Rear Admiral Dave Wulf, USMS (Ret.), Founder & Principal, CrossStar Strategies

Dave Wulf’s career has spanned senior leadership roles across multiple Cabinet-level departments and agencies and has been defined by his ability to build trust and enduring partnerships between public- and private-sector stakeholders across the homeland security, regulatory, law-enforcement, and maritime landscapes.

At the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Dave served as Director of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, where he led collaborative efforts with industry to strengthen security at the nation’s highest-risk chemical facilities. He later served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, advancing partnership initiatives spanning all sixteen critical-infrastructure sectors—including Energy, Food and Agriculture, Critical Manufacturing, the Defense Industrial Base, and Transportation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also served as DHS’s Senior Executive responsible for the nation’s Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, helping coordinate policy and engagement during a pivotal national period.

Following his service at DHS, Dave joined the U.S. Department of the Treasury as Deputy Administrator of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), where he led regulatory, law-enforcement, tax administration, and consumer-protection activities across the alcohol-beverage industry, balancing effective oversight with strong engagement across a diverse and evolving marketplace. He also spearheaded the Department’s engagement with the emerging cannabis industry and State cannabis regulators.

Earlier in his career, Dave spent nearly twelve years with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), where he established the National Center for Explosives Training and Research, led the ATF Canine Program, and served as Senior Counsel for Field Operations. He also founded and led the bureau’s Office of Regulatory Affairs and served as Acting Deputy Assistant Director for Public and Governmental Affairs, helping shape operational strategy and external engagement.

Most recently, Dave served as Deputy Superintendent and Acting Superintendent of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, where he oversaw institutional operations, modernization initiatives, and leadership development programs supporting the next generation of maritime leaders.

Throughout his career, Dave has helped build and strengthen enduring national-security and regulatory capabilities—including nationwide chemical security programs, incident response and infrastructure protection frameworks, major federal training and research institutions, and the modernization of maritime education and workforce programs. His leadership has emphasized practical collaboration between government and industry to address shared security and resilience challenges in the United States and abroad.

He has worked extensively with industries operating in complex regulatory environments—including alcohol-beverage producers, chemical manufacturers, explosives and firearms industries, transportation operators, and other critical-infrastructure sectors—helping align policy objectives with operational realities and strengthening trusted public-private partnerships.

Dave has also worked closely with Congress and senior federal policymakers, testifying before Congress on more than fifteen occasions and collaborating with agency leaders, industry executives, and international partners on issues affecting nationally significant programs and industries.

Through CrossStar Strategies, Dave now advises organizations navigating similarly complex strategic, policy, and regulatory environments—helping leaders translate complexity into practical action, stronger partnerships, and lasting results.