Peter Boynton is CEO of the Kostas Research Institute (KRI) and Professor of the Practice at Northeastern University’s Innovation Campus at Burlington, Massachusetts, and founder of a Venture Creation Center for early-stage companies. Industry, university, and government labs are co-located at KRI to accelerate technology transition in support of national security and homeland security mission agencies.
Peter was previously Commissioner of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for Connecticut, appointed by both democratic and republican governors and twice confirmed by the General Assembly. He oversaw the statewide responses to three presidential disaster declarations, including recovery from hurricane Irene and the collapse of seventy percent of the electric grid across the state. He co-led the state-wide response to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus with the Department of Public Health and led the development of the state intelligence center and the statewide emergency response framework.
Boynton was an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, commanding three ships and serving at the U.S. State Department, and as Director for Global Affairs on the White House National Security Council (NSC) staff. Boynton has testified on multiple occasions before the U.S. Congress on emergency management and homeland security. He was on the national board of directors for the Military Officers Association of American (MOAA) and was previously appointed as Chairman of the Connecticut Maritime Pilots Commission. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard, an ocean engineering degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and an unlimited Master’s License for ocean-going vessels of any tonnage.