Mr. J. C. Egnew
Mr. Egnew, a former NASA engineer, is the Chairman/President/CEO of Outdoor Venture Corporation. He is a co-founder of the company which is a major supplier of military tents to the U. S. Department of Defense. Mr. Egnew is a former chairman of the Industrial Fabrics Association International, a current director of the Industrial Fabrics Foundation and is responsible for the startup of four manufacturing facilities and the creation of more than 1,000 jobs in McCreary County, KY and the surrounding area. He earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Evansville and a graduate degree in industrial management from the University of Tennessee. Mr. Egnew is a director of the Bank of McCreary County and president of the McCreary County Education Foundation.

Mr. Gregory Jones
Greg Jones has served as the Executive Director of Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED) since July 1992. As Executive Director, he is responsible for the marketing and industrial recruitment activities for a forty-two county area in southern and eastern Kentucky, managing a $9 million loan portfolio and providing economic and community development assistance to local communities in SKED's service area. Under his leadership, SKED has successfully assisted over 100 businesses and industries in starting or expanding their operations in the southern Kentucky region. Mr. Jones has served on numerous boards and commissions both locally and nationally. Mr. Jones earned his B.S. in Industrial Technology at Morehead State University, Morehead, Kentucky. He also holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He has attended the Institute for Organization Management and Economic Development Institute. In 1995, he received the Certified Economic Developer designation from the American Economic Development Council.

Judge Eugene Siler Jr.
Judge Siler is Senior Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, a position he has held since 2001. He was appointed as an appellate judge for the Sixth Circuit in 1991. His prior service includes judge for the U. S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky and chief judge of the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He was also United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Judge Siler served in the U. S. Navy and retired from the United States Naval Reserve with the rank of Commander. Judge Siler has served as chairman and member of the board of trustees of Cumberland College and president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. He has also served as chairman and member of the board of directors of Baptist Healthcare System. He earned degrees from Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia and Georgetown University.

Mr. Ewell H. Balltrip
Mr. Balltrip is the President / CEO of The National Institute For Hometown Security (NIHS). He is also the founding executive of the organization. Mr. Balltrip has extensive executive management and leadership experience in the public and private sectors. Prior to joining NIHS, he was the Executive Director of the Kentucky Appalachian Commission and served as Governor Paul E. Patton’s representative to the federal Appalachian Regional Commission. During his tenure in this position, the Kentucky Appalachian Commission was twice cited as a “Best Practice” by the federal ARC. Mr. Balltrip has also held positions as the publisher and chief operating officer of community daily newspapers of The New York Times Company in Kentucky and Tennessee. He is a member of the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Corridor and serves as treasurer of that organization. Balltrip is a graduate of Baylor University.

Dr. Miriam E. John
Dr. Miriam E. John is an independent consultant with extensive experience in the homeland security field. Dr. John retired from Sandia National Laboratories where she was vice president of the SNL California Division and vice president of the Homeland Security and Defense Strategic Management Unit. Her career with Sandia National Laboratories began in 1978. Her memberships include the Department of Defense’s Defense Science Board, the Department of Defense Threat Reduction Advisory Committee and the Naval Studies Board of the National Research Council. Dr. John is a National Associate of the National Academies of Science and Engineering. Dr. John earned her undergraduate degree at Rice University, her masters’ degree from Tulane and her doctorate at Princeton University. 

Mr. Bennie Garland
Bennie Garland is a consultant with the South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (SKRECC) in Somerset, KY. He works with all local units of government in the 10 county SKRECC service area on socio-economic projects through the provision of technical assistance, grant writing, and the development of overall economic strategies for communities to consider for implementation. He has been responsible for infrastructure, industrial development, and social program projects in excess of 500 million dollars.
 
Prior to his work with SKRECC, Mr. Garland was Executive Director of the Clinton County Empowerment Zone Community where he was responsible implementing economic development projects for the area and serving as director of the Clinton County Empowerment Zone, Inc. His duties included oversight of procurement, design, and construction for major public projects in Clinton County which totaled over $110,000,000. Mr. Garland also served in several Director of Policy and Planning positions with the Lake Cumberland Area Development District.
 
Mr. Garland holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Cumberland College and is a member of the Kentucky Industrial Development Corporation and the I-66 Planning Committee.  He is a former school teacher and past member of numerous public commissions and boards including the Kentucky County Judge’s Association, the Kentucky County Judge’s Coal Coalition, the Kentucky State Inter-governmental Personnel Act Advisory Committee, and the Kentucky Planning Association. He is a member of the Russell Springs United Methodist Church and a former Junior High School basketball coach.
 
Mr. Seth Stodder
Seth Stodder is president and CEO of Palindrome Strategies, LLC of Redondo Beach, CA. He is the founder of the consulting firm that advises technology companies, private equity firms and other clients on national security, homeland security, law enforcement, border security and infrastructure protection issues. He is a former Director of Policy and Planning for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He currently serves as Senior Fellow with George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute. He is a former litigator with Washington and Los Angeles law firms. Mr. Stoddard is a graduate of the University of Southern California Law School and of Haverford College.