Washington, DC – Mary Anne McKown, a manager with more than 22 years of experience, 14 of which included leading homeland security and emergency management projects, has been selected as the Managing Director of the National Capital Region’s Homeland Security Program Management Office (PMO.)

The PMO was established last fall to coordinate and direct homeland security programs for the National Capital Region.  The PMO will be housed at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG.) 

McKown, currently a Lead Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, specializes in developing performance measures for federal homeland security projects as well as financial and risk management and staff leadership.  During the last decade, she has directed teams of professionals that oversaw federal homeland security projects worth millions of dollars.

“We are very pleased to welcome Mary Anne to the team leading homeland security and emergency management for the National Capital Region,” Chuck Bean, executive director of the Council of Governments said.  “Her expertise along with her ability to provide high-level advice to policy makers at all levels is the perfect combination of skills for this position.”

As managing director of the PMO, McKown will lead a staff in providing regional homeland security oversight, staff support for regional committees, strategic planning, funding recommendations for the allocation of federal grants and project management services.

She will report to Stuart Freudberg, COG’s Senior Director, Environment, Public Safety and Health.  The PMO will be overseen by a governing body consisting of District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia homeland security advisors and emergency management directors, as well as city and county managers for the National Capital Region.

McKown earned her B.A. in Political Science and English from the University of Richmond and an M.A. in Security Policy Studies from The George Washington University, and is a certified Project Management Professional. She will begin her new position April 14.

photo credit: inWEM –International Women in Emergency Management