Mark Borkowski is assistant commissioner for the Customs and Border Protection agency’s office of technology innovation and acquisition, overseeing the agency’s initiatives to align technology with missions.
He is also responsible for acquisition and program management within the organization.
As CBP’s component acquisition executive, he evaluates whether acquisitions support a mission requirement and are integrated across CBP components where needed.
Previously, he served as executive director of the program executive office overseeing the Department of Homeland Security‘s Secure Border Initiative within CBP. He oversaw SBI’s implementation at CBP and efforts to develop border security resources for CBP personnel working at the U.S. borders.
Before his assignment to SBI, he served as executive director for mission support at U.S. Border Patrol, where he helped the agency’s chief carry out the agency’s $2 billion annual budget and manage a workforce of more than 17,000 agents and support personnel.
He also oversaw workforce management, labor and employee relations, finance, logistics, recruitment, training, facilities and tactical infrastructure. As a DHS Level III certified program manager, he provided expert advice and support to the agency chief regarding SBInet, a technology program within SBI.
According to CBP, Borkowski directed a contracted effort to reorganize Border Patrol to respond to growth in the organization driven by a presidential mandate. He oversaw a division of 75 personnel across six geographic locations.
Prior to leading mission support, he served as director for asset management in CBP’s office of sir and marine, where he oversaw acquisition and sustainment for CBP’s aircraft and marine assets.
Before joining CBP, he served as NASA‘s program executive for the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, where he oversaw the development and operation of robotic precursor missions to the moon as stage-setters for eventual human missions.
Prior to that, he served as the assistant deputy associate administrator for development programs in NASA’s exploration systems mission directorate, where he helped to oversee the technology, development, and acquisition programs to implement the President’s Vision for Space Exploration.
He also served as the program executive overseeing the Hubble Space Telescope robotic servicing and de-orbit mission and as the ESMD coordinator for NASA’s Exploration Transportation Strategic Roadmap. While at NASA, Borkowski was elected vice president of the International Lunar Exploration Working Group, a consortium of national space agencies and commercial partners supporting initiatives for international collaboration in lunar exploration.
The retired Air Force colonel served in the military for 23 years, with his last assignment as system program director for the Space Based Infrared Systems program office, where he oversaw satellite programs including the Defense Support Program, SBIRS-High and SBIRS-Low.
He has also served as support group commander at Eglin Air Force Base; chief of the programming division at Air Force Material Command’s headquarters; assistant chief of staff at the branch’s ballistic missile defense organization.
As a frequent public speaker, he has represented the Air Force, NASA and CBP at international conferences, academic and professional seminars, congressional members and staff and the press.
Borkowski holds two master’s degrees, one in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and the other in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He also holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in aeronautical engineering from AFIT and the other in mathematics from the State University of New York at Albany.
He is a recipient of the Air Force Association’s Lieutenant General John W. O’Neill Outstanding System Program Director Award; the Company Grade Officer of the Year and the Manager of the Year Awards from the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory; the Air Force Systems Command nominations for the “Ten Outstanding Young Americans†award; several military medals and decorations; and civil service performance awards.