Steven I. Cooper

Steven I. Cooper is a founding partner of Strativest, LLC, a firm focused on identifying emerging technologies applicable to homeland security and emergency response/preparedness; assisting in the development of go-to-market actions; and providing management services for business strategy/development, competitive intelligence, and the strategic use of information and communications technology (ICT). He is also President of Fortified Holdings Corporation, a diversified holding company focused on the development and delivery of solutions to improve situational awareness across the homeland security and first responder communities. In addition to operational responsibilities, he focuses on identifying acquisition targets for the company and helping its business units expand their market reach in effectively delivering its product solutions to emergency management organizations.

Previously, Mr. Cooper served as Senior VP and CIO of the American Red Cross, where he was responsible for leveraging IT assets to support employees and civilians. He guided the introduction of the first national call center during Hurricane Katrina and led the strategic sourcing of the Red Cross's primary data center. Prior to the Red Cross, Mr. Cooper was appointed first CIO of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In his capacity as US DHS CIO, Mr. Cooper worked with the offices and ministries tasked with homeland security, customs, and counter narcotics in many countries, including: the UK, Germany, Mexico, Canada, India, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Australia. He also served as Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and as Senior Director for information integration in the White House Office of Homeland Security.

Mr. Cooper was named one of the Top 100 CIOs in the US by CIO Insight in 2007. He previously was honored by Government Computer News as the Government Civilian Executive of the Year; by the Northern Virginia Technology Council as a Titan of Technology; was a recipient of the Fed 100 Award recognizing the 100 most influential people in federal IT; and was named by the Washington Post as "One of the Five to Watch" while serving in the White House.

Mr. Cooper remains active in his support of the NGO and not-for-profit sector by serving as board member for various organizations, including COMCARE, NetHope, the National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue, and AFCEA International. As the first Executive-on-Grounds at the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce, Mr. Cooper brings real-life experience in applying technology to the master's program in IT management. Prior to his federal government service, he spent more than 20 years in the private sector as an IT professional and holds a bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University. Mr. Cooper is a former Naval Air Reserve Petty Officer who served during the Vietnam conflict.