About Us
We’re a veteran-owned business focused on disaster preparation, response, and recovery.
The Team Approach Defines Our Culture
High Street’s consulting culture is based on the partners’ experiences in the military and emergency management: one team, one effort.
Our approach applies the firm’s collective knowledge and experiences to our clients’ toughest challenges.
We check our egos at the door to produce and apply the best team solution.
We have responded to and supported events such as natural disasters, complex coordinated terrorist attacks, special events, and riots.
Our track record includes:
-
COVID-19 response after-action reviews, analysis and strategic recommendations for multiple state and county governments
- “On the ground” pandemic response experience with H1N1, Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19, including continuity planning for all levels of government
- Designed, developed, and executed three 14-week academies for FEMA’s Incident Management Assistance Teams
- Trained, mentored, and assisted over 500 host-nation police in Iraq and Afghanistan, including responding to several complex attacks
- Oversaw and managed National Guard forces during the Baltimore Riots
- Led a team of 84 Public Assistance professionals providing disaster recovery and grant administration operations to nearly 60 Puerto Rican government agencies
- Built over 600 hours of Emergency Management Institute compliant course content for FEMA’s Qualification System
- Developing the technical and political analysis in support of the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiations
Our Founder, Zach Becker
High Street Consulting was founded by Zach Becker, who brings over 25 years of emergency management experience to the table. His project portfolio includes successfully supporting and managing high-visibility Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Defense (DoD), and state/local contracts.
I founded High Street Consulting to bring the values, culture, and work ethic of my hometown New Britain, Connecticut to my clients. The company is named for the street I grew up on: emblematic of its origin and future success.
Zach’s portfolio includes:
- Leading a team that designed and developed courses for FEMA’s disaster workforce, including:
- Developing strategic and implementation plans for radically revising FEMA curriculum and course development
- Creating a methodology for prioritizing course revisions
- Overseeing the development of over 40 Position Task Book (PTB) endorsable courses for the FEMA Qualification System (FQS), inclusive of practical task-based content and experiential learning activities for positions ranging from Tier 4 entry-level staff to Tier 1 senior field leadership
- Overseeing a team of 84 Public Assistance professionals who coordinated over $3.1 billion of federal disaster relief funds to help rebuild Puerto Rico
- Supporting the Director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) by:
- Providing analysis to DoD officials and advising on important interagency issues
- Planning, organizing, and executing the homemade explosives task force to specifically address illicit use of fertilizer products in Afghanistan
- Overseeing the design and execution of over 1000-hours of coursework and 6 full-scale exercises for the Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) Academy
- Leading the effort to provide the convergence of technical and political analysis in support of the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiations
High Street Consulting was founded by Zach Becker, who brings over 25 years of emergency management experience to the table. His project portfolio includes successfully supporting and managing high-visibility Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Defense (DoD), and state/local contracts.
I founded High Street Consulting to bring the values, culture, and work ethic of my hometown New Britain, Connecticut to my clients. The company is named for the street I grew up on: emblematic of its origin and future success.
Zach’s portfolio includes:
- Leading a team that designed and developed courses for FEMA’s disaster workforce, including:
- Developing strategic and implementation plans for radically revising FEMA curriculum and course development
- Creating a methodology for prioritizing course revisions
- Overseeing the development of over 40 Position Task Book (PTB) endorsable courses for the FEMA Qualification System (FQS), inclusive of practical task-based content and experiential learning activities for positions ranging from Tier 4 entry-level staff to Tier 1 senior field leadership
- Overseeing a team of 84 Public Assistance professionals who coordinated over $3.1 billion of federal disaster relief funds to help rebuild Puerto Rico
- Supporting the Director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) by:
- Providing analysis to DoD officials and advising on important interagency issues
- Planning, organizing, and executing the homemade explosives task force to specifically address illicit use of fertilizer products in Afghanistan
- Overseeing the design and execution of over 1000-hours of coursework and 6 full-scale exercises for the Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) Academy
- Leading the effort to provide the convergence of technical and political analysis in support of the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiations
Senior Vice President and Partner, Matthew Stuhr
High Street Consulting Senior Vice President, Matthew Stuhr, has 18+ years as leader and team builder across security, homeland security and emergency management domains with extensive knowledge of, and experience in strategic and tactical application of police, security, and military resources domestically and abroad. Matt has continued to serve as a military police officer in the National Guard since the attacks on 9/11.
Matt’s portfolio includes:
- Leading the Law Enforcement, Intelligence, and Department of Defense planning community in support of the DHS Cyber Storm Exercise series
- Coordinating Maryland National Guard operations during the Riots in Baltimore, Maryland
- Leading and managing a team of FEMA, interagency, and contract stakeholders in the development and implementation of FEMA’s 14-week Incident Management Assistance Team Academy
- Commanding a military police Company responsible for planning and executing counterinsurgency initiatives in coordination with Afghan Uniformed Police within Kandahar City
- Providing law enforcement expertise, threat assessment support to the 54-states and territories and Chief of the National Guard Bureau
- Planning and leading successful law enforcement mentorship, training, mission planning for nearly 600-Iraqi Police. Led counter-indirect fire patrols to deter and prevent indirect fire attacks on Coalition forces and critical infrastructure
High Street Consulting Senior Vice President, Matthew Stuhr, has 19+ years as leader and team builder across security, homeland security and emergency management domains with extensive knowledge of / experience in strategic and tactical application of police, security, military resources domestically and abroad. Matt has continued to serve as a military police officer in the National Guard since the attacks on 9/11.
Matt’s portfolio includes:
- Leading the Law Enforcement, Intelligence, and Department of Defense planning community in support of the DHS Cyber Storm Exercise series
- Coordinating Maryland National Guard operations during the Riots in Baltimore, Maryland
- Leading and managing a team of FEMA, interagency, and contract stakeholders in the development and implementation of FEMA’s 14-week Incident Management Assistance Team Academy
- Commanding a military police Company responsible for planning and executing counterinsurgency initiatives in coordination with Afghan Uniformed Police within Kandahar City
- Providing law enforcement expertise, threat assessment support to the 54 states and territories and Chief of the National Guard Bureau
- Planning, leading successful law enforcement mentorship, training, mission planning for nearly 600 Iraqi Police. Led counter-indirect fire patrols to deter and prevent indirect fire attacks on Coalition forces and critical infrastructure
Meet the High Street Team
Maria Karwan - Chief Operating Officer
As HSC’s COO, Maria wears many hats, drawing from her broad-ranging experience across post-secondary educational institutions, private industry, a government research lab, and 501(c)(3) organizations. Maria holds an MBA from the University at Buffalo and is honored to be part of the leadership team of this dynamic VOSB, overseeing daily operations, finance, HR, marketing, and communications to help HSC achieve its strategic goals.
Corey Goodwin - Associate
Corey brings over a decade of experience to the High Street Consulting team. This includes her Marine Corps service, a degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and a determined approach to creative problem solving.
Rebecca Stein - Analyst
Michael Guadiano - Analyst
Corey Barr - Analyst
Corey is an experienced professional working on issues of gender equality, human rights, and human security. She has worked with organizations such as UN Women, Human Rights Education Associates, and the International Action Network on Small Arms. She received her Master’s of Arts from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and her Bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College.
Alexander Henrie - Analyst
Prior to joining HSC with a focus on training and exercise development, Alex taught history and civics at the middle school and high school levels. He holds a B.A. in History from Bates College and an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he studied national security, international law, and energy and the environment.
Nathaniel Becker - Consulting Intern
Nathaniel is currently attending the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is double majoring in finance and marketing while also being part of the team here at HSC. Nathaniel assists across all functions at HSC and take a head-on approach to challenges he’s offered. We are humbled that Nathaniel has chosen to intern at HSC as he continues to grow and develop as a well-rounded young professional.
Michael Goldsbury - Associate
Improving Our Flexibility in Today’s Landscape
HSC is proud that our expertise in preparedness and business continuity has allowed us to transition seamlessly to a virtual operating environment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has enabled greater collaboration and even more flexibility for our clients.
Testimonials
Few managers in senior leadership inspire, coach, and mentor all levels of staff – but that is exactly what Zach did. As the program manager for the training practice, he developed his staff and generated enthusiasm not only for the work we did but for the team we worked with. Zach motivates his team to perform at the highest level and has innovative ideas. More importantly, he turns those ideas into reality; from team structure to new business opportunities. He is an expert in program management, budgeting, and financial management, and is well known in FEMA for his training and exercise expertise. He is a tremendous senior leader and program manager; I would recommend Zach to any organization.
I have worked directly with Matt for several years. He has always proven himself to be an outstanding project executive, a strong thought leader, and a cohesive bonding agent to any organization. He strives to deepen his understanding of the nature of a business or project, as well as the collective skills/knowledge of those with whom he works, in order to get the best results from the team. Matt’s intelligence, work ethic, attention to detail, and personality make him a tremendous asset to every organization he touches.
Zach is an excellent project manager and team lead, who trusts his staff to complete their assignments without feeling the need to micromanage their work. Though he is fully prepared to get in-the-weeds when required by a task, Zach effectively uses his team’s collective skillset to set up cross-coverage on deliverables and enable smooth completion of objectives. Zach’s greatest strengths, however, lie in his relationships. Clients rely on Zach for specific outcomes, and his attentive service to their requests solidifies their confidence in future performance. On a managerial level, Zach goes out of his way to truly exemplify the difference between a boss and a leader. His ability to forge close relationships with all levels of staff, down to the newest junior employee, is unparalleled and he takes an active interest in the wellbeing of his charges. Members of Zach’s team are loyal and driven not because he is their manager, but because they trust him personally. I looked to Zach as a mentor, and continue to do so. He is a credit to any organization lucky enough to have him.
Matt Stuhr is a leader who excels in coordinating teams as well as working with individuals one-on-one. As a senior manager, Matt makes himself available to staff for mentorship and guidance based on his subject matter expertise. He is quick to offer solutions to tough problems, and he always follows up. Matt is incredible at delivering a leader’s intent, offering clear guidance at the outset of every project. He takes care to ensure that he communicates effectively throughout the project lifecycle, asking for feedback and working with the team to keep everyone on the same page. He is a team player, always sharing credit for success and making his team members feel valued. Over my tenure at our company, Matt has become both a mentor and a friend whom I respect and enjoy working with.
