Peter Gness is a Senior Consultant at Talisman International. Prior to affilating with Talisman, Mr. Gness was President of T. Alexander & Associates Strategic Communications, a small management consulting firm located in Annapolis, Maryland, which specializes in public and governmental affairs issues. From 1994 to 1998, Mr. Gness was the chief management advisor to the CIO and CFO of the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, retiring from the federal government in 1998. From 1988 to 1994 he served as the Director Public/Private Industry Partnership at the National Communications System (NCS). Working closely with private industry and the several national security government agencies including DOD, NSA, FEMA, CIA, and FBI, he established the initial working relationships between key private communications companies and the federal security organizations through the aegis of the U.S. Naval War College's annual War Games. During the period 1986-88 he served as the senior advisor to the Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for management and administration policies. Mr. Gness has also served on Congressional Committees, as chief negotiator for the DHHS labor relations contract with the National Treasury Employees Union, and as Chief Administrative Law Judge for the U.S. Office of Community Services.
During the years 1972-83 he held a variety of management and advisory positions at the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) including Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management Analysis and Systems, Deputy Director of the Office of Community Services, Director of the Freedom of Information and Fair Information Practices Office, and Director of the Office of Organization Analysis. Mr. Gness received a B.S. in nuclear engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an M.B.A. from Georgia State University, and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School. He also is a graduate of the National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submarine officer.