The CHERTOFF Group
- Team
- The Honorable Jayson P. Ahern
- The Honorable Charles E. Allen
- Larry Castro
- The Honorable Michael Chertoff
- The Honorable Jay M. Cohen
- Nathaniel T. G. Fogg
- General Michael V. Hayden
- Graham Love
- William P. Marshall
- The Honorable Jeffrey W. Runge, MD, FACEP
- The Honorable Paul A. Schneider
- Dr. Gary M. Shiffman
- Chad C. Sweet
- Sir David Veness
- Dr. J. Bennet Waters
- Brian M. White
- Board of Advisors
Dr. J. Bennet Waters
Director and Chief Operating Officer
Areas of Focus:
- Biosecurity and chemical/biological terrorism
- Global security, crisis and risk management strategy, implementation and execution
- Strategic advice on mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments
- Health informatics and information security; healthcare reform; medical and public health preparedness & response
Previous Government and Academic Service:
- Counselor to the Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security (2007 – 2009)
- Deputy Assistant Administrator, Transportation Security Administration (2008)
- Chief of Staff, Office of Health Affairs, Department of Homeland Security (2005 – 2007)
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina (2005 – present)
Dr. Waters brings to Chertoff Group a successful record of senior leadership experience in a variety of public, private and federal government settings. He specializes in developing and implementing entrepreneurial programs that balance the need to minimize risks with maintaining the flow of commerce.
“Too much security can bring business to a halt. So can too little,” he says. “The challenge is to assess and mitigate risks effectively while encouraging the legitimate movement of people and goods. In the post 9/11 environment, we must find ways to carry on business almost as usual without sacrificing our safety or security.”
Prior to joining DHS, Dr. Waters spent more than a decade in the private sector, where he held strategic, financial and operations roles in early-stage organizations and turnaround situations. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Piedmont Healthcare Management Group, Inc.; Vice President of Business Operations for the Metrolina Health Initiative; and Administrative Director of the Carolinas Medical Center Emergency Department.
Dr. Waters received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Medical Ethics from Davidson College; a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Law from the Boston University School of Public Health; and a Doctorate in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. He has published extensively on biosecurity, emergency preparedness and disaster management.
Click here to download this biosketch.