If America had a “Smokey Bear” of preventing attacks on federal facilities, Daryle Hernandez would be him: Smokin’ Hernandez it is! Joining the Interagency Security Committee, located in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the Department of Homeland Security, from the Army, Hernandez was responsible for synchronizing multiple programs to protect a workforce of 1 million located on more than 100 federal installations and in 6,000 separate standalone facilities. He led the Department of the Army’s (DA) efforts to produce unity of effort across multiple organizations and protection programs to include antiterrorism, physical security, law enforcement, emergency management, fire and emergency services, continuity of operations, critical infrastructure, operations security (OPSEC), health protection, computer network defense and information assurance.
Fast forward to today when cyber dominates news and attention, and Hernandez is – and has been – working tirelessly on physical security with and through the chief security officers and other senior executives from 66 federal departments and agencies implementing Presidential Executive Order 12977 to enhance the quality and effectiveness of physical security for federal facilities. As extremist threats increase to non-military government courthouses, recruitment centers, IRS offices and others, the ISC’s practical and timely resources have become increasingly more important. Hernandez’s leadership and experience -– implementing lessons learned from the Fort Hood shootings, developing insider threat programs, and critical infrastructure protection programs –- show that it take more than just “YOU” to prevent the next terrorist attack. He’s empowered his team to rise to the task and collaborates with stakeholders and his team to develop resources, increase communications, and raise awareness to prevent such attacks. An experienced protection and security professional with more than 25 years of organizational leadership, prior to his arrival to the ISC, Hernandez was also interagency senior advisor with a FEMA National Incident Management Assistance Team where he deployed in support of incident response operations in Guam and South Carolina.