Cherrie Black

In July 2013, Cherrie Black joined Idaho National Laboratory, where she works with scientists, engineers, software developers, and geospatial analysts to create tools, methodologies, and envision solutions to address infrastructure protection and resilience challenges. She supports DHS’s Regional Resilience Assessment Program and for four years has served as co-chair of the Resilient Critical Infrastructure Symposium at Resilience Week. Before taking this position, she led New Jersey’s critical infrastructure program for eleven years.

At New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness, Black and her team coordinated the identification, assessment, prioritization, protection, preparedness, and resilience of New Jersey’s critical infrastructure. She promoted partnerships and worked closely with first responders, private and public infrastructure owner/operators, DHS, and state and local governments. After Hurricane Sandy, she spearheaded sector specific after action workshops focused on lifeline sector resilience to capture opportunities for government to effectively support preparedness and restoration.

Black has served on numerous infrastructure protection and resilience study groups, including the 2016 National Infrastructure Advisory Council’s study on water sector resilience, a 2015 study on transportation sector resilience; and the 2013 Strengthening Regional Resilience report. Her support to national critical infrastructure efforts included two terms as chair and vice chair of the state, local, tribal, and territorial government coordinating council.

In October 2013, she was inducted into the International Women in Emergency Management & Homeland Security Hall of Fame. Black is an attorney and retired from the State of New Jersey as an Assistant Attorney General.