US Government's Strategy for Technology Advancement in Biometrics and Its Impact on Privacy and Identity Management

Panelists:
Patty Cogswell Executive Director, Office of Policy (Screening Coordination Office) - Department of Homeland Security

Lisa Swan Director of the Biometrics Integration Directorate - U.S. Army Biometrics Task Force

Tom Dee Director, Defense Biometrics, OSD/AT&L, DDR&E

Thomas Bush III Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Information Services Division - Federal Bureau of Investigation

Moderator:
Jerry ThamesExecutive Advisor, Booz Allen Hamilton

About the Panel:

In addition to Ms. Cogswell's current position, since the creation of DHS in 2003, Ms. Cogswell also served as the Chief Strategist for DHS' US-VISIT Program, and as the Director, Immigration Services Modernization at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Ms. Cogswell's background prior to the creation of DHS was with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service. Ms. Cogswell is an attorney. Unlike most attorneys, however, Ms. Cogswell has spent her entire government career in program management and operational activities, rather than practicing law.

Ms. Cogswell received her J.D. from the College of William and Mary and is a member of the Virginia State Bar. Ms. Cogswell received her B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Cogswell was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2007.

Prior to joining the BTF, Ms. Swan served in a variety of leadership positions at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) to include Deputy Director of Technical Operations in the headquarters and the Strategic Lead for Organizational Alignment & Engagement at NSWC Dahlgren. Ms. Swan began her career in the commercial sector in 1984 as a Quality Engineer for Newport News Shipbuilding and she transferred to the federal sector in 1989 as Systems Engineer and Deputy Project Manager for the Advanced SEAL Delivery System.

Ms. Swan earned her Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering from North Carolina State University, her Master of Science in Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, and her Master of Science in National Resource Management from the National Defense University. She is Level III certified in Program Management and in Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, a member of the Acquisition Professional Corps, and a graduate of the DoD Senior Acquisition Course.

Mr. Dee assumed responsibilities as Director of Defense Biometrics, Office of the Secretary of Defense, in Feb 2007. On behalf of the Director Defense Research and Engineering, he executes Secretary of Defense Principal Staff Assistant responsibilities for oversight of all aspects of the DOD biometrics enterprise.

He became an FBI Agent in September 1979. Following his agent training, he served at the Washington Field Office from January 1980 to February 1988 where he was assigned Bank Robbery and Fugitive matters. Upon his promotion, he returned to FBI Headquarters to work in the Criminal Investigative Division as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Fugitive/Government Reservation Crimes Unit of the Violent Crime and Major Offender Section. In June 1990, he transferred to the Jackson Field Division as a Field Supervisor until May 1996. His duties in the Jackson Division involved the supervision of Violent Crime, Drug and Civil Rights investigations. He then relocated to the Atlanta Field Division upon his promotion to Assistant Special Agent in Charge and served in that capacity until July 2000.

On July 31, 2000, he was promoted to the position of Section Chief, Programs Development Section, Criminal Justice Information Services Division. On August 13, 2002, he was appointed Special Agent in Charge, St. Louis Field Division. On December 23, 2004, Director Mueller appointed him Assistant Director of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division

Before joining the Booz Allen team as a special Executive Advisor, Mr. Thames was the Counselor to the Director of the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC). At the NCTC, Mr. Thames led the way in structuring and implementing business processes and interlocking leadership teams. His responsibilities included managing five different areas of the National Implementation Plan for the Global War on Terror. He led and directed the interagency coordination group (ICG) that established the Counter-Terrorism Identity Management/Biometrics (IM/B) Strategic Framework which set the US government standards for biometric technology, as well as established interagency goals for IM/B and terrorist screening, business processes for terrorist screening and biometric-enabled screening. Significantly, he played a critical leadership role in developing the presidential policy on the use of biometric technology in the government (National Security Presidential Directive 59/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 24).

Mr. Thames also supported our effort in Iraq by acting as senior advisor to the COO of the Coalition Provisional Authority. In this capacity, he oversaw the reconstruction plans for the telecommunications and transportation sectors

Prior to this, Mr. Thames was managing director of the Communications Fund for Lehman Brothers, CEO and President of the Global Telesystems Group, CEO of British Telecom North America, and was the General Manager for Network Services for AT&T.

Mr. Thames holds a BS and a MBA from Mississippi State University and a SM from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.