Dr. Peter Fonash
Chief Technology Officer, Office of Cyber Security and Communications
Department of Homeland Security
Dr. Peter M. Fonash was appointed CTO in January 2007. Prior to that date he served as the Deputy Manager and Director of the National Communications System (NCS) from May 2004 until January 2007. Key responsibilities of this position include directing communications restoration during Presidentially declared disasters and managing the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee(NSTAC).

From 1998 until July 2004, Dr. Fonash served as the Chief of the NCS Technology and Programs Division, directing priority services technology development, network modeling and analysis, specialized telecommunications research and development, and priority services standards. He also supervised the acquisition of priority communications services in the Public Switched Network through the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service(GETS) and Wireless Priority Service(WPS) programs.

Dr. Fonash from 1994-1998 accelerated the Electronic Commerce program for the DOD Chief Information Officer (CIO) and served as the Chief, Joint Combat Support Applications Division, providing technical integration services to the functional communities and guiding functional applications’ compliance with the standard common operational environment(COE).

Dr. Fonash held various management and technical positions, from 1986 to 1994, in the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), including Director of Technology (Center for Information Management) and Chief of the Advanced Technology Office.

Prior to working for DISA, Dr. Fonash was assigned to the position of Army Deputy Director, Ada Joint Program Office from 1981 to 1984. From 1984 to 1986 he was the project manager for the Software Technology for Adaptable Reliable Systems (STARS) methodology project under the Army Materiel Command.

Before entering government service, Dr. Fonash was responsible for systems engineering of international switching and all signaling systems in Eastern Region of AT&T Long Lines. He was also a Deputy Group Leader for the Planning Research Corporation, managing and marketing engineering services to clients. As a Senior Financial Analyst and Systems Analyst for the Burroughs Corporation(Unisys), he was responsible for development, modifications and maintenance of accounts payable, production planning, and financial information systems. Additional responsibilities included preparing forecasts and budgets for the U.S. division of the company.

Dr. Fonash has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a Master of Science from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology from George Mason University, School of Information Technology and Engineering.

He became a member of the Senior Executive Service in 1998. He is married with two children.