Christopher J. Tomney

Rear Admiral Christopher Tomney, USCG (ret.) assumed the duties as Director, Office of Operations Coordination for the Department of Homeland Security in August 2019. As the OPS Director, Rear Admiral Tomney leads DHS efforts to provide operations coordination, information sharing, situational awareness, and a common operating picture. He also leads the DHS continuity program, enabling execution of the Secretary’s responsibilities across the homeland security enterprise and ensuring resiliency of the Department during continuity of operations. Prior to this assignment, he served as a Special Advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security since October 2018 where he led a Unified Coordination Group in support of Southwest Border humanitarian and security crisis operations as well as completed an executive-level assignment assessing the future state of DHS Headquarters situational awareness and operations coordination activities.

Rear Admiral Tomney retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in July 2018 after serving as the Director, Joint Interagency Task Force South; a position which he held since April 2015. Previous flag assignments included Assistant Commandant, Intelligence and Criminal Investigations and Director, Joint Interagency Task Force West.

Rear Admiral Tomney graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science. He earned a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College and completed a federal executive fellowship at the Brookings Institution, earning the Brookings Certificate in Public Leadership.

Rear Admiral Tomney served in a variety of intelligence assignments involving training, operations, planning, and management. He served as the School Chief for the Coast Guard’s Operational Intelligence School, Deputy Director of the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area Intelligence Division, and Deputy Director of the Coast Guard’s Counterintelligence Service. Upon establishment, he served as the first Director of Intelligence Operations for the Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center, Pacific. His national-level intelligence experience includes Chief of the Coast Guard’s Intelligence Plans and Policy Office, Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Intelligence and Criminal Investigations, and Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center.

Rear Admiral Tomney is a permanent cutterman and is qualified in tactical law enforcement. He commanded USCGC POINT MONROE out of Freeport, Texas and USCGC OCRACOKE out of Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. He served as a Deck Watch Officer in USCGC DILIGENCE and as Executive Officer in USCGC CONFIDENCE both homeported in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Additionally, he commanded Law Enforcement Detachment Two out of Key West, Florida.

Rear Admiral Tomney’s military decorations include the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit (2), Meritorious Service Medal, and the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (4). He also was awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal by the Director of National Intelligence.