Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson Named 2017 Senior Fellow with the Homeland Security Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center

Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security, has been named a non-resident Senior Fellow with the Homeland Security Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

As Secretary of Homeland Security from 2013-2017, Johnson was the head of the third largest cabinet department of the U.S. government, consisting of 230,000 personnel and 22 components, including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Services, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and FEMA. Johnson's responsibilities as Secretary included counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, port security, maritime security, protection of our national leaders, and response to natural disasters. In three years as Secretary of DHS, Johnson is credited with management reform of the Department which brought about a more centralized approach to decision-making in the areas of budgets, acquisition and overall policy, and for raised employee morale across the Department. Prior to becoming Secretary of Homeland Security, Johnson was General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2009-2012).

“All Americans owe Jeh Johnson a debt of gratitude for working tirelessly and effectively to keep our homeland safe,” said Belfer Center Director Ash Carter. “I am so pleased that one of our nation’s most dedicated public servants — and my good friend — is bringing his immense talent to advance the Center’s work to build a more secure, peaceful world.”

“We are thrilled to have Secretary Johnson as part of the Belfer Center community,” said Juliette Kayyem, Faculty Director of the Homeland Security Project and Belfer Lecturer in National Security, in announcing Johnson’s appointment as a non-resident Senior Fellow. “As Secretary, Jeh Johnson understood that homeland security is not simply about minimizing risks to our nation but is also about celebrating who we are as a society and our leadership in the world. As part of the Belfer Center’s Homeland Security Project, he will engage students, faculty and fellows in exploring the future challenges in our homeland security enterprise.”

“I am excited to add my years of public and private sector expertise to the team of fellows at the Homeland Security Project as we work together to address the wide array of challenges our country faces in protecting our homeland and managing crises,” Johnson said. “Border management, terrorism, and large-scale natural disasters are but a few of the ever-changing obstacles to securing the homeland, and I look forward to our upcoming events and Project initiatives to illuminate frequent pitfalls and offer potential solutions to better mitigate threats to our nation’s security.”

Johnson will continue as a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP and serves on the board of directors of Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation.