The President's NIAC Membership

The President's National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) is the only executive council that examines cross-sector critical infrastructure security and resilience issues and provides recommendations to the President on how to secure the nation's infrastructure. The Council includes up to 30 senior executives appointed from across the critical infrastructure sectors who volunteer their time to examine these serious issues for the President. Members draw upon their deep experience, engage national experts, and conduct extensive research to discern the key insights that lead to practical federal solutions to complex problems. The Council's diverse representation of owners and operators from multiple critical infrastructure sectors enables it to effectively identify cross-sector risks and practical ways to mitigate them.

Current members of The President's National Infrastructure Advisory Council - 

Mr. Adebayo Ogunlesi, NIAC Chair

Mr. Ogunlesi is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an industry-leading, independent asset manager focused on infrastructure. GIP currently has over $84 billion in assets under management. Prior to founding GIP in 2006, Mr. Ogunlesi spent 23 years at Credit Suisse, where he held several senior positions including Executive Vice Chairman.  He was an attorney for the New York Law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore and clerked for the Honorable Thurgood Marshall.

Ms. Maria Lehman, NIAC Vice Chair

Ms. Lehman has more than 40 years of experience in civil engineering, from planning through decommissioning, on projects with capital expenditures of up to $3.9 billion. She leads the U.S. infrastructure business at GHD, focusing on federal and New York State government relations and provides strategic expertise for markets. She is a licensed professional engineer in several states. In October 2022, she was sworn in as President for the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Mr. Martin Adams

Mr. Adams has served as the General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipal utility, since 2019.  Mr. Adams led major capital investments, including extensive groundwater cleanup and investments in green hydrogen, to meet the agency's transition to carbon-free energy and local water resources, while maintaining reliability and improving resiliency in the face of extreme weather events, wildfires, droughts, earthquakes, and statewide energy shortages.

Mr. Alan Armstrong

Mr. Alan Armstrong is President and Chief Executive Officer of Williams Inc., a natural gas company. During his tenure, Williams Inc. expanded and now serves about 30 percent of all U.S. natural gas volumes. Mr. Armstrong also serves on the boards of the American Petroleum Institute and the Energy Infrastructure Council.

Mr. Manu Asthana

Mr. Asthana oversees the largest power grid in North America and one of the largest electricity markets in the world as the Chief Executive Officer and President of PJM. Under his leadership, PJM has established a clear path for defining the grid operator’s role in the transition to a cleaner, more efficient grid while maintaining reliable electric service.

Ms. Camille Batiste

Ms. Batiste served as  Archer Daniels Midland’s Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain & Procurement. ADM is the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Ms. Batiste leads ADM’s supply chain functions including non-commodity sourcing, sales and operations planning, and delivery optimization. She also oversees ADM’s transformation program.

Ms. Madhu Beriwal

Ms. Beriwal founded Innovative Emergency Management, Inc. (IEM) in 1985 and is currently serving as Chairwoman,  having been President and Chief Executive Officer until 2024. IEM is the largest woman-led homeland security and emergency management firm in the United States. For over 37 years, Ms. Beriwal has been dedicated to the use of technology to enhance preparedness and response and build resilience in communities and their critical infrastructure.

Ms. Deneen DeFiore

Ms. DeFiore currently serves as Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at United Airlines. She is responsible for leading the cybersecurity organization to ensure the company is prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to evolving cyber threats; as well as initiatives on commercial aviation cyber safety risk, improving cyber resilience, and representing United in working with international partners to reduce cyber safety risk world-wide across the aviation ecosystem.

Mr. Josh Descant

Mr. Descant is Chief Executive Officer of REV, a leading broadband and telecommunications provider headquartered in Southeast Louisiana. With extensive experience overseeing regional communications access and data security services, Mr. Descant’s leadership and vision have positioned REV as a community-focused provider of critical network infrastructure services for various industry sectors and consumers in Louisiana and the gulf region.

Dr. Christine Fox

Dr. Fox is a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). Previously, she was the Assistant Director for Policy and Analysis at APL, a position she held from 2014 to early 2022. Before joining APL, she served as Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2014 and as Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) from 2009 to 2013. As CAPE Director, Fox served as chief analyst to the Secretary of Defense.  

Mr. David Gadis

Mr. Gadis serves as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of DC Water, overseeing $1 billion annual budget, a workforce of approximately 1,200 employees, and the largest Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in the world that provides services to nearly 700,000 District residents. Since taking leadership in May 2018, Mr. Gadis has led several transformative initiatives related to environmental justice and water equity.

Mr. David Grain

Mr. Grain is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Grain Management, LLC. Prior to founding Grain Management, he led Pinnacle Towers (renamed Global Signal), one of the world’s largest independent wireless communication tower companies. He serves as a Director of Southern Company, Dell Technologies, and New Fortress Energy, as a Trustee of the Brookings Institution, on the Advisory Council of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, on the Board of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, and is a member of the Dartmouth Board of Trustees. 

Mr. Michael Hayford

Mr. Hayford served as Chief Executive Officer of NCR Corporation, a Fortune 500 technology company based in Atlanta doing business in 160 countries. NCR Corporation is a leading global provider of enterprise software, hardware and services for banks, retailers, restaurants, small businesses, and telecom companies. Prior to NCR, Mr. Hayford served in several C-suite financial technology roles. He was Chief Financial Officer and corporate executive vice president of FIS and he also served as president and Chief Operating Officer of Metavante Technologies, Inc. 

Ms. Constance Lau

Ms. Lau headed Hawaii's largest public company which included the electric utility serving 95% of the state and Hawaii's third largest bank. Ms. Lau also served on the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council. Currently, Ms. Lau holds the role of C3E Ambassador for the Department of Energy, and serves on the Board of Matson Inc., the principal shipping company serving Hawaii and Alaska and with service to the Pacific, China, and Japan.

Dr. Norma Jean Mattei

Dr. Mattei is an internationally known expert and leader in critical civil infrastructure. She is a Professor and past Chair at the University of New Orleans’ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She serve​d for ten years as the senior civilian member and one of two civilian civil engineer Commissioners on the Mississippi River Commission. Dr. Mattei also served as the 2017 President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), chairing that organization’s Board of Directors as well as debuting the 2017 ASCE Report Card on America’s Infrastructure.

GEN (Ret) Mark Milley

General (Ret) Milley served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, from 2019 to 2023. Prior to becoming Chairman, he served as the 39^th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, in the Joint Staff operations directorate and as Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. In 2019 he commissioned a U.S. War College report on climate change impact, pulling from experts from the U.S. Army, Defense Intelligence Agency, and NASA.

Ms. Clara Pratte

Ms. Pratte has advocated for tribal communities nationwide. She grew up on the Navajo reservation and has committed her work to poverty alleviation, economic empowerment, and advancing tribal sovereignty. She founded Strongbow Strategies, a government services firm, in 2013 and joined the Navajo Power leadership team in 2018 to implement new energy development models for the Navajo Nation. Her experience includes serving as the Tribal Engagements Director for the Biden-Harris campaign and transition, Navajo Nation Chief of Staff, the Navajo Nation Executive Director of the Washington D.C. office, and the National Director of the Office of Native American Affairs of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Mr. Gil Quiniones

Mr. Quiniones is Chief Executive Officer of ComEd, an Exelon company which powers the lives of more than 4 million residential and business customers, or 70 percent of Illinois population. He oversees the management of the electric grid for Chicago and most of northern Illinois and ComEd’s partnerships with the diverse communities it serves. Before joining ComEd, Mr. Quiniones served more than a decade as President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the nation’s largest state-owned electric utility.

Mr. Jorge Ramirez

Mr. Ramirez is Managing Director for Labor and Government Strategies at GCM Grosvenor, a global asset management company based in Chicago. He is the former president of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), the third largest central labor council of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), representing 300 unions and a half million working people across the Chicagoland area.

Mr. Pasquale Romano

Mr. Romano is the CEO at RedoxBlox, a company that is building thermal energy storage projects for both decarbonizing industrial heat and for grid scale storage. Formerly, Mr. Romano served as President of ChargePoint, bringing more than 30 years of technology industry leadership and executive management experience to the company. In 1998, he co-founded 2Wire, which was acquired by Pace plc for $475 million in 2010. Previously, Mr. Romano held multiple positions in marketing and engineering at Polycom. In 1989, he co-founded Fluent Inc., a digital video networking company and served as Chief Architect until it was sold to Novell Inc. in 1993. He is currently a member of President Biden’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) and an advisor to Linse Capital. 

Dr. Beverly Scott

Dr. Scott’s career in the public transportation industry spans forty years, including four appointments as Chief Executive Officer/General Manager – Boston (MBTA), Atlanta (MARTA), Sacramento (SRTD), and Rhode Island (RIPTA). She is the CEO of Beverly Scott and Associates and Founder of Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure. Nationally recognized for her “equity-centered” leadership, public service, and emphasis on “shared prosperity” for all people and communities, she is a frequent speaker, serves on several national boards, and has received numerous national and local awards and recognitions including recognition as a “Transportation Agent of Change.”

Dr. Patricia Sims

Dr. Sims has been the President of Drake State Community & Technical College, a Historically Black College (HBCU), located in Huntsville, Alabama since 2018. Under Dr. Sims’ leadership, Drake State has seen a significant increase in state and federal funding, has increased strategic partnerships, and expanded its program offerings. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alabama State Port Authority, the Alabama Partnership for Children, and the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust.

Mr. Kurt Summers

Mr. Summers is the Sr. Managing Director and Head of Public-Private Partnerships at Blackstone’s Infrastructure Group.  He is responsible for investment strategies in partnership with government, public entities, civic and labor organizations and broader stakeholders to help advance local infrastructure priorities. Previously, he also served as both Chairman of the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, where he led the largest lighting retrofit project in North America, and Chairman of the Chicago Community Catalyst Fund, a first-of-its-kind $100 million local investment fund for Chicago neighborhoods.

Mr. Luis “Vance” Taylor

Mr. Taylor serves as the Chief of Office of Access & Functional Needs in the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). In this role he leads the team responsible for ensuring the needs of individuals with disabilities and persons with access or functional considerations are identified and integrated into the State’s emergency management systems before, during, and after disasters. Prior to joining Cal OES, Taylor worked in Washington, D.C. as an advisor for two members of Congress on homeland security, emergency management, and infrastructure protection issues. Mr. Taylor is a nationally recognized public speaker and an advocate for individuals with disabilities.

Mr. Tony Thomas

Mr. Thomas serves as CEO of Shinall Advisors, a digital infrastructure consulting firm. Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Windstream, a communications company, from 2014 - 2023, and formerly, Chief Financial Officer where he played an integral role in Windstream's expansion by completing seven acquisitions totaling more than $5.6 billion in transaction value. In addition, Mr. Thomas has deep capital market expertise, having led almost $10 billion in debt transactions. Mr. Thomas joined Windstream as controller following the spinoff from Alltel Corp. He held a variety of financial and operational leadership roles at Alltel after joining the company when it merged with 360 Communications in 1998.

Dr. Conrad Vial

Dr. Vial is a Senior Vice-President of Sutter Health, an integrated healthcare delivery system caring for 3.5 million Northern Californians. In his specific role as Sutter Health’s Sutter Health Network President, Dr. Vial’s leadership accountabilities include stewardship of Sutter’s clinically integrated physician network, population health management services, clinical as well as heath system science research and medical education/training programs. Dr. Vial is also a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon who has held various leadership roles in multi-specialty medical group practice and integrated healthcare delivery.

Mr. Sadek Wahba

Mr. Wahba is Chairman and Managing Partner of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment company based in Miami, Florida. He was previously a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley as well as an economist at the World Bank. He is a Senior Fellow of the Development Research Institute at NYU, a member of the Global Advisory Council of the Wilson Center, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Chris Wiernicki

Mr. Wiernicki is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Chairman of the ABS Group of Companies, Inc. ABS is a leading global maritime technical and standards organization and risk management company. Mr. Wiernicki has over 35 years of extensive commercial, government and international experience in marine and offshore design, operations, infrastructure and safety management, ports and bunkering, digitalization, cybersecurity, and clean energy transition. He is a member of the International Maritime Hall of Fame, was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and was selected as a member of the Marine Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Ms. Audrey Zibelman

Ms. Zibelman is a global expert in the transition of the power system to a decarbonized power grid. She serves as a senior advisor and board member to multiple companies and organizations in the United States, Europe and Australia and organizations focused on the infrastructure investments and software technologies required for efficient and secure power grid decarbonization. Ms. Zibelman’s most recent executive position was at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory where she led a project on grid digitalization and where she remains an advisor. She previously was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Energy Market Operator, the national power system and gas system operator for Australia. Ms. Zibelman has served as the Chair of the New York Public Service Commission and held executive positions at PJM and Xcel Energy.