Carissa VanderMey was selected as the TSA Senior Executive Liaison Officer to DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Cybersecurity Coordinator for TSA’s Security Operations (SO), in March 2022. As the Agency’s principal liaison to the CISA Ms. VanderMey serves as primary point of contact to support and guide CISA on behalf of TSA; responsible for coordination across all pillars within TSA and provides advice to TSA and CISA leadership on a broad range of transportation cybersecurity issues. Ms. VanderMey provides leadership and guidance during SO’s pivot towards cybersecurity and the development and implementation of U.S. transportation cyber security programs. In addition, she works across the policy, planning, and strategy communities to identify solutions to improve the industry’s response to cybersecurity attacks. As a TSA’s advocate, she ensures TSA equities between partners in driving operations and mitigating cybersecurity risks to realize their common mission.Most recently, Ms. VanderMey served as the Senior Advisor within the Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She provided scientific, technical, and engineering expertise for S&T, advice to the DHS Secretary, DHS components, first responders, and members of the Homeland Security Enterprise. Ms. VanderMey worked across the Homeland Security Enterprise to identify operational gaps, identify policy solutions, and deliver operational results to improve the security and resilience of the nation. Ms. VanderMey lead the establishment of the Department’s Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS); working across the Department to develop and ensure a risk-based approach implementing Secretarial Approved C-UAS activities. As Senior Program Manager for Energy Security at Sandia National Laboratory where she led several infrastructure analysis projects and authored a cyber-security white paper for NNSA’s National Nuclear Deterrence program. Ms. VanderMey brings 10-years of experience in energy infrastructure security with the Department of Energy (DOE) where she supported improved reliability, survivability and resiliency of energy infrastructure through collaboration with strategic international and domestic partners and other government agencies that resulted in several international agreements. She also served as DOE’s lead representative to the National Security Council’s CIRR PCC, working with Department of State and DHS to advance global energy security.Ms. VanderMey established her security expertise while serving as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Her work included contingency planning, facility/vessel inspection, disaster response, and investigation. Ms. VanderMey finished her Coast Guard career providing instruction and curriculum development in Contingency Planning, Exercise Development, Port Security, Command and Control as well as NIMS/ICS for international military officers and senior level staff from the Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and DoD.
Speaker's bio
