Robert Duncan Ph.D.

Robert A. Duncan, Ph.D., brings decades of experience in intelligence, national security, emergency management, public policy, and education to Salus Solutions. He began his intelligence career as a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer with Tactical Air Command, he then spent 26 years with the Central Intelligence Agency, serving as an analyst, instructor, manager, and branch chief.

At the CIA's National Photographic Interpretation Center, Duncan spent ten years as a Section Chief and analyst in the Soviet Strategic Forces Division. His work focused on the military capabilities of America's principal Cold War adversary. He later became Chief of the center's Operations Division before moving into CIA training and leadership development. From 1982 through 1994, he served in senior training positions, including Branch Chief of the Intelligence Training Division, Branch Chief of the Leadership Development Division, and Branch Chief of the Washington Operations Training Division. He taught intelligence analysis, intelligence processes, leadership, conflict resolution, organizational development, management, and decision-making. His CIA honors include two Distinguished Unit Citations and two Exceptional Accomplishment Awards.

Duncan then took that experience into the classroom where he taught political science and public policy at Guilford College, Greensboro College, High Point University, and Brunswick Community College. His courses included Terrorism in America, Global Terrorism, Homeland Security Policy, leadership, public policy and administration, and state and local government. He also served as Acting Chair of the Political Science Department at Guilford College.

His work in emergency management has been equally practical. Duncan earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University. His dissertation, In Case of Emergency: Emergency Management Coordination at the Local Level, studied why local emergency-response organizations often struggle to coordinate effectively. He later developed a Unified Crisis Response Guide for New Hanover County schools, assessed the county's response to Hurricane Floyd, worked on FEMA hazard-mitigation grants, and helped plan nuclear-power-plant, hurricane, public-safety, and mass-casualty exercises.

At Salus, Duncan serves as a Senior Program Director for national defense, homeland security, emergency management, research, and training. His work also includes active-shooter preparedness and insider-threat detection and prevention. He brings an unusual perspective to both: decades spent studying adversaries, teaching people how to analyze threats, and examining how organizations make decisions when information is incomplete and the consequences are real.

Study the adversary. Recognize the indicators. Understand what they mean. Act before the threat becomes the event.