Steve Atkiss

Mr. Steve Atkiss brings extensive experience from his years of service at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the White House.

In 2006 and 2007, Mr. Atkiss served in the Senior Executive Service as Chief of Staff at U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP). Formed within the DHS, CBP is the Federal Government's unified border security agency, consisting of over 50,000 employees and with a collective annual budget of over $10 billion. As Chief of Staff, Mr. Atkiss was a principal adviser to Commissioner W. Ralph Basham on issues of security, trade, international affairs and management, and was responsible for coordinating the agency's interactions with the White House, DHS, state and local governments and the press.

Prior to joining CBP, Mr. Atkiss was Special Assistant to the President for Operations in the Chief of Staff's Office at the White House, where he was responsible for coordinating the activities of the many civilian, military and law enforcement organizations which provide support to the President and the White House staff. Mr. Atkiss assisted with management and administration, information systems and technology, human resources, budget, continuity of government programs, military support and security. Prior to that, Mr. Atkiss served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Advance, where he was a principal action officer responsible for the planning and execution of the President’s worldwide travel and events.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Mr. Atkiss is a graduate of the University of Florida and has completed programs at the George Washington Graduate School of Political Management and the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution.