Karima Holmes is the Chief, Cyber Resilient 911 Branch, where she advances threat detection and improves the cohesive national/enterprise approach to cybersecurity of the Next Generation 911 eco-system. Previous to joining the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), she served in the private sector as Vice President of Public Safety at Carbyne, an Emergency Response Software company developing cloud-native mission-critical contact center solutions, and prior to that as a Subject Matter Expert Consultant with Miracle Systems, supporting information technology solutions, software applications and databases. In addition, she served as the Director of the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) overseeing emergency communications including 911 for the District of Columbia.

Ms. Holmes is a distinguished senior leader and advisor at the intersection of technology, critical communications, and public safety. She has served as executive director at emergency communications centers (ECC) across the U.S. where she overhauled their technical infrastructure and developed strategic operational programs. Holmes also leveraged her industry experience to establish partnerships with local, state, regional, and federal law enforcement and homeland security agencies in every jurisdiction in which she served. Highly notable is her oversight of Washington, DC’s deployment of its cache of 8,000 radios for National Special Security Events, State of the Union Addresses, and Presidential Inaugurations.

In 2021, Ms. Holmes chaired the Federal Communications Commission’s 911 Fee Diversion Strikeforce subcommittee on the Impacts of 911 Fee Diversion and coauthored the Strikeforce’s final report and recommendations on ending the practice of diverting 911 fees for non-911 purposes, which was submitted to Congress.

Ms. Holmes was appointed in October 2019, to serve as a Board Member for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), by the U.S. Commerce Secretary. Chosen for her public safety expertise and substantive technical experience, she supported the development and operation of the country's Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network.

Prior to this, she served as Managing Director at the Southwest Regional Communications Center, overseeing operations from November 2012 to January 2016.

Ms. Holmes has a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Homeland Security. She also holds an Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certification from the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Karima is a registered Public Safety Leader (RPL) with the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and in 2020 she was awarded their Leadership in Advancing Communications Award. In addition, she is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s (CHDS) Executive Leaders Program.