Tom Cellucci

Thomas A. Cellucci, PhD, MBA
Chief Commercialization Officer, Director of Public-Private Partnerships and Director of Research and Development Partnerships Group (Acting)

Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci accepted a five year appointment in 2007 from the Department of Homeland Security to serve as the Federal Government’s first ever Chief Commercialization Officer. Cellucci has worked to expand the role of public-private partnerships within government and increase opportunities for cooperative research and development activities in support of the Department of Homeland Security. As Chief Commercialization Officer, Cellucci is responsible for initiatives that identify, evaluate and commercialize technology for the specific goal of rapidly developing and deploying products and services that meet the specific operational requirements of the Department’s operating components, first responders and critical infrastructure/key resources owners and operators. Cellucci leads DHS S&T’s outreach with both the private and public sectors to establish and foster mutually-beneficial working relationships that facilitate costeffective and efficient product, service and technology development efforts. He has published eight comprehensive books dealing with the development of operational requirements and innovative public-private partnerships in additional to over 20 articles and other resources that facilitate communication both across government and between the public and private sectors.

Cellucci has developed and implemented a commercialization process for the Department and established both the SECURE and FutureTECH programs– innovative public-private partnerships to leverage both public and private sector research and development to costeffectively and efficiently develop technologies, products and services for DHS’ Operating Components, the First Responder community and other DHS stakeholders. Cellucci has instilled a “commercialization mindset” within the Department that focuses on requirements development, forming partnerships and increasing the speed-of-execution to address high priority technology challenges. Cellucci’s partnerships with the private sector have leveraged in excess of $300
million in independent research & development investments directly related to homeland security needs.

In 2010, while continuing to serve as Chief Commercialization Officer, Cellucci was appointed the Director of the Office of Public-Private Partnerships which oversees the Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (LRBAA) procurement process, Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Office as well as the Commercialization Office. In addition, he was named Director of Research and Development (R&D) Partnerships Group (Acting) responsible to leverage the billions of dollars in DHS S&T assets and the expertise of more than 1400 team members through the group’s investments in national labs, universities, international partners, special programs and the private sector and government
interagency partners to deliver solutions for the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE). Cellucci is an accomplished entrepreneur, seasoned senior executive and Board member possessing extensive corporate and VC experience across a number of worldwide industries. Profitably growing high technology firms at the start-up, mid-range and large corporate level has been his trademark. In 1999, he founded a highly successful management consulting firm, Cellucci Associates, Inc. He has authored or co-authored 15 books and over 160 articles on requirements development, commercialization, nanotechnology, laser physics, photonics, environmental disturbance control, MEMS test and measurement, and mistake-proofing
processes. Cellucci co-authored ANSI Standard Z136.5 “The Safe Use of Lasers in Educational Institutions.” He has also held the rank of Professor or Lecturer at institutions like Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and Camden Community College.

Cellucci was an early pioneer in advancing the field of nanotechnology in American science, engineering and manufacturing. Dr. Cellucci was instrumental in progressing America’s nanotechnology agenda through his bi-partisan work with Presidents Bill Clinton and George W.
Bush and many leaders in the United States Senate. Dr. Cellucci’s contributions made possible the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) signed by President George W. Bush in 2004 that added over $3.9 billion to the federal budget specific to the advancement of nanotechnology.

Dr. Cellucci was active in discovering and fostering strategic partnerships that brought nanotechnology into a wide array of consumer products — transitioning Zyvex Corporation, as its President and Chief Operating Officer from a nanotech technology-push to market-driven
enterprise. Profitably growing firms has been his trademark. In addition, he regularly interacts with high ranking members of the United States government—including the White House, US Senate and House of Representatives. He is often asked to serve as keynote speaker at both
business and technical events around the world.

Dr. Cellucci has been involved in a number of philanthropic and volunteer pursuits as well. Cellucci served as a Fellow with the Smithsonian Institution’s James Smithson society for five years where he was the primary fund raiser for the Smithsonian with a special emphasis on the National Portrait Gallery’s American Presidents Collection. Cellucci was involved in securing funds for portraits of two Presidents and First Ladies – President and Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton and President and Mrs. George W. Bush. Cellucci has served as a local volunteer firefighter for over 30 years and was commissioned as an Admiral in the Texas Navy by Governor Rick Perry in 2008. Cellucci serves as the Commander of the 3-D (“Detect, Deter and
Defend”) Security Command Squadron in the State of Texas with the purpose of educating, preparing and organizing civilians across the state to assist in disaster response efforts.

Cellucci currently serves on President Barack Obama’s Startup America initiative as the Department of Homeland Security representative. Startup America is the White House initiative to promote, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. Cellucci has contributed many of the commercialization programs begun at the Department of Homeland Security and identified ways to expand similar efforts across the entire Federal Government to spur innovation while promoting public-private partnerships across government.

As a result of his consistent achievement in the commercialization of technologies and role as DHS’ first Chief Commercialization Officer, Cellucci has received numerous awards from industry, government and business. In addition, he has had the opportunity to interact with high ranking members of the United States government—including the White House, US Senate and US House of Representatives—having provided several executive briefs to three Presidents of the United States and ranking Members of Congress. Cellucci is the first ever U.S. Federal Government representative to the Council on Competitiveness, a prestigious group of senior executives and thought leaders in business and academia focused on ensuring the global
competitiveness of the US in technology, innovation, education and industry. Cellucci earned a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania (1984), an MBA from Rutgers University (1991) and a BS in Chemistry from Fordham University (1980). He has also attended and lectured at executive programs at the Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan School, Kellogg School and others.

Tom and his wife Julie reside in Loudoun County, Virginia and are proud of their children — Laura, Emily, Katie, Brad and Drew.