"Keynote Speaker" at Harkcon Academy, a professional development and training firm focused on helping people thrive on the journey. Harkcon Academy consists of an extraordinary team of accomplished professionals who have excelled for decades leading people and teams to the highest levels of achievement. We provide the highest quality engagements, specializing in the development of people, teams, and organizations in the areas of leadership development and emergency incident response.

Vice Admiral Lee retired in 2016 as Commander, Atlantic Area, where he led a force of 21,000 active personnel conducting U.S. Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, spanning across five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. In addition, he served as Commander, Defense Force East, providing mission support to DoD and the Combatant Commanders. He also served as Director, DHS Joint Task Force East, responsible for oversight of the joint interagency maritime Counter… Show more Vice Admiral Lee retired in 2016 as Commander, Atlantic Area, where he led a force of 21,000 active personnel conducting U.S. Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, spanning across five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. In addition, he served as Commander, Defense Force East, providing mission support to DoD and the Combatant Commanders. He also served as Director, DHS Joint Task Force East, responsible for oversight of the joint interagency maritime Counter Narcotics and Alien Migration missions. During the period 2014 – 2016, elements of his Task Force interdicted 8,000 illegal migrants, arrested 340 smugglers, and seized nearly 100 metric tons of cocaine and other illicit drugs valued at $2.9 billion.Vice Admiral Lee was promoted to Flag Rank in 2009 and assumed Command of the Deployable Operations Group, a specialized element of 3,700 fast-responders who could deploy worldwide as needed for maritime tactical law enforcement and hazardous materials response. He was thereafter assigned as the Fifth District Commander in Portsmouth, VA, overseeing all CG operational forces within the Central Atlantic region. Before assuming command of Atlantic Area, he served as the Deputy for Operations Policy and Capabilities at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. In total, Vice Admiral Lee served fourteen tours of duty, commanding seven of them. VADM Lee now serves on the Board of Directors for HELINET, a privately held company in Van Nuys, California. He also serves as a Honorary Professor of Military Science at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA. He is a Motivational Speaker with Harkcon Academy who specializes in Leadership, Character Development, and Crisis Management. Vice Admiral Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of South Alabama, and a Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from George Washington University. Show less