During a 24-year Air Force career, Col Stephan held a variety of key positions including mission commander during Operation Desert Storm. With the activation of DHS in 2003, he served as Special Assistant to the Secretary and then Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection. He led the development of the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan, and the National Infrastructure Response Plan—key documents that guide the nation’s emergency response and recovery strategies. At Gryphon, he continues to work on emergency preparedness and infrastructure protection for a variety of government and private sector clients.