Christopher Stitt

Adjunct Faculty

Christopher Stitt is Founder and CEO of CrisisLead, LLC - "Helping You Navigate Risk... And Prepare for What's Next!" Through CrisisLead, he provides security, crisis, continuity and leadership consulting services to local and global businesses.

Chris leverages his experience as a consultant, coach, author and speaker and was named a Top 40 Thought Leader in Safety and Security for 2025 by the Global Life Safety Alliance.

Previously Chris was a Supervisory Special Agent with the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. In his 27-year career he has served abroad in Guatemala, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Panama, and Iraq. Domestically he has served in the New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Investigations, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, the Washington Field Office and twice as Chief of Emergency Planning. He concluded his career as Deputy Regional Director for the Western Hemisphere in Diplomatic Security's International Programs Directorate. Prior to joining Diplomatic Security, Mr. Stitt was an officer with the United States Capitol Police and an Agent with the South East Counties of Ohio Narcotics Task Force.

Mr. Stitt is credentialed as a Certified Emergency Manager by the International Association of Emergency Managers, a Certified Protection Professional by ASIS International, a Master Continuity Practitioner by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a Security Risk Management Certified Professional by the SRMBOK Board of Directors, and a Registered Presilience Practitioner by the Institute of Presilience and Risk 2 Solution Academy. He is a Fellow at the Institute of Strategic Risk Management

Mr. Stitt holds a Bachelor's Degree from Ohio University in Criminology and Psychology and a Master's of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College (now known as the National Intelligence University). He has worked as Adjunct Faculty at George Mason University since January 2020 teaching Crim 230 - Introduction to Homeland Security and Crim 462 - Homeland Security and Law Enforcement.

Selected Publications

Keeping a Clear Mind: The Case for Mindfulness in Crisis Situations. Security Journal Americas · Nov 26, 2024

The Kindness Games, How a Single Post Changed Our Mindset About Community (2023). Atlanta, How2Conquer. "Chapter 7 - Be the Light"

Worldwide Crisis Response: The Diplomatic Security Service’s Critical Incident Management Expertise Spans the Globe (2022). Police Chief Magazine. International Association of Chiefs of Police. https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/worldwide-crisis-response/

The Future of Emergency Management: Ensuring Global Enterprises Have Local Plans That Are Viable, Accurate and Useable - Oct 12, 2020, IAEM Bulletin, International Association of Emergency Managers, pp. 28-29

Courses Taught

CRIM 462 - Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
CRIM 230 - Introduction to Homeland Security

Education

National Intelligence University, Master's of Science in Strategic Intelligence
Ohio University, Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Psychology

Recent Presentations

Crisis Management Keynote at Airbus Global Security Symposium, Toulouse France June 2025