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Rose-Hulman
Graduate Selected to be the First Executive Director of the State's
Department of Homeland Security
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| First Executive Director of
Indiana's Department of Homeland Security, Eric Dietz |
Rose-Hulman graduate Eric Dietz has been selected by
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to be the first executive director of the
state's Department of Homeland Security.
Dietz will lead the department which combines the
state's emergency management and homeland security efforts. The governor
made the announcement of Dietz's appointment on March 11.
Dietz earned the bachelor's and master's degrees in
chemical engineering from Rose-Hulman in 1984 and 1986 respectively. He
received a doctorate from Purdue University. He recently retired from
the U.S. Army after a 22-year career. Dietz, a Michigan City, Ind.
native, is the associate director of the e-Enterprise Center at Purdue's
Discovery Park.
Legislation to create the department was introduced by
State Senator Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne. SB56 was approved by the Senate
and referred to the House earlier this month. The House sponsor is
Representative William J. Ruppel, R-North Manchester.
The four divisions within the Department of Homeland
Security would be the Division of Planning and Assessment, responsible
for federal grants; the Division of Preparedness and Training, which
includes the Public Safety Training Institute; the Division of Emergency
Response and Recovery, which would incorporate the existing State
Emergency Management Agency (SEMA); and the Division of Fire and
Building Safety, which would include the newly combined role of state
fire marshal and the state building commissioner.
Dietz served as managing director of the Purdue Homeland
Security Institute from May 2004 to February and was involved in the
establishment of a cooperative research and development agreement with
the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane, Indiana University, the
Counter-Terrorism and Security Council and Purdue to develop technology,
tactics and training for military and first responders. He also
developed a weapons of mass destruction exercise proposal that will be
conducted at Purdue later this year.
While in the military, he oversaw a number of
technology-oriented projects, including development of detection
programs for weapons of mass destruction, military power sources,
chemical demilitarization and decision-making software.
Among other responsibilities, Dietz will be responsible
for developing a single strategic plan for responding to homeland
security emergencies, overseeing the application and disbursement of
federal homeland security funds, acting as the single emergency
operations coordinator during a terrorist or homeland security attack
and serving as the director of the Counter Terrorism and Security
Council, which will continue to be chaired by Lieutenant Governor Becky
Skillman.
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