James G. Featherstone became President and CEO of the Los Angeles Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) in March 2016 after serving the City of Los Angeles for thirty years.

At HSAC, Jim continues to strengthen the Greater Los Angeles region’s crisis readiness and resilience by convening and connecting the private, public and civic sectors through collaborative partnerships and strategic alliances, emerging technology and research.

A native of Washington D.C. and a veteran of the United States Navy, Jim began his public service to the City of Los Angeles in 1986 with the Los Angeles Fire Department, and was later appointed Interim Fire Chief (2013-2014).

In 2007, Jim was appointed General Manager of the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, where he led a successful departmental reorganization and restructured the City’s emergency management protocols and processes. Jim holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership from the University of Southern California, a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Union Institute and University and is an alumnus of the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security. He is a Senior Fellow in the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government’s Program on Crisis Leadership.