Salas represented US government energy security interests at NATO, led engagements in Colombia, Haiti, Iraq, and within the EU.

Mrs. Salas earned her MBA from Cornell University; two Masters degrees, in International Security and Economics, with a focus on energy poverty and development, and her BA from the College of William and Mary. Mrs. Salas speaks French, Spanish and Arabic, and has worked in and/or visited over 64 countries.

Michael Mabee

Michael has a great deal of experience – both overseas and in the U.S. – working in worlds where things went wrong.  He is a veteran of both Persian Gulf wars, serving with the U.S. Army as a Platoon Sergeant in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Provide Comfort. In his most recent deployment, Michael served as a brigade level Command Sergeant Major in Iraq. He also participated in two humanitarian missions to Guatemala. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2006 at the rank of Command Sergeant Major (CSM). Michael was decorated by both the U.S. Army and the federal government for his actions on 9/11/2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City. (In sum, quite like Forrest Gump, he is generally at the right place at the wrong time.)

Michael has studied and written extensively on the vulnerabilities of the U.S. electric grid to a variety of threats. He has participated in federal rulemaking related to grid security and has written two books about how communities can prepare for and survive a long-term power outage.  He continues to write and speak about emergency preparedness for a long-term blackout.

David Fortino

Currently, Mr. Fortino is the Regional Continuity Manager for FEMA Region II. In this position, Mr. Fortino provides expert continuity and crisis management guidance and advice to all Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local governments on appropriate training programs to include coordination, oversight, management, and leadership for plans and programs, and test, training, and exercises (TT&E), including lead trainer for continuity related train-the-trainer courses, multi-year strategies, and overall program implementation.

Previously, Mr. Fortino spent 9 years at the Madison Ambulance Association and North Branford Fire Department.  At Madison Ambulance Association, Mr. Fortino was the Chief of Service. Furthermore, he is a certified as an EMT, Firefighter II, Fire Instructor, and Hazmat Operations. Mr. Fortino has his B.A. from the University of Connecticut in Urban and Regional Studies.

Dr. Amir Toosi

In the corporate industry, Dr. Toosi has served as an international and domestic telecommunication consultant in logistics, assembly, and project management; independent consultant in strategic management, operation management, statistical research, and entrepreneurship; and property management at a real estate investment firm. He has been in more than thirty-five states within the United States and has traveled to more than twenty countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Dr. Toosi is a member of Academy of Management, The Association of Continuing Higher Education, and served as the Chair and Past Chair for the Scholarly-Practitioner Publication Committee for Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. He currently serves as the Chairperson on the Board of Directors for the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors for United Way of Greater Nashua, Symphony NH. Furthermore, he is currently serving as an Ambassador for the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. Finally, in addition to chairing the Rivier University’s Business Advisory Council and Security Studies Advisory Council, Dr. Toosi serves on the Nursing Advisory Council and Public Health Advisory Council.

Justin Kates

He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) affiliated with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and was awarded “NH Emergency Management Director of the year” in 2015.  Justin is a graduate of the University of Delaware where he majored in Emergency Management and Public Administration.  In his spare time he has taught Crisis Management as an Adjunct Professor at Daniel Webster College, Public Health Emergency Preparedness as an Adjunct Instructor at Rivier University, and numerous FEMA state-delivered courses for the New Hampshire Fire Academy.  He is currently the Vice President of the IAEM Region 1 Board of Directors and the Chair of the NH Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NH VOAD).

Dale Rowley

Dale served in the U.S. Air Force and Maine Air National Guard as a Civil Engineering Officer and Emergency Manager, retiring in 2011 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, after 22 years.

He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maine and has a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He is also a 14-year Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), an 18-year member of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and has a Master’s Degree in Emergency & Disaster Management.

Professor Todd Therrien

He then switched careers to become an educator, teaching U.S. history, economics, civics, law, world history and psychology at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua and teaching at Nashua Community College in the Criminal Justice curriculum. Prof. Therrien teaches Homeland & International Security courses for the Division of Business, Rivier University.

Prof. Therrien earned his A.A. in Criminal Justice from Middlesex Community College, his B.A. in American Studies from Franklin Pierce University, and his M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Franklin Pierce University. He is currently enrolled in Rivier’s Principal Certification Program.

Arlene Magoon

Recognizing that may communities would be best served if they were prepared for disasters, in 2016 Ms. Magoon joined the National Preparedness Division to share preparedness messages and activities in vulnerable communities across New England. Although she still holds the Voluntary Agency Liaison emergency role and is still deployed under that role, she remains aware of the need to create resilient communities through preparedness.

Ms. Magoon previously worked for the American Red Cross in New Hampshire as a Health & Safety Operations Manager in 2001. Her first day began on September 11. In the fast moving days after that tragic day, Ms. Magoon quickly learned that without preplanning for donations and volunteers before a crisis another emergency known as the “disaster within a disaster” can occur. Having successfully coordinated donations and volunteers in that event, Ms. Magoon was later hired by NH State emergency management as the coordinator for volunteers in all hazards emergency events. Two months after beginning the work to re-establish NH Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, a major flood occurred in western NH communities.

Ms. Magoon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern New Hampshire University with a minor in Operations Management. She has received many awards including 1999 SBA, Woman Advocate of the Year, and National VOAD 2004 Innovations in Disaster Recovery and two time winner of the regional 2015 & 2016 Toast Master International Humorous Speech contest.