Academic Experience

Previously, Mr. Barnes served as a member of the Presidential Leadership Team, Ocean County College, overseeing and directing legal matters including labor and contract negotiations, discipline and grievance procedures, real estate development, leases, zoning and planning board hearings, legal training for staff and faculty, and public records compliance. He also served as the president's representative on the College Safety & Security Committee overseeing campus security and safety. Additionally, he provided the leadership to develop the first Associates Degree in Homeland Security and, in collaboration with a 4-year college, developed a seamless Bachelors and Masters Degree allowing students to transition from a 2-year to 4-year college in Homeland Security. He also developed the basis and framework of a Homeland Security Education and Training Center which brought together both public and private agencies.

Mr. Barnes has served as an adjunct professor with the business and criminal law departments at both the College of New Jersey and Ocean County College.

Federal Government Experience

Prior to his service at the College, Mr. Barnes served as Director, (Senior Executive Service) U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Washington, DC, directing the First-Responder Program that provided interface, collaboration and coordination with federal, state, county, tribal and local law enforcement, fire, EMS, explosive ordinance disposal, hazmat, and search and rescue workers including providing collaboration with state and regional fusion centers and state offices of emergency management. He also served as Chairman of the DHS Law Enforcement Council and the DHS First Responder Council.

Additionally, Mr. Barnes held the position of Acting Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO), where he directed all aspects of human resources management for the 210,000 DHS employees to ensure that the Department hired, retained and developed the leaders and workforce needed to achieve its critical mission. As Acting CHCO, he led DHS' human capital policy, strategic planning, learning, education and development of the Department's employees, recruitment and diversity, performance management, workforce engagement, compensation, benefits, labor relations, employee relations and other areas, as well as serving as the DHS representative member of the Intelligence Community Human Resources Council, Office of the Director for National Intelligence holding Top Secret – Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS-SCI) clearances with Intelligence Community (IC) access. He is a life member of the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts, the International Association for Intelligence Education, and the Homeland Security and Defense Education Consortium Association.

Presidential Appointments

Mr. Barnes was nominated and appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center, where he also served on the Executive Committee and as Chair of the Education Committee. President Bush later appointed him to the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, where he served for 5 years.

Legal Experience

Mr. Barnes, licensed in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., has more than twenty - eight (28) years of experience in the legal profession. He has represented the Federal Air Marshals, various Policemen's Benevolent Associations and Fraternal Orders of Police as well as the New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal, Sergeants, and Superior Officers Association, and The State Troopers Foundation.

Mr. Barnes has served as an Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor, and has published articles, conducted numerous seminars for various civic and service organizations as well as appearing on several TV talk shows discussing various legal topics and issues. He is a member of the Bar of New Jersey, the District of Columbia, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Law Enforcement Experience

Prior to Mr. Barnes' legal career, he served in law enforcement for eleven (11) years, graduating from the New Jersey State Police Academy as class president. He served as president of the Local for the New Jersey State Policeman's Benevolent Association and later became a county detective concentrating in the areas of white-collar crime and municipal corruption. He has been a guest speaker at various national homeland security seminars and currently serves as a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Sheriff's Association where he was selected by the Executive Director to serve on the Homeland Security Committee. He is also an associate member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

Military Experience

Mr. Barnes served on active duty with the United States Army as a Radio Operator during the Viet Nam War. Upon graduation from Officer Candidate School as Distinguished Graduate, he served as a mortar platoon leader and as Aide to the Commanding General, 50th Armored Division. He was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant. He is a life member of the 101st Airborne Division Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, American Legion, Association of the United States Army, and the Reserve Officers Association.

Honors Received

Mr. Barnes has received numerous recognitions including the Humanitarian Award from The National Conference of Christians and Jews and Catholic Charities, Distinguished Alumnus - Brookdale Community College, the Silver Buffalo Award and the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. He has also received the Order of Francis I from the Catholic Church for outstanding service to youth, Knight Commander - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George which was conferred at the Vatican, and a Knight of Magisterial Grace, Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Recently, Mr. Barnes was recognized with the “Messengers of Peace” Award by the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Saudi Araba for his international work with youth in promoting peace around the world.

Personal

While working full time as a police officer, Mr. Barnes attended school at night for 7 ½ years earning an Associates Degree from Brookdale Community College, a Bachelors Degree summa cum laude and Masters Degree from the City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice as well as his Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Seton Hall University School of Law. Mr. Barnes and his wife live in Toms River, New Jersey and have three children.