Bio - Andrew Velasquez III

Andrew Velasquez III serves as First Deputy Aviation Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA).  In this capacity, he oversees all administrative and operational functions of Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway International Airports.    Mr. Velasquez previously served as the CDA’s Managing Deputy Commissioner of Safety and Security responsible for leading the multi-layered security strategy that enables more than 100 million passengers to safely travel through O’Hare and Midway International Airports each year.

Prior to joining the CDA, Mr. Velasquez served as the Presidentially appointed Administrator of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region V from 2010 to 2016, where he was responsible for coordinating preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities for the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  During his tenure at FEMA, he directed federal response and recovery efforts for 35 major disasters and emergencies declared by the President of the United States.

Mr. Velasquez previously held state and city cabinet-level positions as the Illinois Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor, Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and Executive Director of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC). Prior to serving as Executive Director of the OEMC, he was a member of the Chicago Police Department for 10 years.

From 2009 to 2020, Mr. Velasquez served as a faculty member in the University of Chicago’s Master of Science degree in Threat and Response Management program, teaching courses on risk management, critical infrastructure protection, and technology strategy and information systems.

A native of Chicago, Mr. Velasquez served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a member of the 305th Psychological Operations Command Battalion.  He holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University and a Master of Business Administration in Management from Saint Xavier University. He also completed the Naval Postgraduate School’s Executive Leadership programs in Homeland Defense and Radiological Emergency Preparedness.