Arif Alikhan–Assistant Secretary for Policy Development

Statement by Secretary Napolitano on President Obama’s Intent to Nominate David Heyman as Assistant Secretary for Policy and her Appointment of Arif Alikhan as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development

“Today, I am proud to make two key personnel announcements for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—President Obama’s intent to nominate David Heyman as Assistant Secretary for Policy and my appointment of Arif Alikhan as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development. Both individuals bring a broad and impressive array of experience in national security, emergency preparedness and counterterrorism to the Department.

David comes from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he founded and was Senior Fellow of the Homeland Security Program and led the Center’s programs on preventing, mitigating and responding to catastrophic terrorism and natural disasters. With more than 20 years of experience in government, the non-profit community and the private sector, he is a highly regarded expert in U.S. national security policy and international affairs.

Arif comes from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s office, where he served as Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety. As a key adviser to the Mayor, he has led the City’s efforts to develop homeland security, emergency management and law enforcement initiatives, including operational oversight of Los Angeles Police, Fire and Emergency Management departments. He is a former federal prosecutor and senior advisor to the U.S. Attorney General, and has partnered extensively with local, state and federal agencies,” said Secretary Napolitano.

Biographies

Prior to joining CSIS, Heyman was Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy from 1998-2001. Previously, he served as Senior Policy Analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Division of National Security and International Affairs, from 1995-1998, and Director of International Operations at RGTI Systems, a leading firm in industrial automation and supply-chain management, from 1992-1994. Heyman is the author of numerous publications and an adjunct professor in security studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Policy. He completed his graduate work at The Johns Hopkins School of International Affairs and his undergraduate work at Brandeis University.

Before serving as Deputy Mayor, Alikhan was a career prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice from 1997-2006. During that time, he served as Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Crimes Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles and as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Attorney General in Washington, D.C., where he oversaw the national Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Program for the Department of Justice. Alikhan holds a J.D. from Loyola Law School and a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

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