Todd Keil

Class of 1984: Keeping the world secure

From the U.S. Department of State to the Department of Homeland Security to the private sector, Todd Keil has built a career aiming to establish security and risk mitigation and protecting people, facilities, and intellectual property assets.

He was born in March 1962 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

At Ripon, he majored in criminal justice and politics and government, and he participated in Beta Sigma Pi. He also received a special degree in international relations from Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität in Bonn, Germany, and completed the criminal justice program at American University in Washington, D.C.

He served for 23 years as a Supervisory Special Agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, including regional director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, where he managed security programs to minimize risks from terrorist, criminal and intelligence threats at 56 U.S. embassies and consulates.

After the attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, Keil was asked to be a member of an exclusive five-person panel of independent experts engaged in the review of intelligence materials, situational video, and interviews with U.S. government personnel, members of international organizations, and foreign government representatives regarding the incident to determine best practices for U.S. government facilities in high-threat environments.

From December 2009 to 2012, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to lead and execute a national strategy to identify, protect and enhance all-hazard resilience to U.S. critical infrastructure and public spaces. He focused on mitigating risks and protecting assets essential to the nation’s security, public health and safety.

He also served as the regional security officer at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, and the U.S. Missions in Vienna, Austria; and as the assistant special agent in charge of the Secretary of State’s Protective Detail, Assistant Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia; Physical Security Division Program Manager in Washington, D.C.; and Special Agent in the New York field office.

In the private sector, Keil has held positions as director of global security for Magic Leap, as corporate security manager for Texas Instruments, and as an advisory board member for iMarshals Inc., a nonprofit, non-governmental organization focusing on the use of social media, facial recognition, and other resources to identify fugitives and other wanted people.

His professional memberships include the Fraternal Order of Police, the American Foreign Service Association, and the American Society for Industrial Security.

Keil received Ripon’s Distinguished Alumni Citation in 2024.

“Ripon College provided the midwestern roots and culture I cherished growing up in Wisconsin, but also opened the doors to the world, as programs at Ripon allowed me to attended the University of Bonn, Germany, my sophomore year and the Criminal Justice Semester in Washington, D.C., the first semester of my senior year,” Keil said. “Ripon College ignited and launched my public service career!”

He currently lives in McKinney, Texas, and is an associate managing director at Kroll, Enterprise Security Risk Management, based in Dallas. He and his wife, Mary, have three children.