Our advisory board provides invaluable business advice and strategic insight which enables Mutualink to maintain a leadership role in the interoperable communications sector. Interoperability is more than just technology. It is a discipline that required an in-depth understanding of all phases of emergency preparedness, response and recovery in an all hazards, all disciplines scalable environment. Bringing the right solution with a full understanding of concept of operations to achieve force and response asset multiplication is critical to enhancing the Nation's state of active emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

Barry McCaffrey

For five years after leaving the military, Barry McCaffrey served as the nation's Cabinet Officer in charge of U.S. Drug Policy. He was confirmed for this position by unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate. For this period of public service, General McCaffrey received many honors including: the Department of Health and Human Service Lifetime Achievement Award for Extraordinary Achievements in the Field of Substance Abuse Prevention (2004), the United States Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, the Norman E. Zinberg Award of the Harvard Medical School, the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation's National Service Award, and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

After leaving government service, Barry McCaffrey served for five years (2001-2005) as the Bradley Distinguished Professor of International Security Studies at West Point. He continues as an Adjunct Professor of International Affairs.

Barry McCaffrey graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. in 1960; from West Point with a BS in 1964; earned an MA degree in American Government from American University; and attended the Harvard University National Security Program as well as the Business School Executive Education Program.

Wesley Clark

From 1996 to 1997 General Clark served as Commander in Chief of the United States Southern Command, Panama, where he was responsible for the direction of U.S. military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

From 1994 to 1996, he served as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff with responsibilities for worldwide U.S. military strategic planning.

General Clark is a 1966 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he graduated first in his class. He holds a Master's Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

General Clark is a recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He has received honorary Knighthoods from the British and Dutch governments and was made a commander of the French Legion of Honor. In August 2000, General Clark was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

General Clark is also an investment banker. He joined Stephens Inc. as a consultant in July of 2000 and was named Managing Director – Merchant Banking of Stephens Group, Inc. from March 2001 through February 2003.

An acclaimed public speaker and commentator, General Clark is the author of the best-selling Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat (Public Affairs, New York, NY, 2001) and Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism and the American Empire (Public Affairs, New York, NY, 2003).

James Lee Witt

Witt currently is a special advisor to the State of Louisiana, assisting with the nation's largest long term recovery effort in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In 2003- 2006, Mr. Witt served as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Code Council (ICC), a 50,000-member association dedicated to building safety, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. The majority of U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose building and fire safety codes developed by the ICC.

James Lee Witt has over 25 years of disaster management experience, culminating in his appointment as the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he served from 1993-2001. In this capacity, he is credited with turning FEMA from an unsuccessful bureaucratic agency to an internationally lauded all-hazards disaster management agency. His leadership abilities have been praised by nationally recognized organizations, including the Council for Excellence in Government, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and the National Association of Broadcasters.

Mr. Witt was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in April 1993. In February 1996, President Clinton elevated Mr. Witt to cabinet status - a first for a FEMA Director. As FEMA Director, Mr. Witt coordinated federal disaster relief on behalf of President Clinton, including the response and recovery activities of 28 federal agencies and departments, the American Red Cross and other voluntary agencies. He also oversaw the National Flood Insurance Program, the U.S. Fire Administration and other pro-active mitigation activities that reduce loss of life and property from all types of hazards. Mr. Witt directed 2,500 employees located in Washington, DC and 10 regional offices.

From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Witt oversaw more than 350 disasters. More importantly, he was responsible for response and recovery operations for some of the most devastating disasters of all time, including the most costly flood disaster in the nation's history, the most costly earthquake, and a dozen damaging hurricanes.

As Director of FEMA, Mr. Witt was the visionary and architect of national government programs related to emergency preparedness and mitigation, response, recovery. In addition to his experience in emergency management on the State and local level, Mr. Witt has expertise integrating community-based disaster management with national emergency management strategy. He initiated Project Impact, the innovative disaster prevention program implemented in over 240 communities to make communities at the local level disaster resistant.

Mr. Witt integrated flood mitigation, control and protection into FEMA's policy. After the devastating Midwest floods of 1993, Mr. Witt pursued an aggressive flood prone property acquisition and relocation program. By purchasing properties that were repeatedly flooded, he saved taxpayers millions of dollars when floods again ravaged the same Midwest area again in 1995.

Mr. Witt's professional career includes the formation of Witt Construction, a commercial and residential construction company. After 12 years as a successful businessman and community leader, he was elected County Judge for Yell County, serving as the chief elected official for the county, with judicial responsibilities for county and juvenile court. At age 34, he was the youngest elected county judge in Arkansas, and was later honored for his accomplishments by the National Association of Counties. After being re-elected six times to the position, Mr. Witt was tapped by then-Governor Bill Clinton to assume leadership of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services (OES). He served as the Director of the Arkansas OES for four years.

Rob Housman

In 1997 President Clinton appointed him Assistant Director for Strategic Planning in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).  In this capacity, he was a senior advisor at large to Gen. (ret.) Barry McCaffrey, the drug czar and member of the President’s Cabinet and National Security Council.  He provided strategic vision and oversight to the agency, which oversaw $19.2 billion in annual expenditures.  Mr. Housman earned the Outstanding Performance Award (highest given) for each year of his White House service.

While at the White House he also served on the White House Olympic Task Force and the White House Task Force on the Reforming the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program.  He was also Deputy Head of the U.S. Delegation to the World Anti-Doping Agency; lead U.S. negotiator for multiple international agreements and communiqués; and a member of numerous U.S. delegations, including the President’s delegation to Venezuela and the UN General Assembly Special Session (1998).  In 2000, he was secunded to be Co-Counsel of the international audit team for Sydney Olympic Games.

Before, Bookhill Partners, he previously ran his own firm, the Housman Group; was a Senior Vice President in Fleishman-Hillard’s government relations division; and served as Counsel to the Government Relations Section of Bracewell & Patterson.  His professional career has also included stints with presidential campaigns, the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Committee, an international nongovernmental organization and the nation’s largest law firm.  He has also consulted for the National Security Council, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations Environment Programme and the American Chemistry Council.

Mr. Housman teaches homeland security and counter-terrorism for the University of Maryland, University College.  He has also taught international law at the American University Law School and national security at Syracuse University's Maxwell School, Washington Program.  

He is a contributing author of the Homeland Security Law Handbook (Government Institutes Press, 2003)—the first treatise on homeland security law.  His media appearances include: The Today Show, CNN, The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, NPR, and MSNBC. He has also written for publications including Forbes.com, The Los Angeles Times, The Miami Herald, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Times, The Charlotte Observer, The Seattle Post Intelligencer, The Dallas Morning News, The Legal Times, Security Management and The Journal of Commerce.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and his juris doctor from the Washington College of Law, American University (cum laude).

Mutualink Management Team  

Management