Executive Staff
IDHS Executive Team
- Executive Director - Stephen Cox
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb appointed Stephen Cox as the new Executive Director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security on January 6, 2020. Cox served as the Indiana State Fire Marshal in 2019, and prior to that, he was with the South Bend Fire Department for 26 years, with 12 years in executive leadership. With the South Bend Fire Department, he served as a paramedic, firefighter, EMS instructor and EMS chief of the fire department, before being promoted to fire chief in 2012. As fire chief, Cox created a fire training center, which enabled the department to build a robust training program to support the South Bend department as well as other departments in the state. He also collaborated with the Indiana National Guard to form a Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, an important asset for Indiana's disaster preparedness.
Cox served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and has also earned numerous FEMA certifications related to the National Incident Management System.
- Director for Administrative Services - Elliot Anderson
Elliot Anderson joined IDHS in 2020 as deputy general counsel and became deputy director for administrative services in 2021. Before IDHS, Anderson spent more than a decade as a practicing attorney representing public safety, building services, administration and finance departments.
Anderson is a native Iowan and graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in history. He earned his law degree from Indiana University. When not at work, Anderson is usually trying to wrangle his toddler and spending time outdoors. He also enjoys the occasional round of golf and frequent family trips to the zoo.
- State Fire Marshal, Director of Fire & Building Safety - Joel Thacker
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb appointed Joel Thacker as the Indiana State Fire Marshal on March 4, 2020. Thacker began his career as a first responder in 1992 as an EMT and volunteer firefighter in central Indiana. Five years later, he became a career firefighter serving in Brownsburg and then Johnson County's White River Township. Thacker served in Brownsburg as assistant chief before moving to Plainfield in 2015 to become division chief of fire prevention and administration. He was sworn in as Plainfield fire chief in 2017.
Thacker earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and a master's degree in criminal justice and public safety from IUPUI.
- State Building Commissioner - Craig Burgess
In 2017, Governor Eric J. Holcomb appointed Craig Burgess as the State Building Commissioner, part of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Before becoming the building commissioner, Burgess held positions as the Plan and Review Section Chief, which helped him become familiar with Indiana building codes and how they are applied. He is a registered architect, holds certifications from the International Code Council and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and is a LEED-accredited design professional. With more than 30 years of architectural experience, he strives every day to help make sure Indiana's buildings, elevators, amusement rides, boilers and pressure vessels are safe for Hoosiers.
In his free time, Burgess can be found listening to and playing music. He can play around 30 songs on the banjo, guitar and piano. Outside of the rare and occasional jam sessions at Arthur's Music, playing instruments is reserved for only him. He can also be found cycling, reading and occasionally woodworking. Burgess has created a few wooden decorative and storage pieces for his relatives, friends and personal home.
- Medical Director of Emergency Medical Services - Dr. Michael Kaufmann
Dr. Michael Kaufmann began his career in medical services as an emergency medical technician. In 1997, he graduated with his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and started his endless pursuit to ensure the organizations he works with maintain and deliver a high-quality standard of prehospital care. For his tireless dedication in serving others, the National Association of EMS Physicians granted him fellow status in 2017.
In 2018, Kaufmann was appointed the EMS Medical Director for the State of Indiana, part of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. During his spare time, Kaufmann is an avid Ironman triathlete and has finished more than 19 Ironman-branded triathlons. Since 2014, Kaufmann also hosts a home light show that is open to the public. Kaufmann asks attendees to make a voluntary donation to Habitat for Humanity. Since starting the light show, he has raised more than $10,000 for the charity.
- Director of Public Affairs - David Hosick
David Hosick serves as the Director of Public Affairs for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. An Illinois native turned Indiana resident, he spent nearly a decade working for the Evansville Courier & Press and covered everything from crime to courts, to government and the many bizarre oddities across southern Indiana. Highlights during that time include media flights with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels as well as the Flying Fortress B-52. After moving to Indianapolis he worked at a local TV station before joining the public relations field. Since 2009, he has served in communication leadership roles for universities, financial corporations and now state government.
Hosick enjoys hiking and traveling with his wife Michelle and two kids, Rachel and Eli. Summers are often spent at the softball fields and sometimes the baseball fields, watching the St. Louis Cardinals. He also enjoys live music and learning of the history of musical genres, especially the blues.
- Chief Information Officer - Narendra (Dev) Nimmagadda
Narendra "Dev" Nimmagadda serves as the Chief Information Officer for IDHS and is responsible for the technology platforms and data sets used by the employees and the general public. His team guides the strategic development and enhancements of the customer-facing interfaces between IDHS and the public safety community, including the Indiana Public Safety Portal and the Acadis statewide training resource. With a history of application development and data architecture, Nimmagadda brings a wealth of experience to the agency. His work background includes extensive experience in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, retail, aviation, gaming, healthcare and now government. When not developing applications or fixing user issues, Nimmagadda enjoys traveling the world with his family.
- Chief Financial Officer - Adam Thiemann
Adam Thiemann serves as the chief financial officer for Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS). He is responsible for all finance and administrative operations, which involves managing the agency's more than $37 million budget to ensure it is spent in accordance with state and federal regulations. He also guides solutions to helping IDHS reach its goals and the goals of the state. A graduate of Indiana State University, Thiemann has been a state government employee since 2011. He has held positions with the Indiana Department of Administration, Department of Corrections and the State Budget Agency. This experience helped him better understand the legislative process, budget development and day-to-day management of business office operations.
Thiemann and his wife, Lottie, have four sons, reside in Morgan County and are ministry partners at Grace Church in Camby, Ind. He enjoys playing golf, camping and hiking, especially at the Indiana state parks.
- Director of Emergency Management - Mary Moran
Mary Moran has extensive experience in disaster response and recovery, earned from 21 years with the agency. She joined the state as a program coordinator in mitigation for what was then the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) before IDHS was formed in 2005. She has served as the state hazard mitigation officer, mitigation branch chief and most recently as the state recovery officer. Moran has a master’s degree in emergency management from Indiana University.
- General Counsel - Jonathan Whitham
An Indiana native and Hoosier for life, Jonathan Whitham began his public safety career in Bloomington, Ind., while attending Indiana University, where he received a degree in telecommunications, business and political science. He was a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the Bloomington Township Fire Department before moving to Indianapolis. There he joined the White River Township Fire Department while attending law school, and earned his juris doctor degree from the Indiana University School of Law in 2009.
Whitham joined the Indiana Department of Homeland Security in 2014 as the General Counsel and Legislative Director after practicing law in the private sector for five years. He enjoys running, spending time with family and thinking of ways to make Indiana a better place to live, work and play. Oh, and deep dish pizza.