Last week, Michael Chertoff, former homeland security secretary and founder of The Chertoff Group, spoke to the WashingtonExec Leadership Council at an evening dinner held at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. Chertoff’s talk and Q&A covered cybersecurity, global security and border protection.
“WashingtonExec hosted another exceptional dinner with Secretary Chertoff and a few senior leaders in the tech industry,” said CEO of Salient CRGT Brad Antle. “With this dinner so soon after the national election of the 45th president, there was no shortage to the array of topics discussed. As the second head of Homeland Security during the Bush administration, we were lucky to have Secretary Chertoff’s leadership at a time when the still newly formed department faced more than its fair share of national events. He was certainly encouraged by the tone that was being set and hopeful for positive direction for the country and the new administration. Secretary Chertoff is still very much engaged in issues that impact the security and prosperity of our country, and I appreciated his candor and optimism.”
“We were honored to have Secretary Chertoff share his knowledge with the leaders of our local GovCon community at a critical time in our nation’s history,” said JD Kathuria, founder and CEO of WashingtonExec. “A special thank you to Andy Maner for his efforts in arranging the program. It was truly a privilege to be a part of this event.”
At the end of the evening, Attain CEO Greg Baroni presented Chertoff with the WashingtonExec Luminary Award. The honor is given to those who showcase true leadership in the face of tough decisions and/or unpopular opinion.
“On behalf of the WashingtonExec Leadership Council, it was my honor to present the Luminary Award to Secretary Chertoff,” said Attain Chairman and CEO Greg Baroni. “Secretary Chertoff demonstrated true leadership, inspiring his teams in the Department of Homeland Security with his strong convictions, innovative thinking and disciplined execution, and effectively doing so under the pressures of a nation faced with difficult and, at times, unprecedented challenges.”
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