The Advisory Board for the Southwest Public Safety Technology Center Advisory (SWTC) sets forth the direction and guidance for the center. It consists of leaders from industry and government. Here is the current list of advisory board members:

Harold Hurtt

Harold Hurtt has served as Houston Chief of Police since 2004 and President of Major Cities Chiefs' Association. He also served as police chief in Phoenix and has been a noted proponent of "community policing." He served as president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, an organization of the 57 largest police forces in the Unites States and Canada. When the nation's second-largest police force, in Los Angeles, was ordered by a federal court consent decree to undergo major reforms in 2001, Hurtt was chosen among a select team of monitors to oversee that effort.

Douglas Adkinson,

Douglas P. Adkinson, Attorney at Law, is the Deputy Chief of Staff since December 2003 and also the Director for Criminal Justice since September 1995 for Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. He serves as the Homeland Security Administrator for Judge Eckels, as an aide for criminal and juvenile Justice Issues and a liaison to elected officials and county department heads. Mr. Adkinson was appointed Liquor Hearings Master in October 1995. He presides over hearings on contested alcoholic beverage license applications. He has held over 100 hearings during his tenure as Master. He also serves as Hearing Officer for Administrative Hearings for Harris County Toll Road Authority E-Z Tag lane violators. He is a Co-Chairman of the county’s Computer Aided Dispatch Committee. He serves as Chairman of the Harris County Juvenile Curfew Review Committee. He served as Chairman of the Harris County Sexually Oriented Business Regulations Committee, on the Harris County Medical Examiner Search Committee, and as Coordinator of the Harris County Community Plan for criminal justice grants funding for Harris and surrounding counties.

Wade Battles

Wade Battles is managing director for Port of Houston Authority. which is the equivalent to being the Chief Operating Officer. He has been involved in a variety of security and trade related programs including the Supper Carriers Initiative, the development of the STAR system and other anti smuggling operations. Presently Mr. Battles is Chairman of the AAPA Cruise Committee, Chairman of the Gulf Port Association, Vice Chairman of the Texas Ports Association, & Member of the Executive Board for Houston Galveston AMSC. Prior to joining the Port of Houston Authority, he was the Assistant Port Director of the Port of Miami.

Steve Cernak

Cernak serves as director for the Port of Galveston.

Adrian Garcia

Adrian Garcia, a native Houstonian and life-long resident of District H, began his elected public service career as Houston City Council Member of District H. Now in his second term, Council Member Garcia first began his public service career in 1980 as a Houston Police Officer. His 24 year police career began with patrolling the streets of Houston. He later worked in Organized Crime Squad of the Criminal Intelligence Division and he helped to develop HPD's Community Policing initiatives while working in the Community Services Division. In 1994 former Mayor Bob Lanier appointed him to be the Houston Police Department's Liaison to the Mayor's Anti-Gang Office, and in 1999 former Mayor Lee P. Brown appointed him to serve as the Director of the Mayor's Anti-Gang Office, a unique distinction for an HPD Officer. During his career he received numerous commendations from supervisors, citizens and Mayors, and in 1983 the Hispanic Ministers Against Crime recognized him as "Officer of the Year".

D'Wayne Jernigan

Allen D’Wayne Jernigan, Sheriff of ValVerde County, Del Rio and served in the past four years as the Chairman of the Communications Committee of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas. He serves as a member of Texas Statewide Communications Task force and as the Chairman of the Middle Rio Grande Valley Council of Governments Border Communications Task Force addressing communications and technology issues along the Texas Mexico border. Also serves as the President of the Border Amateur Radio Society. Currently he serves as a member of the Advisory Council of the Border Research Technology Center, Office of Sciences and Technology, National Institute of Justice, and as a member of the Criminal Justice Information Systems Committee, National Sheriff’s Association.

Jeanne Lin

Lin serves as director for DHS Border and Transportation Security Portfolio Programs, Plans and Budget in the Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate, Department of Homeland Security. Her primary responsibility is to interface with the Border and Transportation Security user community and coordinate border and transportation security RDT&E activities related to homeland security. The BTS Portfolio develops and executes short, mid- and long-range capabilities-based technological needs and roadmaps which translate to Border and Transportation Security plans and requirements. Ms. Lin most recently served as the Acting Executive Director, Applied Technology Division, Office of Information and Technology and Director, Research Development and Evaluation Branch within the Applied Technology Division with Customs and Border Protection. Her responsibilities at Customs included research, development and evaluation of advanced technology equipment and systems that enhanced the legacy Customs Service mission capability.

Mark Mancuso

Mark Mancuso is the Deputy Director for Safety and Security of the Houston Airport System and the chairman of the Gore Commission Consortium for Airport Security in Houston, a member of the Air Transport Association Security Committee.  He sits on the Law Enforcement Advisory Board for North Harris College and an active member of the FBI National Academy Associates.  He is involved in various civic and community organizations.  His extensive experience in Public Safety include the operations and administration of the 450-member HPD patrol division, a criminal investigation unit, a K-9 explosive detection unit and a bicycle unit at IAH. He has responsibilities for the coordinated activities of the multi-agency police station that includes the FBI, US Customs, the National Guard and a drug task force.

Rob Quartel

A former Member of the US Federal Maritime Commission, and an internationally recognized expert in maritime and US national transportation policy, Rob currently serves as Chairman and CEO of FreightDesk Technologies, Inc. His experience spans a wide range of energy, transportation, safety and environmental regulatory matters and a number of public-private ventures including mass transit, high-speed rail, highway, aviation, and port development projects. Mr. Quartel is a prolific writer and speaker, frequently cited in the media and called upon for expert testimony. Mr. Quartel was a member of the Bush-Cheney Transition Advisory Committee overseeing the US Department of Transportation. He was educated at Rice University (BA, Biology 1973) and received a Masters in Public and Private Management from Yale University's School of Organization and Management (1978), where he was a member of the School's 45-member charter class.

William Schubert

Captain William G. Schubert served as DOT Maritime Administrator for three years. Schubert managed a large-scale activation of the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He also worked to eliminate trade barriers for American ocean shipping companies doing business in China by successfully negotiating a historic maritime agreement between the United States and China. Now he works as president for International Trade & Transportation, Inc.

Dennis Storemski

Dennis Storemski is the Director of Houston's office for Public Safety and Homeland Security for Houston. Prior to becoming the Director, Mr. Storemski spent 38 years with the Houston Police Department (HPD) and worked his way up the ranks to Executive Assistant Chief. His assignments within the police department included patrol, investigations, tactical operations and support coordination. As a member of the HPD Command Staff, he was instrumental in the development of the Special Response Group, Mounted Patrol Detail and the expansion of the SWAT and Hostage Negotiation Teams. He also developed the Emergency Mobilization Plan, instituted training on Weapons of Mass Destruction and involved the department in the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Since 1985, he has served on the Committee on Terrorism for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Over the past 20 years, he has coordinated security operations for every major event in Houston, including such notable events as the Republic National Convention, the 1990 Economic Summit of Industrial Nations (G-8), the World Energy Congress and Super Bowl XXXVIII. He served as the Security Consultant for the Houston 2012 Committee, during Houston?s bid to be the host city for the 2012 Olympics.

Steve Westbrook

Westbrook serves as Executive Director for the Sheriffs' Association of Texas

Jack Whaley

John Waley serves as the director of Houston TranStar, the Greater Houston Transportation and Emergency Center since August 1998.  Mr. Whaley is a professional engineer who is licensed in both Texas and Florida.  After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Transportation, his 25-year career in the transportation field has included work in both the private and public sectors.  While working as a transportation director in South Florida, Mr. Whaley also gained first hand knowledge of emergency management operations as various hurricanes and tropical storms moved through that region during his 12-year tenure there. Mr. Whaley has endeavored to help the four partner agencies coordinate their separate projects in a way that will benefit all four and help leverage the resources of each agency to form results that no one agency could accomplish by itself.

Milton Wright

Milton Wright serves as sheriff for Fort Bend County.

See also: Photos from the 2006 SWTC Advisory Council meeting.