Kaufman Rossin’s Damian Schwartz honored for 9/11 heroism with Secret Service Valor Award

MIAMI – Kaufman Rossin, the largest independent CPA and advisory firm in Florida and one of the top 50 firms in the U.S., announced that Damian Schwartz, a director in the firm’s Risk Advisory Services practice, has been honored with the Secret Service Valor Award for his actions on September 11, 2001, while serving as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service.

The award was originally scheduled to be presented by the Director of the Secret Service during the 2025 United Nations General Assembly, but Schwartz was unable to attend. It was ultimately presented on April 17, 2026, at the Annual NYC Anti-Terrorism Symposium, held this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, by the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, with several of the agents Schwartz served alongside on September 11th joining him on stage.

The symposium was originally created after 9/11 by a Secret Service agent to help replace equipment lost by New York Field Office personnel and has since grown into an annual event that provides counter-terrorism training and awareness.

“Twenty-five years later, I’m still humbled by the courage and selflessness demonstrated by so many people that day,” said Schwartz. “This symposium exists to make sure we never forget that, and I’m honored to have been part of it, not just as an award recipient, but alongside the colleagues who were there with me.”

“Damian’s actions on September 11th speak to the same qualities we see in him every day at Kaufman Rossin: courage, calm under pressure, and a deep commitment to protecting others,” said Kory Patrick, Principal, Cybersecurity & Risk Advisory at Kaufman Rossin. “We’re incredibly proud to have him as part of our team, and even prouder that his service and sacrifice are being recognized twenty-five years later.”

On the morning of the attacks, Schwartz was assigned to the Special Investigations Squad as the Uniformed Division and Special Agent Recruiter for the Secret Service. After helping evacuate personnel from the New York Field Office at 7 World Trade Center, he spent the following hours guiding civilians to safety. He assisted a young boy in medical distress to an ambulance and ensured his fellow agents safely evacuated the area, before being transported to New Jersey for decontamination and medical evaluation.

At Kaufman Rossin, Schwartz brings over two decades of experience in cybersecurity strategy, investigation, response, compliance and training. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a Senior Special Agent in the Secret Service’s Electronic Crimes Task Force, managing a multi-agency team investigating large-scale cyber crimes.

About Kaufman Rossin

Kaufman Rossin is the largest independent CPA and advisory firms based in Florida and one of the top 50 firms in the U.S. Independent and partner-owned, with offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton,

Media Contact
Juliana Tellez | Jtellez@kaufmanrossin.com