Bettenhausen has served as director for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security since 2005. Additionally, he is currently co-chair of the National Homeland Security Consortium and vice-chair of the National Governors Association Homeland Security Advisors Council. Prior to joining the Schwarzenegger Administration, he served as the first director of State and Territorial Coordination for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In this position, Bettenhausen worked directly with all the state's homeland security advisors and emergency managers on terrorism prevention efforts and all-hazards prevention, preparedness, response and recovery issues. Previously, Bettenhausen served as deputy governor for criminal justice and public safety and special counsel to the Governor of Illinois from 2000 to 2003. In this position, he directed the law enforcement, criminal justice and public safety functions of state government. During this time, he was also appointed director of Homeland Security for Illinois where he coordinated the state's terrorism and disaster preparedness efforts. In addition, Bettenhausen served as chair of the Illinois Statewide Criminal Code Rewrite and Reform Commission, executive director of the Capital Punishment Commission and created the first statewide Terrorism Task Force in Illinois. From 1987 to 2000, he was a federal prosecutor in Chicago and served in several supervisory positions within the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago.
Bettenhausen earned a Juris Doctorate degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Acting undersecretary McCarton has more than 22 years of experience working in emergency prevention and response. McCarton has worked for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services where he has served as chief deputy director since 2007 and previously served as deputy director from 2004 to 2007. Prior to that, he served as the deputy commissioner for public information for the New York City Mayor's Office of Emergency Management. In this capacity, McCarton served as the agency's chief spokesperson and was responsible for all media inquiries concerning operations, programs, initiatives and activations of the emergency operations center. He coordinated and participated in all media inquiries regarding operations during the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. From 1997 to 2000, McCarton served as the public information officer for the New York City Fire Department. His experience also includes service with the New York City Emergency Medical Services and the New York City Fire Department. McCarton began his career as a volunteer firefighter and rescue captain in Long Island, NY.
McCarton earned an associate degree in business management from Nassau Community College and also attended the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. He is certified in coastal storm preparedness and hazardous materials handling.
