Join us on Friday February 26th for WHS SoCal Women Who Lead: In Conversation with Cathy Lanier, Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer for NFL and the Former Chief of Police for Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia as she shares her playbook for overcoming obstacles and building a successful career in both public and private sector. This exciting event conversation will be moderated by Dr. Rita Burke, WHS SoCal President.
For this unique event, WHS SoCal is offering a lunch option so we can enjoy sharing a meal together, although virtually. After you register for the event, be sure to sign up for a catered lunch to arrive at your home the day before the event from our friends at Nybll: http://www.nybll.com/whs. The cost is $30 and it is not required to attend the event, but it promises to be delicious!
Cathy Lanier
Over her 26 years in law enforcement and counter-terrorism, Cathy Lanier has come to be known for her game-changing leadership. Prior to serving in her current role as Senior Vice President and Chief of Security at the National Football League, Lanier held the position of Chief of Police with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from 2007 to 2016. Lanier rose through the ranks of the MPD to earn various commendable honors including becoming the first female police chief of the nation’s capital, the first commanding officer of Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism for D.C. Police, one of a small number of female chiefs in the nation at the time, and the longest serving chief on the D.C. force.
A highly respected professional in the areas of homeland security and community policing, she took the lead role in developing and implementing coordinated counterterrorism strategies for all units within the MPD and launched the department’s Operation TIPP (Terrorist Incident Prevention Program). She is also credited for transforming the city once known as the "murder capital of the nation." Lanier’s street-smart tactics focus on community empowerment, and dedication to improving technology and intelligence resulted in a 53 percent reduction in homicides from 2008-2012. While leading the MPD, Lanier also demonstrated expertise in securing and managing large events as she oversaw five Presidential inaugurations and several special events including two state funerals and two Papal visits. In 2013, she led the response effort to the Washington Navy Yard mass shooting.
Now, as the Chief of Security for the National Football League, Lanier safeguards the security of all 32 NFL teams and their venues, liaises and collaborates with federal, state and local law enforcement, and ensures security for League events like the Super Bowl. As an innovative force in safety and security, Chief Lanier’s service continues to extend beyond the NFL to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, an independent government advisory body, where she currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Emerging Technologies Sub-Committee. She is Vice-Chair of the Commercial Facilities Sector Coordinating Council and Co-Chair of the Sports League Sub-Sector Coordinating Council.
Rita V. Burke, PhD, MPH
Dr. Burke is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California where she teaches classes on disaster management, violence and public health leadership. Previously, she worked at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where she led all research efforts in pediatric disaster management and injury prevention.
Dr. Burke has over 60 peer-reviewed publications, over 50 abstracts at local, state and national conferences and book chapters. She is the former co-chair of the Research Committee for the Pediatric Trauma Society, the current co-chair for the Los Angeles Children in Disaster Working Group and co-chair of the Disaster and Emergency Response sub-committee of the American Public Health Association. She is a member of the American Public health Association, Society for Epidemiologic Research, the American College of Epidemiology, and the Education Sub-council for the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. She is the Associate Editor for the peer-reviewed journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness and co-author of Landesman’s Public Health Management of Disasters. She is the Principal Investigator to examine the gaps in preparedness for families with children with access and functional needs as well as another grant that examines the role of faith-based organizations in disaster preparedness.
Dr. Burke received her MPH and PhD in epidemiology from the University of California, Los Angeles where she also received several competitive grants and fellowships while earning her doctorate.