James Cotter

James Cotter
Supervisory Special Agent
Cybersecurity Operations, Critical Infrastructure and Grants

James has over 25 years of law enforcement experience and has been with the Department of Safety & Homeland Security for the last 17 years.

In 2008, James joined the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security as an Agent. He was promoted in 2012 to Supervisory Intelligence Officer and Director of the Tennessee Fusion Center overseeing Homeland Security Intelligence Operations for the State. In 2017, he became the Special Agent Program Manager for Cyber Operations. In 2023, he was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent and supervises the department’s cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and grant divisions; and serves as an Emergency Services Coordinator for Emergency Support Function 17 (Cyber) and ESF-13 (law enforcement).

James is a graduate of the Naval Post Graduate School Fusion Center Leaders Program, the Southeast Command and Leadership Academy, holds a BS in Criminal Justice, and is a budding ethical hacker. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps with deployments to the Middle East, Africa, South and Central America.