Join the Homeland Security & Defense Forum on July 13, 2021 for a virtual roundtable discussion with Ms. Holly Canevari, Chief of Staff and Mr. Daniel McCoy, Chief Innovation Officer at the Transportation Security Administration. This discussion will provide a special opportunity to hear about near and long-term priorities for TSA, the role of innovation and technology to support the TSA Administrator’s vision, and recent efforts to improve pipeline security. To RSVP, please contact rsvp@hsdf.org.
About the career of Ms. Holly Canevari
Ms. Holly Canevari was named TSA Chief of Staff in March 2021. She provides strategic counsel on policy and planning matters as well as public and legislative affairs while serving as a liaison to the Administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other agencies.
Canevari has over two decades of policy, legislative, and managerial experience and a wealth of homeland security experience in the Executive and Legislative branches and in the private sector.
Canevari has a deep understanding of DHS and its components. She first joined DHS as a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Policy focused on initiatives such as screening and resilience. From 2012 to 2017, she served as the Chief of Staff for the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, which included work to implement a strategic realignment of activities and where she was charged with coordination and collaboration on complex policy issues across DHS and in the interagency.
Prior to her time at DHS Policy, she was a senior professional staff member on the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security for Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), where she was responsible for management and oversight issues. She also served as a senior staff member for Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA), where she focused on port security, information sharing, and aviation security. Early on in her career, Canevari served as a Government Relations representative with then-United Technologies Corporation’s Washington, D.C. office representing the business interests of the company to Capitol Hill and the Executive Branch. Canevari began her career in and around government and in Washington, D.C. on the staff of Congressman John B. Larson (D-CT).
Just prior to joining TSA, Canevari served as a Director of Consulting Services at CGI Federal focusing on national security customers. In that role, she managed and responded to customer needs and challenges and was responsible for operations, management, and growth initiatives. Prior to her CGI Federal experience, Canevari was the Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategy and Operations at BSA | The Software Alliance as a key partner and representative for internal and external affairs of the President and CEO and ensured alignment of BSA priorities and operations.
Canevari has a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and a Master of Arts from Johns Hopkins University.
About the career of Mr. Daniel McCoy
As the chief innovation officer at the Transportation Security Administration, Daniel McCoy’s main responsibility is to enhance the experience of travelers and TSA officers, as well as to explore new technologies to advance the agency’s security, employment and travel operations. He is always interested in hearing potential new processes or technologies that may improve the security, employment, or travel experience through TSA. Before joining the agency in May 2020, McCoy was a domain manager for almost two years at Deloitte Catalyst’s government and public services, in charge of the implementation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and virtual reality.
Previously, he served for a year as Deloitte’s senior consultant for the Department of Defense, leading the team that addressed the agency’s financial process, reporting and technology weaknesses. In addition, McCoy was instrumental in the development of DOD’s five-year strategic vision to enhance the financial performance of assets worth more than $463M. He also organized intergovernmental activities involving the Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense and the Treasury. He was likewise the company’s senior consultant for the Cabinet-level department from June 2015 to May 2016. During his tenure, he designed financial models concerning large-scale service migration for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. He also coordinated executivelevel strategy workshops to determine and prioritize important projects.
Early in his career, McCoy took on the role of a financial analyst at Raytheon from September 2012 to April 2014, specializing in international programs, integrated air and missile defense finance, defense systems and global business services. He began his profession as a legislative assistant for Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt’s regional
office from February 2010 to April 2012. McCoy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Hofstra University.
