State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Coordinating Council

State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments are vital to protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring the resilience of the communities they serve. Formed in April 2007, the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Coordinating Council (SLTTGCC) is a national cross-sector council identified in the current version of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. The council leverages the expertise of its members to bring SLTT governments' perspective into the national critical infrastructure planning process. Its members represent 26 jurisdictions across all 10 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security (CISA) regions. Full Council members include representatives of 14 States, 6 counties, 9 cities, 1 tribe, and 1 territory. As a national representative of SLTT governments, the Council is a valuable forum for coordinating across geographic boundaries and all levels of government.

Primary Activities of the SLTTGCC Include:

  • Advancing critical infrastructure issues, approaches, and best practices at the SLTT level
  • Sharing information on critical infrastructure issues among and between SLTT colleagues
  • Submitting policy recommendations to the Federal Government on national plans, policies, and programs
  • Collaborating with other Sector Partnerships to share common ideas and concerns and work together on solutions

SLTTGCC Executive Committee

  • Mark Ray, SLTTGCC Chair, Director of Public Works/City Engineer, City of Crystal Minnesota
  • Mark Dubina, SLTTGCC Vice-Chair, Vice President, Security, Port of Tampa Florida
  • Erik Avakian, Chair, Cybersecurity Working Group (CSWG), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Jim Battese, Chair, Administrative Working Group (AWG), Director of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
  • Mike George, Chair, External Stakeholder Working Group (ESWG), Senior Strategic Planner, State of Texas
  • Paul Dean, Chair, Internal Stakeholder Working Group (ISWG), Chief of Police; Assistant Vice President for Student and Academic Services, University of New Hampshire
  • Peter Hoffman, Chair, Critical Infrastructure Working Group (CIWG), Critical Infrastructure Protection Specialist, State of Michigan

Sharing Best Practices

To foster information sharing best practices, the SLTTGCC connects with peers in SLTT governments by linking SLTTGCC's efforts with mission-area public sector officials nationwide, such as those working with CISA's Protective Security Advisors, subject matter experts, urban-area security directors, and emergency management personnel.

Council Member Engagements and Collaborations

Council members often participate in external engagements as volunteers to provide valuable feedback and subject matter expertise on behalf of the council. SLTTGCC members participate in several engagements including the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Preparedness Assessment Division focus group, DHS Tribal Consultation, the Stakeholder Engagement Division field test, the University of Texas San Antonio SLTT Pilot program, and more.

The SLTTGCC collaborates with other critical infrastructure councils to support each other's roles and responsibilities within DHS' national critical infrastructure security and resilience mission. The SLTTGCC maintains collaborative efforts with the Regional Consortium Coordinating Council (RC3), the Resilient Investment, Planning and Development Working Group, the Communications Sector, and others to produce valuable deliverables and services.

In collaboration with the RC3 and CISA the SLTTGCC CSWG hosts a joint webinar series for cybersecurity information sharing that is regularly attended by over 500 stakeholders and professionals from across the country. 

Council Membership

The Council maintains a membership of 26 state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders who have critical infrastructure security and resilience expertise and experience. For information on how to be considered for membership, interested parties should contact the SLTTGCC Secretariat at slttgcc@cisa.dhs.gov.

The SLTTGCC is led by the Executive Committee, consisting of the Chair, Vice-Chair, and the Chairs of each working group.

  • Chair — Mark Ray, Director of Public Works/City Engineer, City of Crystal, Minnesota
  • Vice Chair — Mark Dubina, Vice President of Security, Tampa Port Authority, Florida

Current Members

  • Erik Avakian, Chief Information Security Officer, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Jim Battese, Director, Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Alison Belcher, UASI Program Manager, City of Houston
  • Wayne Bryan, Director of the Virgin Islands Fusion Center, U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Brian Clement, Lieutenant, East Greenwich Police Department, Rhode Island
  • Paul Dean, Chief of Police/Assistant Vice President for Student and Academic Services, University of New Hampshire Police Department
  • Mike George, Senior Strategic Planner, Office of Homeland Security, Texas Department of Public Safety
  • Andy Hanks, Chief Information Security Officer, State of Montana Information Security Program
  • Taylor Hennessee, Private Sector and Critical Infrastructure Program Manager, State of Washington
  • Peter Hoffman, Critical Infrastructure Protection Specialist, State of Michigan
  • Mark Hogan, Director, Asset Management Department, City of Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • David King, Emergency Management Coordinator, Campbell County, Wyoming
  • Kellie McGaha, Assistant Director, City of Baton Rouge, Mayor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness
  • Arturo Mendez, Security Analyst, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
  • Aaron Miller, Director, Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management, Arlington County, Virginia
  • Shawn Riley, Administrator of School Safety, Hamilton County Educational Service Center
  • Misty Robinson, Senior Public Health Preparedness Planner, Southern Nevada Health District, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Mark Scott, Critical Infrastructure Specialist, DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
  • Shelly Schechter, Director, Division of Community Health and Maternal and Child Health, Department of Health, Nassau County, New York
  • Jeremy Sroka, Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Coordinator, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, State of Iowa
  • Trevor Timmons, Chief Information Officer, Colorado Department of State
  • Dennis Tomlin, Chief Information Security Officer, Multnomah County, Oregon
  • Brian Wright, Assistant Director, Office of Counterterrorism, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, State of New York
  • Bob Zehentbauer, Regional Disaster Services Supervisor, Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, State of Ohio

Working Groups

The SLTTGCC establishes working groups organized by topics that focus on cyber and infrastructure security important to SLTT governments. These working groups convene regularly and during council plenary sessions to discuss and address a variety of topics.

Administrative Working Group

Jim Battese, Director of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma

The AWG manages internal membership and administrative functions, staffing the counsel with a balance of membership across all levels of government, career disciplines, geographic locations, and critical infrastructure expertise.

Critical Infrastructure Working Group

Peter Hoffman, Critical Infrastructure Protection Specialist, State of Michigan

The CIWG builds and maintains partnerships and collaborations with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other federal agencies with roles in security and resilience of critical infrastructure.

Cybersecurity Working Group

Erik Avakian, Chief Information Security Officer, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The CSWG serves as a forum to assess national cybersecurity initiatives and identify opportunities to align SLTT efforts to them. CSWG members must have cybersecurity competencies and knowledge of initiatives in their jurisdictions or the national level.

External Stakeholder Working Group

Mike George, Senior Strategic Planner, State of Texas

The ESWG builds and maintains partnerships and collaborations with non-Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) federal agencies with a primary focus in grants.

Internal Stakeholder Working Group

Paul Dean, Chief of Police/Assistant Vice President for Public Safety and Risk Management, University of New Hampshire

The ISWG builds and maintains partnerships and collaborations with non-Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) federal agencies. Members of the ISWG serve as SLTTGCC liaisons in council engagements and collaborations.

Council Information

Contact

For questions or assistance, please email slttgcc@cisa.dhs.gov.