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Mary Ellen Callahan

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American lawyer
Mary Ellen Callahan
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Personal details
EducationUniversity of Pittsburgh (BPhil)
University of Chicago Law School (JD)

Mary Ellen Callahan is an American attorney serving as the Assistant Secretary for the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office since August 2023. She was previously the chief of staff to DHS Deputy Secretary John Tien in the Office of the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2021-2023. Callahan had previously served as Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security.

Early life and education

Callahan grew up in a large family in Kennett Square, PA and graduated from Kennett High School. Callahan is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, she was a Trustee for the University of Pittsburgh from 2009 to 2022, including serving as the Vice Chair exercising the duties of the Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2021-2022. Callahan is also a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School. Callahan was a student in Barack Obama's classes at the University of Chicago Law School and has spoken with the New York Times and the Washington Post about her impressions of him.

Career

Callahan began her legal career with an immediate focus on public service and consumer protection, and quickly became a leading expert and advocate in the (then) emerging area of data privacy and cybersecurity law.

Callahan started her practice at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) from 1997 to 2009, where she counseled online companies, trade associations, and other corporations on privacy, consumer protection, and litigation matters. She represented them before government agencies on a wide range of antitrust, e-commerce, and privacy-related issues.

In 2009, Callahan was appointed by Secretary Janet Napolitano to serve as Chief Privacy Officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During her tenure in that role, Callahan led department-wide programs on privacy protections and information sharing, led all privacy initiatives in the DHS cybersecurity arena, served as the Department's Chief Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer, and represented DHS in extensive outreach and negotiations with privacy counterparts in the European Union, Canada and other countries to explain and support the U.S. privacy framework.

From 2012 to 2017, Callahan was a Partner at Jenner & Block, at which she founded and chaired the firm's Information Governance Practice. At Jenner, Callahan applied her unique and broad experience to advise an array of clients across a spectrum of industries on issues at the interface of privacy protection with cybersecurity and national security.

From 2017 to 2021, Callahan worked as an Assistant General Counsel for the Walt Disney Company. At Disney, Callahan was a leader of the global Privacy-Legal team across all segments of the company's businesses and developed crucial and innovative privacy programs and frameworks to protect the company.

In 2021, Callahan returned to government work and to work under DHS Deputy Secretary John Tien. As Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary, Callahan was a key interlocutor and partner to Departments, Agencies, Office leaders, interagency partners, and the White House. Her stewardship of the Department's vital nation security interests was crucial to gains made in the National Operations Center, operation to counter-human smuggling, international multilateral relationships, and continuity of operations and government, including resilience.

In August 2023, she became the Assistant Secretary for the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office. CWMD leads the Department's efforts and coordinated with domestic and international partners to safeguard the United States against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats. The DHM CWMD office may be terminated on February 3, 2024 absent congressional legislation.

Prior to law school, from 1991-1994, Callahan worked at the Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service as part of the Special Task Force on the Development of Parliamentary Institutions in Eastern Europe (a/k/a the Frost-Solomon Task Force).

Personal life

Callahan was married to longtime entertainment executive Tony Lynn, who died of esophageal cancer on December 1, 2018. Callahan met Lynn while representing Playboy Entertainment Group in United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc., a successful First Amendment challenge to the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

When not spending time with her family, Callahan devotes much of her free time volunteering for public service programs and initiatives about which she is passionate.

Awards and honors

Callahan is a Truman Scholar, a national scholarship for public service. She was awarded her scholarship for Pennsylvania in 1988. She serves on the Truman Council, a leadership advisory group that meets quarterly and assists on all fronts with the Truman Foundation's fundraising and communication efforts.

In 2011 Callahan received the Federal Computer Week's Federal 100 Award for her work on privacy and cybersecurity. In October 2013, Mary Ellen received the Privacy Vanguard Award, given by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, an annual award honoring the privacy professional who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, knowledge and creativity in privacy and data protection.

Callahan was named a Best Lawyer by the Washingtonian magazine twice: in 2013 in the field of National Security Law, and in 2015, Cybersecurity Law. In 2013, she was named a Tech Titan by Washingtonian.

In April 2022, she received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pitt when she gave the (delayed) 2020 Commencement Address. (rescheduled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Callahan received the DHS Outstanding Service Medal from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in August 2023, at the end of her tenure as the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary.

References

  1. "Class of 2013 Forecasts a Bright Future - PDF Free Download". docplayer.net. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  2. "Mary Ellen Callahan '97 Nominated to Serve on University of Pittsburgh's Board of Trustees | University of Chicago Law School". www.law.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  3. "Pitt's Board of Trustees named a new chair and added five members". www.pitt.edu. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  4. Frank, Natalie (2021-06-25). "Board approves new trustees, Humphrey honored". The Pitt News. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  5. Kantor, Jodi (2008-07-30). "Teaching Law, Testing Ideas, Obama Stood Slightly Apart". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  6. Ross, Janell (September 15, 2015). "Obama says liberal college students should not be 'coddled.' Are we really surprised?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  7. "Mary Ellen Callahan - Professionals - Hogan & Hartson". www.privacy.org. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  8. "Chief Privacy Officer Appointed". Department of Homeland Security. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  9. Ho, Catherine (2014-10-12). "Former head of Homeland Security's privacy office helps companies prevent, respond to data breaches". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  10. Ho, Catherine (2012-09-09). "Jenner & Block becomes latest law firm to build privacy practice". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-11. Callahan, who was appointed to her previous post by President Obama in 2009, will focus on information governance and security — which includes advising companies on national security-related issues that arise when defense contractors and the government share confidential information
  11. Beth, Brian (2019-09-05). "New Privacy Laws Are Shaping Legal Teams". Leadership Connect. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  12. Lizza, Ryan; Bade, Rachael; Palmeri, Tara; Daniels, Eugene (23 September 2021). "Inside the room of Biden's talks with Dems". Politico. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  13. "Mary Ellen Callahan | Homeland Security". www.dhs.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  14. "Mary Ellen Callahan | Homeland Security". www.dhs.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  15. "Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office | Homeland Security". www.dhs.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  16. "H.R. 6363 - Further Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2024". House of Representatives Committee on Rules. 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  17. fstovall (2010-07-12). "Maturing and Developing Democracies Share Experiences on Parliamentary Research Services". www.ndi.org. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  18. Evans, Greg (2018-12-04). "Tony Lynn Dies: Former Showtime, Playboy Entertainment Executive Was 66". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
  19. "Mary Ellen Callahan Undergraduate Student Research Fund | Honors College | University of Pittsburgh". www.honorscollege.pitt.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  20. "Truman Council". Friends of the Truman Foundation. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  21. "Former DHS privacy head moves to law firm". FCW. September 4, 2012. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  22. "Former Department of Homeland Security Chief Privacy Officer Honored with 2013 IAPP Privacy Vanguard Award". Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  23. "7 Jenner & Block Lawyers Named to Washingtonian's 2013 List of DC-Area's Best Lawyers". Jenner & Block. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  24. "Washington, DC's Top Lawyers - Washingtonian". 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  25. "Tech Titans 2013". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  26. "Meet Pitt's undergraduate commencement speakers". University of Pittsburgh. 6 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  27. Class of 2020 Commencement Ceremony, 30 April 2022, retrieved 2023-11-30


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