The Gate 15 Interview: Chris Anderson, Lumen Technologies on ‘working hard, trying to make a difference,’ the wild west days of DHS, private-public partnership, the glory of coffee, and more!

26 June 2023

Please enjoy this episode of The Gate 15 Interview podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Apple, Google, as well as other locations accessible via the Anchor link or almost anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In this episode of The Gate 15 Interview, Andy Jabbour visits with Chris Anderson, Principal Advisor, National Security & Emergency Preparedness, Lumen Technologies. Chris Anderson is an incident management and infrastructure protection expert with three decades of government, military, and private sector experience. He is currently the Principal Advisor for National Security & Emergency Preparedness at Lumen. In addition to his role at Lumen, he is the 2023 Industry Chair of the Communications Sector Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

Chris previously held a variety of emergency management and national security positions at the Federal Communications Commission and US Department of Homeland Security. He served as the FCC’s Chief of Operations and Emergency Management, leading the Commission’s incident management activities, operations centers, national security coordination, and Continuity of Operations programs. Prior to joining the Commission, Chris worked in critical infrastructure protection at the Department of Homeland Security, serving in a variety of leadership positions in the Office of Infrastructure Protection, including serving as Director of the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center. Chris began his career with a decade on active duty in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot and retired from the Navy Reserve in 2016.  

Chris is a 2010 graduate of the National War College with a master’s degree in National Security Strategy; he holds a second master’s degree in Management Information Systems from Bowie State University and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.  

In the discussion we address: 

  • Chris’s background, in the Navy, at DHS, at the FCC and today with Lumen.
  • The wild west days of DHS and what has become CISA
  • ‘working hard, trying to make a difference’
  • Incident response
  • Working in the public and private sector. 
  • Chris’s thoughts on CISA and improving the private-public partnership 
  • Working with NATO. 
  • With shout outs to some great leaders and old friends including Kathryn Condello, Bob Stephan, Linda Solheim, Bob Kolasky, Caitlin Durkovich, Steve Bieber, and others
  • 4th of July celebrations, the glorious drink that is coffee, saving the world, and more!

Some links from our discussion include:

Figure 1: The Jet Star roller coaster in Seaside Heights, N.J., remains at sea April 5, 2013, washed over daily by waves in the Atlantic Ocean. It was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park, N.J., Press, via USA Today https://www.usatoday.
Figure 1: The Jet Star roller coaster in Seaside Heights, N.J., remains at sea April 5, 2013, washed over daily by waves in the Atlantic Ocean. It was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. Peter Ackerman, Asbury Park, N.J., Press, via USA Today https://www.usatoday.

The Gate 15 Interview is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues. Read more about Gate 15’s full podcast menu at our Podcast page. You can subscribe and enjoy all the Gate 15 Podcasts on Spotify for Podcasters, Apple, Spotify, Google, as well as other locations accessible from the Anchor link. Week-to-week, you can hear and learn more about our all-hazards threats, risks, mitigation and other issues impacting homeland security risk management from our team as well as our regular and special guests. The full podcast menu includes:

Read more about Gate 15’s full podcast menu at our Podcast page. You can subscribe and enjoy all the Gate 15 Podcasts on Spotify for Podcasters, Apple, Spotify, Google, as well as other locations accessible from the Spotify for Podcasters link. Week-to-week, you can hear and learn more about our all-hazards threats, risks, mitigation and other issues impacting homeland security risk management from our team as well as our regular and special guests. The full podcast menu includes:

  • The Security Sprint is our weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment. 
  • The Risk Roundtable is a recurring monthly discussion among our team and occasional guests as we explore the all-hazards threats and risks impacting the United States and internationally.
  • The Cybersecurity Evangelist, with Jennifer Lyn Walker, is a cybersecurity-focused discussion with Jen and invited guests.
  • Nerd Out! Security Panel Discussion, moderated by Dave Pounder, focuses on physical security topics including terrorism, extremism, hostile events, and other pertinent topics.
  • The Gate 15 Interview is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues.

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