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CNP Elects former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale to Board of Directors

For Immediate Release:
5/18/2009

Contact:  Liz Packard, CNP Communications Director
(202) 682-1800

Paul McHale

(Washington, DC)  The Center for National Policy, a nonpartisan national security think tank, today    announced that former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale has been unanimously elected to its bipartisan board of directors.  McHale brings extensive expertise on defense and homeland security that will enhance the work CNP is already doing on these issues.

CNP President Tim Roemer hailed McHale's election to the board.  "Few people in Washington have the depth of knowledge about both policy issues and process that Paul has.  His insights on a range of different topics make him an invaluable addition to the CNP team," Roemer said. "I am honored to be part of the excellent work CNP is doing," McHale said, following his election to the CNP board. "Defense reform and homeland security are two of the top national security issues facing our country, and I look forward to working with the Center to study and facilitate bipartisan discussion on how we can best approach these challenges," he added.

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul McHale is currently an attorney with McKenna, Long and Aldridge and President of Civil Support International LLC, a professional consulting firm offering planning assistance to government agencies and private companies worldwide, with substantial expertise in the areas of disaster relief planning and crisis response.

From 2003-2009 McHale served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, where he supervised all homeland defense activities for the US Department of Defense (DOD).  The first to hold that position, he was responsible for homeland preparedness, civilian oversight of the two combatant commands that cover North and South America, and the transfer of technologies to homeland security use, pursuant to Section 1401 of the 2003 DOD Authorization Act.  

McHale served in the U.S House of Representatives from 1993-1999, representing the 15th District of Pennsylvania.  A retired colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, McHale served combat tours in Saudi Arabia (1990), Kuwait (1991) and Afghanistan (2007).  For his service in Afghanistan he received the Baryal Medal, Afghanistan's highest award for public service.  His personal military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal (2nd award).   Former Secretary McHale received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. with highest honors from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA.