DR. JOE DiRENZO III Visiting Senior Fellow Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk Virginia

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Dr. DiRenzo, is a retired Coast Guard officer who is a visiting senior Fellow at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, where he lectures on homeland and national security issues, the National Response Plan and Terrorism. He is also the lead mentor, for the Criminal Justice Graduate Program, at Northcentral University in Prescott, Arizona.

Following his graduation from the Naval Academy in 1982, Dr. DiRenzo spent nine years in the Navy, serving in both the submarine and surface warfare communities. In 1991 he transitioned to the United States Coast Guard and was assigned to USCGC GALLATIN (WHEC 721), where he served as Combat Information Center Officer, then Acting Operations Officer. In 1993 he was assigned as Executive Officer of USCGC VASHON (WPB 1308), homeported in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and was the primary Boarding Officer for 14 narcotics and 10 migrant interdictions. In 1995 he was assigned to Commander Greater Antilles Section (GANTSEC) as a Search and Rescue Controller coordinating over 300 cases. In 1996 Dr. DiRenzo was selected as the first Chief of Frontier Shield Intelligence Detachment (FSID intelligence-driven interdictions increased 171% during his tour, while interoperability with Customs, DEA and the FBI improved substantially). In 1997 Dr. DiRenzo screened for command and was detailed to USCGC JEFFERSON ISLAND, homeported in Portland, Maine. Following his change of command in May of 1999, Dr. DiRenzo was detailed as the inaugural Coast Guard Liaison Officer assigned to the CONSTELLATION Battle Group (CRUDESGRU ONE staff) and PELELIU ARG (PHIBRON ONE staff), deployed to the Arabian Gulf. In 2000 Dr. DiRenzo was detailed to the Atlantic Area staff Portsmouth, Virginia, serving initially as the Operation's Division Regional Strategic Assessment Coordinator, then as the Anti-Terrorism Coordinator until his retirement from the Coast Guard in 2003. Dr. DiRenzo is one of the most published authors in the history of the Coast Guard. A five-time winner of the service's prestigious JOC Alex Haley award, he has published over 250 articles since his retirement and was the keynote speaker at Halifax, Canada's Dalhouise University's 2007 Maritime Security Conference.

Dr. DiRenzo, holds a Master's in Business Administration from California Coast University, and is a graduate of both the Naval War College and Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Homeland Security Specialization) in February 2007 at Northcentral University in Prescott, Arizona. Dr. DiRenzo is married to Captain Karen DiRenzo, NC, USN, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, who is the Department Head, Critical Care Units, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. They have two children Joe, a Third Class Cadet at the United States Coast Guard Academy, and Lauren, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, who is a Junior at Nansemond Suffolk Academy.