Brian C. Goebel

Biography

Brian C. Goebel is a recognized expert on homeland security, data analysis, and water policy. He is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, and elected official. He is a frequent speaker and writer on constitutional law and public policy issues. He has published opinion pieces in publications ranging from the Orange County Register to The Washington Post.

Goebel's public service has included serving as Counselor and Senior Policy Advisor to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs, Robert C. Bonner. In this post-9/11 role, he helped design and implement key programs and regulations to facilitate secure travel and trade, many of which remain cornerstones of the government's border security efforts. He also helped oversee the 2003 transition from the Treasury Department into the Department of Homeland Security and the merger that created U.S. Customs and Border Protection. During his tenure, Goebel led negotiations with the Canadian government on border security improvements and with the European Commission on matters relating to the Container Security Initiative. In 2018, Goebel ran for public office and won a seat on the Boards of Directors for the Montecito Water District and Groundwater Sustainability Agency. He ran unopposed in 2022. During his tenure, Goebel has been instrumental in solving the myriad water supply challenges facing his community.

Goebel's legal career has included positions with two firms and a clerkship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He has counseled companies on sanctions compliance; argued for a constitutional right to death with dignity; helped overturn an unjustified and excessive damages award against a large department store chain; successfully represented a California inmate who had been unlawfully beaten by a correctional officer; worked on a variety of cases involving flawed agency rulemaking; and proved that a search of his client's offices by federal law enforcement authorities violated the Fourth Amendment.

As an entrepreneur, Goebel founded the Sentinel HS Group, LLC, a consulting firm focused on border security and management (e.g., counter-proliferation, cross-border smuggling, and terrorist travel); customs modernization; immigration management; and transportation security. This firm grew into three separate businesses, including a data analytics firm providing advice and expertise to public and private sector clients in the U.S. and abroad. After moving to Santa Barbara, California in 2014, Goebel sold each of these businesses.

Education

• JD, College of William and Mary
• BA, College of William and Mary