David Franklin, Principal

A career built on protection

David Franklin brings more than 30 years of protective, investigative and security leadership to every engagement.

His career in protection began in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served with the Marine Security Company at Camp David as a Yankee White presidential-protection Marine, and in Washington, D.C. He carried that work into the Texas Department of Public Safety, first while stationed in the Capitol District in Austin, where his duties were primarily protective, and then as a Trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol.

David rose through the DPS ranks to Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain. In the Criminal Investigations Division he worked Criminal Intelligence and Organized Crime, conducting and supervising investigations into gangs, drugs and special crimes. He also served as an Inspector in the DPS Office of Audit and Inspection, reviewing operations for compliance and accountability. His DPS service included time on the department's SWAT team, which he later led.

After DPS, he served as an Assistant Chief with the University of Texas System Police. He retired from law enforcement as Chief of Staff for the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department. He then moved into the private sector as a Data Center Security Manager, responsible for protecting critical infrastructure.

David is also a Marine Corps combat veteran who served as a Reconnaissance Team Leader in Iraq during OIF-III. His awards include the Purple Heart, Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal and Presidential Service Badge.

His foundation in homeland security comes from a master's degree at the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security. He was the first Texas DPS employee sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and accepted into that program. He also holds a bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 258) and Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command (Class 248), and a Trilogy Award recipient from FBI-LEEDA. He is certified in Critical Infrastructure Protection through Texas A&M TEEX and holds NIMS/ICS certifications 100, 200, 700, 800, 300 and 400.

From presidential protection to critical infrastructure, he has seen that a secure environment depends on sound process as much as sound security measures.