Phil Nichols

Senior Policy Analyst, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity

As the senior policy analyst for the NGA Center Homeland Security & Cybersecurity Program, Phil Nichols assists a portfolio of projects centered on homeland security, emergency response, disaster resilience, and cybersecurity. In this role he supports the Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council, which represents the appointed Homeland Security Advisors from the 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. In addition, he supports the Council of Governors, which consists of 10 Governors appointed by the President and serves as forum for Governors and key federal officials to address matters pertaining to the National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities.

Prior to joining NGA, Phil worked in state and local government across a variety of different capacities. He has served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Secretary in which he was tasked as lead on responding to the Covid-19 Pandemic across MDOT’s wide spectrum of services, including transit, roads, motor vehicle services, airports, and the Port of Baltimore. Prior to that, Phil served as the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for Howard County Government in Maryland. Duties, among others, included working with the Office of Emergency Management to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, including two 1,000-year flash floods, a tornado, and a record snowstorm.  

Phil graduated with honors and distinction from the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in international politics focused on national security and completed an honors thesis measuring the effectiveness of certain counterterrorism strategies.