Robyn Towles has been achieving mission across DHS since 2008 – when she applied and joined the Transportation Security Administration. Her mantra and approach to her work is to be “resilient, strong, compassionate, agile and innovate to manage differently.” And so she has. Towles provides executive acquisition oversight to one of TSA’s most critical missions: vetting and credentialing platforms. She also has acquisition responsibility for the TSA Canine Program, Physical Security, Personnel Security, Aviation and Surface Policy and Planning to include pipeline cybersecurity.
At a Women in Homeland Security luncheon in June, Towles spoke of her commitment to mission, reflecting on her own experience after 9/11 and how important it was to her to ensure that frontline personnel get what they need. Since 9/11, she has leveraged her understanding of procurement and acquisition to make sure that the front line is heard, and can keep the flying public safe.
Experienced in creating from the ground up, Towles set up the first suite of contracts for the Center for Domestic Preparedness training center at Anniston, Ala. At the time, the training center was the only live agent training facility for first responders in the United States. Under her leadership and technical direction, the Office of Justice Programs was able to develop the acquisition strategy, acquisition plan, request for information, request for proposals, and source Selection plans to achieve OJP’s IT modernization.