| Jessica Gotthold, president and CEO of Critical Elements, Inc., retired as a Senior Special Agent, Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) and Certified Explosives Specialist (CES) from ATF in December of 2015 with 28.5 years of distinguished service. She was a member of ATF’s National Response Team (NRT) for 10 years, responding to large-scale bombings and fires. Notable cases include the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Birmingham, AL abortion clinic bombing and the Unabomber investigation in NJ. Ms. Gotthold has a wealth of both general and financial investigative experience, holds specialized certifications and is an expert witness in fire origin and cause as well as post-blast investigation. Her expertise encompasses the investigation of youth firesetting and bomb-making, as well as providing training in this specialized area, for which Ms. Gotthold has received awards and accolades. Prior to her ATF career, she was an Investigator with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force, working primarily undercover drug cases. Ms. Gotthold holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Production for Electronic Media from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Jessica launched Critical Elements, Inc., post-retirement. Partnering with her former ATF colleague, Rich Vera, CPA, her multi-faceted firm specializes in cyber security, digital forensics, training in the areas of fire, explosives and testimony, as well as providing expert testimony services and litigation support.
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