Acting Secretary Chad Wolf on Role of DHS in USG Response to COVID-19

The Administration created the White House Coronavirus Task Force to coordinate the U.S. government response to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.  On April 1, 2020, Meridian featured a key member of the Task Force, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, through a virtual Insights@Meridian briefing to discuss the steps that  his Department is taking to mitigate the spread of the virus.  The discussion, moderated by Ambassador Stuart Holliday, President and CEO of Meridian, provided more than 80 senior foreign diplomats and business executives with a chance to hear from and engage with Acting Secretary Wolf on the ongoing international and cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination efforts taking place around the world. 

Many components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are working to respond to the crisis, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency. Under the direction of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, FEMA works closely with state, local, tribal and territorial governments to execute a whole-of-America response to fight the pandemic and protect the public.  

Oscar Munoz, the CEO and President of United Airlines, gave introductory remarks, offering his perspective on the impact of the virus on the airline industry and described how United Airlines has worked to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in their own practices. Munoz also discussed the coordination efforts that United Airlines has undertaken with the U.S. government and governments around the world to facilitate repatriation of stranded citizens.  

President Trump appointed Wolf as Acting Secretary in November 2019. He holds the concurrent position of DHS Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Plans. In this role, Wolf leads the Department’s policy-making process to develop and coordinate strategies and plans that advance the homeland security mission and protect the American public. 

This program was the second virtual convening that Meridian has held since the viral pandemic has impacted the United States. Insights@Meridian is designed to provide ambassadors and other senior diplomats with an intimate opportunity to hear directly from Administration leaders, members of Congress, policymakers and business visionaries on vital policy issues of the day.   

United Airlines is the Official Airline Sponsor of the Meridian Center for Diplomatic Engagement. Meridian and United believe that by connecting people across borders, uniting the world is possible.