2021 Speakers

Gen. James C. McConville assumes duties as the 40th chief of staff of the U.S. Army, Aug. 9, 2019, after most recently serving as the 36th Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.

He is a native of Quincy, Massachusetts, and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He holds a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and was a National Security Fellow at Harvard University in 2002.

McConville’s command assignments include commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), where he also served as the commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force-101, Operation Enduring Freedom; deputy commanding general (Support) of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), where he also served as the deputy commanding general (Support) of Combined Joint Task Force-101, Operation Enduring Freedom, commander of 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Operation Iraqi Freedom; commander of 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); and commander of C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division (Light).

His key staff assignments include the U.S. Army deputy chief of staff, G-1; chief of Legislative Liaison; executive officer to the vice chief of staff of the Army; G-3 for 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); J5 strategic planner for U.S. Special Operations Command; S-3 for 25th Combat Aviation Brigade; S-3 for 5th Squadron, 9th Cavalry; and S-3 for Flight Concepts Division.

McConville is a senior Army aviator qualified in the AH-64D Longbow Apache, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, AH-6, AH-1 Cobra and other aircraft. His awards and decorations include two Distinguished Service Medals, three Legions of Merit, three Bronze Star Medals, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, three Meritorious Service Medals, two Air Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Badge, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, the Master Army Aviator Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Dan Kunze is the Mission Account Manager for ServiceNow’s Army business. In this role, he is responsible for developing ServiceNow’s strategy as it relates to the United States Army. He comes to this position after serving more than a decade in uniform across Army Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve. Dan has a unique understanding of the issues which impact our Soldiers and our Army. In addition to his military experience, he brings a decades long corporate experience working directly with Fortune 500 executives as well as Department of Defense executives in delivering enterprise scale outcomes. Through his experiences and passion for supporting the Army, he has become a leading voice in delivering quality outcomes for the Army’s most important asset: It’s People.

Kevin Baron is the founding executive editor of Defense One. Baron has lived in Washington for 20 years, covering international affairs, the military, the Pentagon, Congress, and politics for Foreign Policy, National Journal, Stars and Stripes, and the Boston Globe, where he ran investigative projects for five years at the Washington bureau. He is a frequent on-air contributor and previously was national security/military analyst at NBC News & MSNBC. Baron cut his muckraking teeth at the Center for Public Integrity and he is twice a Polk Award winner and former vice president of the Pentagon Press Association. He earned his M.A. in media and public affairs from George Washington University, his B.A. in international studies from the University of Richmond, and studied in Paris. Raised in Florida, Baron now lives in Northern Virginia.

In her current role as Vice President of Business Development at Defense One, Laurie Diamond works closely with defense and national security thought leaders. In doing so she assists with conveying their messaging and innovative solutions to top leaders and communities in the defense space. Prior to Defense One, she has 28+ years of experience serving in leadership and management roles in marketing, DoD business development, proposal and capture management, market research and networking. She has excelled in senior leadership positions at The Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, Clear Channel, Alion Science and Technology and several technology solutions-based companies supporting federal and defense contracts.

Dr. Halpern was appointed to the rank of Senior Executive Service (SES) in April 2019 and assigned as the Director of the Army Research Office (ARO), at Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina. In this role, Dr. Halpern is responsible for setting and executing the nationwide extramural research agenda and programs on Army focused basic research in the engineering, physical, life, mathematical, computer, and information, and social sciences to provide critical enhancements to current warfighter needs and revolutionary advances required for technological dominance of the future force with emphasis on the Army’s Modernization Priorities. The ARO research portfolio exceeds over $500 million, including single investigator research (1,700 active projects performed by approximately 3,500 researchers both nationally and internationally). The research is conducted at over 250 universities, in collaboration with the Army laboratory community. 

Robert P. Ashley is CEO of Ashley Global Leadership and Strategy, LLC. Previously, he was the 21st director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. A retired Army lieutenant general, he served as the U.S. Army’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, and before that was the director of intelligence at U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Central Command, and at International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces, Afghanistan.

Donald L. Coulter (DC) is the Senior Science & Technology Advisor for the Army Network Cross-Functional Team (N-CFT), one of eight Army Futures Command CFTs. He also serves as the Network S&T Portfolio Manager for Army Futures Command Headquarters. In these capacities, he oversees a $230M+/yr portfolio across the Network / Command, Control, Communications, Computers, CEMA, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) technology domains.

DC advises senior leaders and collaborates with Army, DoD, Industry and Academia partners to identify and seize opportunities to develop, integrate, and transition technologies to enhance Army technological superiority. He has previously served in a variety of roles within the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center, including Chief of Commercial Technology Integration and Evaluation, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Lead for Trusted Systems & Networks, and Lead for Mission Command Technologies.

His previous research spanned secure software engineering, cryptographic systems, distributed / mobile computing, and Human Computer Interaction. DC has a BS in Computer Science from Bethune-Cookman University, a MS in Business Administration from Texas A&M-Texarkana University, and a MS in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology. He also holds (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certifications.

Brigadier General Brett Funck graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1994 and earned his commission as an Infantry Officer. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Administration. His professional military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, Canadian Forces College, and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School.

He served in various leadership and staff positions throughout his career to include: Platoon Leader, Company Commander, Troop Commander, and Team Leader; later serving as an S3 and XO in the 82nd Airborne Division, Operations Officer in the Joint Special Operations Command, Battalion Commander, and Division G3 in the 10th Mountain Division, the Fort Bragg Garrison Commander, the Deputy Commander in the Combined Joint Inter-Agency Task Force, and Chief of Staff for the 82nd Airborne Division. As a Brigadier General he served as the G3/5/7 for the United States Army Reserve Command, and later as the Deputy Commanding General of Operations and Acting Senior Commander of the 10th Mountain Division. Brigadier General Brett Funck is currently the Director of the Army Talent Management Task Force in Washington, D.C.

Mackenzie Eaglen is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she works on defense strategy, defense budgets, and military readiness. She is also a regular guest lecturer at universities, a member of the board of advisers of the Alexander Hamilton Society, and a member of the steering committee of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security. She also previously served as one of the 12-member US Army War College Board of Visitors, which offers advice about program objectives and effectiveness.

While working at AEI, Ms. Eaglen served as a staff member on the National Defense Strategy Commission, a congressionally mandated bipartisan review group whose final report in November 2018, “Providing for the Common Defense,” included assessments and recommendations for the administration. Earlier, Ms. Eaglen served as a staff member on the 2014 congressionally mandated National Defense Panel, established to assess US defense interests and strategic objectives, and in 2010 on the congressionally mandated bipartisan Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel, which evaluated the Pentagon’s defense strategy.

Before joining AEI, Ms. Eaglen worked on defense issues in the House of Representatives, in the US Senate, and at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and on the Joint Staff.

A prolific writer on defense-related issues, Ms. Eaglen has been published in the popular press, including in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and War on the Rocks. She has also testified before Congress.

Ms. Eaglen has an MA from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a BA from Mercer University.

John Bryant is an executive vice president of Oshkosh Corporation and the president of Oshkosh Defense. He was appointed president in June 2016. Mr. Bryant is responsible for leading all aspects of the Company’s global defense segment, including all vehicle programs, manufacturing and operations, new product development, vehicle life cycle sustainment and aftermarket services.

Prior to his promotion, Mr. Bryant served as the senior vice president of Defense Programs for Oshkosh Defense. He joined Oshkosh Defense in 2010 as vice president and general manager of Marine Corps programs. Mr. Bryant is a retired Marine Corps Colonel with 28 years of distinguished service. As a Marine Corps program manager, he led several U.S. and Foreign Military Sales acquisition programs, including Tank Systems, Light Armored Vehicles and Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles. Prior to joining Oshkosh, he was a professor of program
management at the Defense Acquisition University.

Mr. Bryant holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Marquette University. He also received Level III certification in program management from the Defense Acquisition University.

Patrick Tucker is technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.

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Adm. Mike Gilday is the son of a Navy Sailor. A surface warfare officer, he is a native of Lowell, Massachusetts and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.  He holds master’s degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School and the National War College.

At sea, he deployed with USS Chandler (DDG 996), USS Princeton (CG 59), and USS Gettysburg (CG 64).  He commanded destroyers USS Higgins (DDG 76) and USS Benfold (DDG 65) and subsequently, commanded Destroyer Squadron 7, serving as sea combat commander for the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group.

As a flag officer, he served as commander Carrier Strike Group 8 embarked aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), and as commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S 10th Fleet.

His staff assignments include the Bureau of Naval Personnel; staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, and staff of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.  Joint assignments include executive assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and naval aide to the President.

As a flag officer, he served in joint positions as director of operations for NATO’s Joint Force Command Lisbon; as chief of staff for Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO; director of operations, J3, for U.S. Cyber Command; and as director of operations, J3, for the Joint Staff.  He recently served as director, Joint Staff.

He has served on teams that have been recognized with numerous awards and is the recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal (four awards), Legion of Merit (three awards), Bronze Star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V,” and the Combat Action Ribbon.
Gilday began serving as the 32nd Chief of Naval Operations August 22, 2019.

Glenn Jones serves as the Activity Command Information Officer (ACIO) and Information Technology Division Director at the Department of Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) located in Dahlgren, Virginia.  Jones has over 30 years of federal government service and has served as IT Manager at nine different federal agencies within the Departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.  This vast wealth of experience involved serving as IT Program Manager within the Department of Agriculture, managing delivery of IT services in disaster situations while working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and as IT Customer Solutions Manager within the ultra-secure, highly critical “no-fail” mission of the United States Secret Service.  As the current NSWCDD IT Director/ACIO, Jones delivers strategic vision, leadership, management and oversite of the entire NSWCDD IT ecosystem comprising highly complex research and development networks designed to deliver next-generation technology to the warfighter. Jones is committed to delivering cutting edge IT solutions designed to revolutionize the end-user IT experience.

Congressman Rob Wittman has served on the House Armed Services Committee since 2007 and is currently Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. This subcommittee is responsible for the research, development, acquisition, and sustainment of Navy and Marine Corps programs, as well as the Air Force’s bombers, tankers, and tactical airlift fleets. During his tenure as Seapower Chairman, the subcommittee authorized a block buy of two Ford-Class aircraft carriers, put into law our nation’s goal of reaching 355 ships, provided the necessary oversight of the investigation into the ship crashes in the Pacific, and worked with the Navy to provide them the tools they need to project power.

Hailing from Montross, Virginia, Congressman Wittman is a strong advocate of growing our Navy to 355 ships and recapitalizing our Air Force assets, which will allow the military to deter our adversaries, support our allies, and respond to threats around the globe.

Congressman Wittman believes in a strong national defense, which includes a healthy and robust shipbuilding industrial base- ready to answer the nation’s call to deliver more ships with advanced technologies.

Congressman Wittman has also been a vocal proponent of “No Budget No Pay”, which would require members of Congress to pass a budget on time or else forgo their own paychecks- incentivizing adherence to the regular budget process timeline and eliminating the needless and often damaging effects of passing continuing resolutions.

Congressman Wittman is a key voice on defense spending in Congress, calling for an end to defense “sequestration” cuts that threaten our men and women in uniform and have detrimental effects on our nation’s military readiness.  Along with his colleagues, Congressman Wittman is a champion of our nation’s warfighters and veterans.

Bryan Clark is a senior fellow and Director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute. He leads studies there in naval operations and fleet architecture, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, military competitions, 5G telecommunications, microelectronics, and command and control.

Before joining Hudson Institute, Bryan was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), where he led studies for the DoD Office of Net Assessment, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on new technologies and the future of warfare. During his 25-year Navy career, Bryan was an enlisted and officer submariner, serving in afloat and ashore submarine operational and training assignments including tours as chief engineer of two nuclear submarines special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations and director of his Commander’s Action Group.

Kevin Graney became president of General Dynamics Electric Boat in October 2019.

Graney began his shipbuilding career with General Dynamics Electric Boat in 1995, as a senior engineer, working on the high-speed turbine generator set for the Virginia-class submarine. He was then assigned as a fluid systems supervisor, working with Newport News Shipbuilding to design the reactor plant fluid systems of the next-generation aircraft carrier – the CVN 78 program. He later managed a team of Electric Boat designers and engineers in the development of fluid systems for the British Astute-class submarine program. After working on the British submarine program, he became the program manager of capital projects and metrics in the Virginia-class submarine program office. He joined NASSCO in January 2006 as director of quality assurance and was promoted to vice president of engineering in July 2007. In 2010, Graney assumed the post of vice president of Programs and in January 2013 was promoted to vice president of Operations. In November 2013, Graney was named vice president and general manager, a position he held until assuming the role of president.

Graney was born in Cheektowaga, New York, in January 1964. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering and nuclear science from State University of New York Maritime College in 1986. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a naval officer and served aboard submarines and as an instructor at Nuclear Power Training Unit Ballston Spa in New York. Graney currently lives in Jamul, California and is married to Cheryl Kidd Graney from Colchester, Connecticut. Together, they have a daughter, Katherine, currently attending the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Cara LaPointe is a futurist who focuses on the intersection of technology, policy, ethics and leadership.  As Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy and author of the “Blockchain Ethical Design Framework,” she works to ensure that emerging technologies throughout society are safe, secure, ethical and trustworthy.

During more than two decades in the United States Navy, she held numerous roles in the areas of autonomous and unmanned systems, acquisitions, ship design and production, naval force architecture, power and energy systems, and digital transformation.  At the Deep Submergence Lab of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), she conducted research on autonomy and underwater robotics.

Dr. LaPointe has served as an advisor to global emerging technology initiatives including at the National Academy of Medicine, the United Nations, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.  She is an Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and an Executive Agent of the Bolden Group.

Dr. LaPointe is a patented engineer, a White House Fellow, a French American Foundation Young Leader, and a member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Educational Council.  She has served in the White House for three Presidents, most recently as a Senior Advisor in the Biden-Harris administration.  She holds degrees from MIT, WHOI, the University of Oxford, and the United States Naval Academy.

Mark Vandroff assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wisc. in July of 2021.

Previously he was the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Fincantieri Marine Group in Washington D.C.

Immediately prior to joining FMG, Mark served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense Policy on the National Security Council staff at The White House. In this role, he served as the President’s senior White House advisor on a broad array of matters including defense capabilities, irregular and non-traditional warfare, strategic weapons, international security cooperation, military personnel, emerging defense technology, and space security. Prior to his time at the NSC, Mark worked at Zenetex, LLC as Vice President of Maritime Programs.

Before his civilian career, Mark served in the U.S. Navy, retiring from active duty with the rank of Captain. His command-level tours included service as the Major Program Manager for ARLEIGH BURKE Class destroyers and Commanding Officer of Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock, Maryland.

He holds a B.S. in Physics from the United States Naval Academy and an M.S. in Applied Physics from The Johns Hopkins University. He has been a frequent contributor to publications such as Proceedings of the Naval Institute, The Strategy Bridge, and the Center for International Maritime Security. He was the recipient of the 2018 Gold Medal for Engineering Excellence by the American Society of Naval Engineers.

Viral is a Principal – Innovation & Enterprise Solutions. He is a recognized leader in the art & science of applying analytics to deliver business value. Over last 19 years he has helped large commercial and government organizations with optimization and monetization of their Data assets. He has lead world-class analytics based client delivery teams. He is recognized as an architect of the strategy for new decision science solutions across the following sectors – Government, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Transportation, IM and Financial Services.He is creative and structured problem-solver who understands how to leverage the ecosystem of alternative analytic methods and data sources as well as effectively drive change throughout the organization to deliver value.Prior to KPMG Viral successfully lead several significant analytics practices including PwC, Oracle, Cognos (IBM Company) & within Industry.

I am the Supply Chain team lead for an extensive Warehouse Modernization transformation project across the USMC LOGCOM Command.  I lead a diverse team of KPMG Federal, Lighthouse and SubK team members responsible for several aspects of warehouse modernization – Space Utilization:  Assessment of the warehouse location, ownership and proximity to other warehouses of “Like Functionality” to reduce the amount of travel and complexity; System and Technology Integration:  Implementation of key technologies to enable warehouse performance – Semi-automated Guided Vehicles and narrow aisle storage; Voice to text recognition for receipt and issue functions; Process Enablement:  Lead with process to create a Visual Factory with a goal of advancing efficiency and effectiveness of operations.  I was responsible for developing the three year roadmap for the project and execution.

I am the lead in KPMG’s Management Consulting Advisory Practice for the Supply Chain and Operations Service Network. This includes qualifying / capture, proposal response and execution / delivery in both Supply Chain and Operations. Additionally, I am responsible for integrating the Federal Supply Chain practice with KPMG global defense practice and innovating on new ”Go to Market” strategies for KPMG Clients.  Key accomplishments include a) Established a formal Service Network in Federal – growth of 12 to 41 team members; b) Established core capabilities for Supply Chain and Operations with supported Intellectual Capital and Marketing Material; c) Grew the Network footprint into DoD [Navy, USMC, USAF] and Civilian [USPS] and Health [FDA] and d) Established a Pipeline of Opportunities ranging from $51.0M in FY21 to $19.4M in FY22.

Recent Clients

•  US Marine Corps
•  Office of Personnel Management
•  US Air Force
•  General Services Administration
•  US Postal Service

Education, licenses & certifications

•  BS Industrial Engineering
•  Active Top-Secret Clearance (Current)
•  MRO Certification
•  Master Black Belt Certification
•  CPIM-APICS Certification
•  PDS Tech – Advanced Facilitator Certification

Professional associations

•  ASCM/APICS
•  Institute of Industrial Engineers

Matthew has been working with the Navy for over 12 years with a proven track record of transforming complex challenges into compelling and mutually understood high value mission results. He has a unique ability to navigate intricate scenarios specific to the Navy and provide both practical and strategic guidance.  Matthew applies an unwavering focus on advancing the mission and improving the lives of our Sailors and their families.

Jacqueline Feldscher is senior national security correspondent at Defense One. Previously, she was national security and space reporter at Politico. Before that, Feldscher covered defense issues in Congress and at the Pentagon for the Washington Examiner, the Washington Times, and Navy Times, covering the Navy and Coast Guard. She’s a graduate of Boston University, and holds a master’s in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Bradley Peniston is deputy editor of Defense One. A national security journalist for two decades, he helped launch Military.com, served as managing editor of Defense News, and was editor of Armed Forces Journal. His books include No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf, now part of the Chief of Naval Operations’ Professional Reading Program.

Patrick Tucker is technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.

Lieutenant General Kevin Iiams is a native of New Orleans, LA and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1986. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and upon completion of flight school was assigned to fly the FA-18 Hornet.

Lieutenant General Iiams’ Command tours include Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 “The Bats” from 2003 to 2005, where he deployed to Iraq for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II. From 2009 to 2011 Lieutenant General Iiams commanded Marine Aircraft Group 41 in Fort Worth, Texas and sustained multiple unit deployments in support of global commitments. In 2013, he deployed for combat in Afghanistan as the Assistant Wing Commander for 2d MAW (FWD) HQ for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 13. From 2014 to 2015 he served as the Assistant Wing Commander, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing in Miramar, CA. In Jan 2016, Lieutenant General Iiams was assigned as Commander of MARFORSOUTH where he was responsible for all US Marine activities across Central and South America and the Caribbean. In May 2017, he transferred to Quantico, VA as Commanding General Training and Education Command. In July 2018, Lieutenant General Iiams transferred to MCAS Miramar, CA and served 2 years as the Commanding General 3d Marine Aircraft Wing. From August 2020 to July 2021 he served concurrently as the Deputy Commander Marine Corps Combat Development Command and Assistant Commandant for Combat Development and Integration.

Lieutenant General Iiams’ other operational tours in the FA-18 include VMFA-451 “The Warlords” 1990-1992; VMFA-235 “The Death Angels” 1993-1996; and VMFA-232 “The Red Devils” 2000-2002; where he participated in combat during Operations DESERT SHIELD/ DESERT STORM and NOBLE EAGLE and supported contingency operations during multiple WESTPAC deployments.

Lieutenant General Iiams’ staff and joint assignments were as a Forward Air Controller Instructor, FA-18 Tactics Instructor/Division Head and Adversary Pilot at MAWTS-1 from 1996 to 1999. From 2002 to 2003 he served as Operations Officer for Marine Aircraft Group 11 planning and supporting Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and IRAQI FREEDOM. From 2006 to 2009 he served at USCENTCOM in multiple key billets as the Battlestaff Exercise Branch Chief; the Chief of Operations for the Joint Operations Center; and Director J7 Training and Exercises. From 2011 to 2012 he served as the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing Standards Officer. In June 2013, he was assigned as Deputy Director for Operations in the National Military Command Center, J3, The Joint Staff.

Lieutenant General Iiams attended and graduated from Amphibious Warfare School in 1993; the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course in 1995; the Air Force Air Command and Staff College in 2000; the US Army War College in 2006; and the Armed Forces Staff College in 2009. He was designated a Joint Qualified Officer in 2009. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in General Engineering, a Master’s degree in Military Arts and Science and a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies.

Lieutenant General Iiams has over 4000 hours in tactical aircraft, and has flown over 500 combat hours on over 270 combat missions. His personal decorations include: The Defense Superior Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; The Legion of Merit; The Bronze Star with Gold Star; The Meritorious Service Medal; The Air Medal with Gold Star, Combat “V” and 18 Strike Flight Awards; The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with 2 Gold Stars and Combat “V”; and The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Brig. Gen. Benjamin Watson graduated from Cornell University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in history, and was commissioned through the NROTC program. After completing the Basic School and Infantry Officer Course, he reported to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where he served as a rifle platoon commander, weapons platoon commander and executive officer with Company K—completing deployments with both the 24th and 26th MEU (SOC).

Watson served as commanding officer, Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, and operations officer, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, from 1999-2002—during which time he deployed with both the 22nd and 24th MEU (SOC), participating in Operations Provide Promise and Deny Flight, in and around the former Yugoslavia, as well as in Operation Dynamic Response in Kosovo.

He was G-3 future operations planner, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) from 2006-2007, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, during which time he also served with Regimental Combat Team-7; G-3 plans officer, 1st Marine Division, from 2007-2008; and commanding officer, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, from 2008-2011, during which time he deployed as battalion landing team 3/1 on a 31st MEU deployment, and then again to Garmsir District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Watson also served as assistant division commander, 2nd Marine Division and as commanding general of the second rotation of Task Force Southwest, deploying to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

In 2019, Watson assumed responsibility as the commanding general, Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory/Futures Directorate, and as the vice chief of naval research, Office of Naval Research.

His service outside the operating forces includes duty as a tactics instructor at the Basic School from 1995-1997, and as an instructor at the Infantry Officer Course from 1997-1998. From 2002-2005, Watson was an instructor and faculty advisor at the Expeditionary Warfare School. From 2012-2013, he served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as senior military assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. From 2013-2014, he was reassigned to the Immediate Office of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel for duty as special assistant to the chief of staff. Watson served as the commanding officer of Marine Barracks, Washington D.C. (8th and I) from 2014-2016.

Watson is a graduate of the Marine Corps Summer Mountain Leaders Course (honor graduate), Amphibious Warfare School (distinguished graduate and recipient of the Larry K. Shipman award for Ground Combat Arms), Marine Corps Command and Staff College (non-resident), Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting and the National War College (distinguished graduate). His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device, the Meritorious Service Medal (2), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3) and the Combat Action Ribbon (2).

Brigadier General Williamson is currently assigned as the Director of Manpower Plans & Policy. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Military Assistant to the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (ACMC), serving at Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) in the Pentagon. Brigadier General Williamson is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) and was commissioned in May 1994. He reported to Quantico, Virginia in August 1994, where he attended The Basic School and follow on instruction at the Basic Communication Officers Course.

n 1995, Williamson reported to Camp Pendleton, California for duty, where he was initially assigned to 9th
Communication Battalion. While with 9th Communication Battalion, he completed assignments as the Wire, Satellite and Data Communication Platoon Commanders. In January 1998, Williamson reported to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) for duty as the Assistant Communications Officer (S-6A) and Joint Task Force Enabler Officer in Charge. In June 1998, he deployed with 15th MEU(SOC) on a Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment. From 1999 to 2002, Williamson was assigned to USNA in Annapolis, Maryland. Following completion of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Masters Degree Program as a Distinguished Graduate, he served as a Company Officer and Naval Leadership/Naval Science Instructor at USNA. In 2002, Williamson attended the Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) and Command, Control, Communications and Computers Planners Course (C4PC) in Quantico. Upon EWS graduation, he was honored as a Distinguished Graduate and selected to receive the Colonel Donald C. Cook Award for excellence in Command, Control and Communications.

From 2003 to 2005, Williamson was re-assigned to 9th Communication Battalion. He first served as the Support Company Commander, deploying in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) in 2003. He re-deployed to Iraq in support of OIF II as the Battalion S-3 Operations Officer from August 2004 to April 2005. In July 2005, Williamson reported to Okinawa, Japan. He first served with 3d Marine Division as the G-6 Operations Officer. In 2006, he was assigned to command the 3d Marine Division Communication Company. Following that assignment, Williamson served as the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Staff Secretary.

In July 2008, Williamson attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (CSC) in Quantico. Upon graduation, he was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate and earned a Masters of Military Studies from Marine Corps University.

Williamson reported for Joint duty with U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) at Tampa, Florida in June 2009. During that tour, he served as a Branch Chief in the J6 Communications Systems Directorate. Additionally, in 2010 he deployed to Iraq, serving as the J6 Director of Communications for a Joint Special Operations Task Force during Operation NEW DAWN.

From June 2011 to May 2013, Williamson was the Commanding Officer of 9th Communication Battalion in Camp Pendleton. While in command, the battalion was responsible for the provision of C4 in support of the command elements of each I MEF Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Operational units from 9th Communication Battalion deployed in support of I MEF Forward in Afghanistan; or were prepared for rapid deployment in support of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade; 11th, 13th, and 15th Marine Expeditionary Units; and all I MEF forces assigned to real-world and contingency operations.

In 2013, Williamson completed a Top Level School assignment as a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow to Microsoft Corp. Following the fellowship, he was assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in the Pentagon. While with the JCS from 2014 to 2016, he served as a Branch Chief and Program Manager within the J6 C4/Cyber Directorate. Williamson completed his tour in the Pentagon with an assignment to HQMC in the C4 Department, serving as the Deputy Chief, Resources and Operations Division from 2016-2017.

Williamson completed an assignment as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps’ Officer Candidates School in Quantico, VA from June 2017 to May 2019. He was responsible for leading the team that trained, educated, screened, evaluated, and developed the next generation of officers in the Marine Corps.

Brigadier General Williamson’s academic and professional education includes: B.S., Computer Science (USNA, 1994); M.S., Management (NPS, 2000); Masters of Military Studies (MCU, 2009); Darden School of Business Executive Education Course (UVA, 2013); Expeditionary Warfare School (2003); C4 Planners Course (2003); USMC Command and Staff College (2009); Joint-Combined Warfighting School JPME-II (JFSC, 2009); Joint C4I/Cyber Staff & Operations Course (JFSC,2016). His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (Gold Star), Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (three Gold Stars), Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Seth Moulton is a veteran, a father, and a Democrat who represents a new generation of leaders in Washington.

Inspired to public service by his most important mentor in life, the great Minister Rev Peter Gomes, he joined the Marines in 2001, days after his college graduation and a few months before the attacks on 9/11. Leading a frontline infantry platoon in the first Marine company to enter Baghdad, he later worked to establish a free and independent Iraqi media and served as a liaison to senior Iraqi military and political leaders for General Petraeus. While he was an outspoken critic of the Iraq War, he proudly served four tours, sharing the view of many of our servicemembers that he didn’t want anyone to go in his place.

After returning home from Iraq, Seth used the G.I. Bill to earn joint degrees in business and public policy, and then became the managing director of Texas Central, building America’s first high-speed rail line. But it wasn’t long before he was called to serve once again, this time in his home district in Massachusetts.

Seth challenged the establishment with a platform of bringing a new generation of leadership to Washington, willing to fight for progressive values yet not afraid of bipartisanship.

 Named the Most Effective Freshman Democrat in his first term, Seth has consistently delivered results in a divided Washington. He is the only Member of Congress to earn two Democracy Awards from the Congressional Management Foundation, one in 2018 for Transparency and a second in 2020 for having the best constituent services in all of Congress. His legislation has delivered Faster Care for Veterans, designated a three-digit National Suicide Hotline, modernized Government Travel, and delivered on ALS Diability Insurance. His American High-Speed Rail Act is the most ambitious and forward-thinking infrastructure package before Congress today, and he recently wrote the G.I. Bill Repair Act to finally restore long-denied benefits to Black veterans of World War II.

Today, Seth sits on three committees. As a member of the Budget Committee, he advocates for a new economic agenda that will make a difference for American families. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he co-chaired the Future of Defense Task Force, which recently issued a first-of-its-kind bipartisan report on the hard choices and smart investments we must make to ensure our national security for the decades ahead. And he is the Congressional leader on high-speed rail and other next-generation infrastructure on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Back home in Massachusetts, Seth works tirelessly to support local small businesses and veterans, advance civil rights, and grow the economy. He created a model intergovernmental task force that has spurred over $1 billion in federal economic development funding for the city of Lynn, and he forged a unique partnership between fishermen and scientists to ensure the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and the local fishing economy.

Most importantly, Seth is the proud father of two girls, Emmy and Caroline. His amazing wife Liz is a sports industry executive, and they live in Salem, Massachusetts.

Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, PhD, is a Marine Corps combat veteran with multiple combat deployments as an AH-1W “Super Cobra” attack pilot. She finished her active duty time in the Marine Corps’ Legislative Liaison Office in the House of Representatives. She is as Assistant Professor of Military and Strategic Studies at the United States Air Force Academy and the co-director of the Athena Leadership Project. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and a Masters of Arts and a Doctorate from University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

Dr. Hunter’s research focuses on the intersection of social integration and military effectiveness, with a focus on gender and unconventional warfare. While completing her dissertation was a researcher in residence at University of San Diego’s Kroc School of Peace and Justice. She was co-primary investigator for the Nonviolent Actors in Violent Conflicts project funded by the Carnegie Foundation. Her work has been published in Journal of Peace Research, Armed Forces & Society, and Signs, as well as popular publications such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, and San Diego Union Tribune. She is co-editor of Invisible Veterans: What Happens When Women Become Civilians Again (Preager Press, 2019) with Kate Thomas Hendricks.

Dr. Hunter is also an adjunct professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She was the former Chair of the Employment and Integration Subcommittee for the Secretary of Defense’s Advisory Committee of Women in the Services (DACOWITS). She was part of the Department of Veterans Affairs inaugural class of “Women Veteran Trailblazers,” and named as one of HilllVets 100 most influential veterans in 2018. She serves on the advisory board for Impact:PEACE. She and her husband reside in Colorado Springs, CO.

Jeremiah Sanders is a Navy and Air Force veteran, DoD-certified Executive Program Manager (PMP/PgMP-equivalent) with Top Secret/SCI clearance, and joined VMware after co-founding the DoD’s premiere software startup, Kessel Run, and growing it to 1,300 members while serving as the Deputy Commander, AFLCMC Detachment 12. His diverse background includes Joint, operational, and Navy nuclear power plant engineering, maintenance and operations coupled with PM experience in all acquisition phases; particularly IT, software intensive systems, C4ISR, and satellite development and sustainment. Jeremiah’s passion, and what drew him to the VMware team, is driving customer value through entrepreneurial management, agile development methodologies and innovation. He drives digital transformation throughout the Government, and the industrial base that supports it, through engendering acquisition management reform, modern engineering practices and technologies, and a generative culture. Previously, he was a Materiel Leader assigned as Air Operations Center (AOC) Weapon System Program Manager after serving as the Operational Command and Control Branch Chief at the Undersecretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Information Dominance Directorate.

He served as a Navy nuclear power operator and instructor, culminating as Electrician’s Mate 1st Class (E-6). Jeremiah attended Air Force Officer Training School and his myriad assignments include the Combat Information Transport System, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Office of Resource and Mission Management, Mission Director in the National Reconnaissance Operations Center (NROC), and as DoD’s Executive Agent Rep for Common Data Link in SAF/AQI. Jeremiah hails from Nikiski, Alaska where he graduated class valedictorian, basketball team captain, National Honor Society member, jazz band drummer and honors choir member at Nikiski High School. Jeremiah loves the outdoors and splits time between Alaska and Minnesota with his wife, Joy, and kids, Madeline and Liam.

Caitlin M. Kenney is staff reporter at Defense One, where she writes about the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. She has covered the U.S. military for several years across the country, previously as a Pentagon reporter for Stars and Stripes. She’s a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Patrick Tucker is technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.

Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. As Chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of 685,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the general and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the President.

Gen. Brown was commissioned in 1984 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Texas Tech University. He has served in a variety of positions at the squadron and wing levels, including an assignment to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School as an F-16 Fighting Falcon Instructor. His notable staff tours include Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force; Director, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group; and Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command. He also served as a National Defense Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia.

Gen. Brown has commanded a fighter squadron, the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, two fighter wings and U.S. Air Forces Central Command. Prior to serving as the Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Brown was the commander of Pacific Air Forces, Air Component Commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Gen. Brown is a command pilot with more than 2,900 flying hours, including 130 combat hours.

Winston A. Beauchamp, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Department of the Air Force, comprised of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. He assists the Chief Information Officer in leading two directorates and supporting 20,000 cyber operations and support personnel across the globe with a portfolio valued at $17 billion. He provides oversight of the Air Force’s Information Technology portfolio including the Information Technology investment strategy from networks to cloud computing, Enterprise policies, information resources management, IT innovation initiatives, information assurance, and related matters for the
Department of the Air Force. He delivers cyber security, and enforces Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act laws, and integrates Air Force warfighting and mission support capabilities by networking and securing air, space, and terrestrial assets.

Mr. Beauchamp previously served as the Director, Headquarters Air Force (HAF) Information Management, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. In this role, he served as the HAF Chief Information Officer and the HAF Authorizing Official. He also managed the Air Force Declassification Office, Air Force Publications Distribution Office, and Enterprise Solutions Division.

Mr. Beauchamp joined the Air Force in 2015 to serve as both the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space, and the Director, Principal DoD Space Advisor Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In his DoD role, he was responsible for integrating and overseeing DoD space capabilities and policies, coordinating with the Intelligence Community, and providing support to the Secretary of Defense on space portfolio decisions. Additionally, as Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space, he provided the principal support to the Under Secretary’s role as the Headquarters U.S. Air Force focal point for space matters and in coordinating activities across the Air Force space enterprise, prior to the establishment of the Space Force as an independent military branch within the Department of the Air Force.

Prior to his Air Force tenure, Mr. Beauchamp served for two decades in a variety of progressively more responsible positions in several agencies of the Intelligence Community. He began his career in the National Security field in 1992 as a systems engineer with General Electric (GE) Aerospace. He worked in a number of assignments with GE and Lockheed Martin Corporation before joining the federal government as an intelligence operations specialist.

Michael Kanaan was the former co-chair of artificial intelligence for the U.S. Air Force and currently the Director of Operations for the Air Force / MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator. He was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list and received the US Government’s 68th Arthur S. Flemming Award (an honor shared by past recipients Neil Armstrong, Anthony Fauci, and Elizabeth Dole). Kanaan is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and previously led a National Intelligence Campaign for Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq.

Brig. Gen. John M. Olson is the Mobilization Assistant to the Chief of Space Operations, Headquarters United States Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. The Chief of Space Operations serves as the principal uniformed advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force on Space Force activities and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. United States Space Force responsibilities include developing Guardians, acquiring military space systems, maturing military space power doctrine and organizing space forces to present to the joint Combatant Commands. Brig. Gen. Olson assists and advises the Chief with responsibility to organize, train and equip active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian space forces conducting innovative, agile, and responsive space and information operations to support, protect, and defend U.S. and allied interests. Brig. Gen. Olson develops strategy, plans, policy and priorities for efficient and effective research, development, testing, operations and sustainment of technologies, capabilities and systems with partners and allies for global leadership in space and related operations. Brig. Gen. Olson also flies as an Airborne Emergency Action Officer conducting strategic deterrence and operations missions aboard the Looking Glass Airborne Nuclear Command Post, supporting the president and National Command Authorities.

Brig. Gen. Olson graduated with military distinction from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1992 and received a graduate scholarship to earn a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Illinois. His initial assignment was to the Air Force Advanced Composites Program Office at Sacramento Air Logistics Center, California. While on active duty, he held numerous air, space, acquisition, test, weapons, political-military, intelligence, and technology command, staff, and leadership roles. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and a former European and Eurasian Foreign Area Officer. The general deployed to Southwest Asia, supporting air and space operations for operations Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, New Dawn in Iraq, Odyssey Dawn in Libya and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. The general transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2004 after joining NASA, where he served as a Senior Executive Service civilian leader in several roles for almost a decade. In his civilian capacity, he is a former CEO, Vice President, and General Manager of private and public corporations, following 25 years of federal service culminating as the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Olson served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 16th Air Force, Air Forces Cyber, and Joint Forces Headquarters-Cyber at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas where he helped lead 49,100 Information Warfare Airmen.

Colt Whittall serves as Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of the United States Air Force, the first such position in the Department of Defense and one of only a few in the Federal Government. This role was created to improve warfighter effectiveness of IT systems.

Key initiatives include launching a “Voice of the Customer” program for Enterprise IT called the “AF IT Pulse,” launching Digital Experience Monitoring to track User Experience across the Air Force, instilling User Centered Design in the Air Force’s Software Factories and programs, adding UX professionals to software teams and equipping them with leading tools, leading efforts to improve UX of enterprise IT (ROLE-IT), finding cost savings to re-purpose toward UX improvement (Operation Flamethrower) and launching programs to automate key user journeys such as In/Out Processing.

Previously Mr. Whittall served as Vice President in the healthcare and federal practices at Isobar, a consulting firm focused on digital experience design and development. In this capacity Mr. Whittall advised senior executives of client organizations with respect to digital strategy, digital experience design, digital product design and management, and software development. He also served as a senior subject matter expert in several areas including digital strategy, change leadership, digital health and wellness, and integrating behavioral economics into experience design. Within Isobar he played a senior role in recruiting and professional development, creating new products and services, and business development.

Mr. Whittall also advises organizations regarding User Experience and Customer Experience, to include serving on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Tech HCI Masters program. He is an active angel investor with Atlanta Technology Angels, focusing on companies with innovative approaches to UX, CX and digital marketing. He is an avid conservationist and chairs a committee in suburban Atlanta which manages the city’s $25M green space bond. These efforts have preserved 406 acres of land for trails, watershed and other passive uses. Mr. Whittall holds an MBA and an MS in Telecommunications (University of Colorado) and is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP). In his spare time Mr. Whittall enjoys boating, skiing, wake surfing, traveling and facilitating a book club with his wife Amy.

Stacie Pettyjohn is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Her areas of expertise include defense strategy, posture, force planning, force presentation, security cooperation, and wargaming.

Prior to joining CNAS, Pettyjohn spent over ten years at the RAND Corporation as a political scientist. Between 2019-2021, she was the Director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program in Project Air Force. From 2014-2020, she served as the co-director of the Center for Gaming. She has designed and led strategic and operational games that have assessed new operational concepts such as multi-domain operations (MDO); tested the impacts of new technology, such as human-machine collaboration and combat teaming; explored unclear phenomena such as gray zone tactics and information warfare; and examined nuclear escalation and warfighting. Previously, she was a research fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Peace Scholar at the United States Institute of Peace, and a TAPIR fellow at the RAND Corporation.

Pettyjohn has authored or co-authored reports on a wide range of issues, including readiness and responsiveness, the role of airpower in defeating the Islamic State, competition with Russia, possible war fighting scenarios with North Korea, and command and control of multi-national NATO amphibious forces. Additionally, she has crafted a large body of work on the United States’ overseas posture, which explores the operational requirements, its vulnerability to attack, and the political access challenges that the United States faces. She has a Ph.D. and M.A. in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in history and political science from the Ohio State University.

Mike “Boe” Boera is the Air Force Strategic Account Executive for Leidos joining the company in June 2018. He is responsible for strengthening and growing Leidos’ trusted relationships with the United States Air Force (USAF) and Space Force (USSF). With more than $11 billion in annual revenue and 38,000
employees worldwide, Leidos, with headquarters in Reston, Virginia, is a recognized global leader in solving important problems in defense, civil, intelligence, homeland security, and health.

Boe came to the company with over 20 years of expertise in planning and operations in the military and with business development experience in the defense industry. He retired from the Air Force as a major general in June 2014 as the director of Air Force Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs for the USAF. He was responsible for the development and integration of the Air Force program across the Future Years Defense Plan and for managing the Air Force corporate process. Following his close to 33 years of service in the Air Force, he served as a director for business development at Raytheon for a mission area within the company’s Intelligence, Information and Services business.

He is a 1981 engineering graduate of the University of Colorado, and earned master’s degrees from Central Michigan University and the Air War College. He is also a graduate of several executive education courses from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University, John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, and Air University respectively. He has also published numerous defense-related articles.

General Boera has extensive operational experience in Europe and the Pacific. He logged more than 5,600 hours in over 20 aircraft and has flown 200 combat sorties. He led a fighter squadron, two groups, two air wings, and an air operations center. He was the deputy director of Operations for U.S. Pacific Command, as well as the director of Requirements for Air Combat Command. His wide breadth of international experience includes tours of duty in Germany, Southwest Asia, Turkey, Italy, Japan, Guam, Australia, and Afghanistan. He currently sits on the Board of Advisors for Patriot Mission, Inc., is a member of the Association of Old Crows and the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara (U.S. Air Defense Artillery). He is also a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and a Life Member of the Air Force Association, Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, Daedalians, and the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.

Dr. Michael G. Smayda is a founder and the Chief Product Officer of Hermeus Corporation where he leads customer development and product roadmap for high-speed vehicle products. Prior to Hermeus, Dr. Smayda served as the Director of Systems Engineering at Generation Orbit and was responsible for the vehicle systems design and integration for the GOLauncher family of vehicles. Previously Dr. Smayda worked at SpaceX as a Senior Aerodynamics Engineer on an assortment of problems related to ascent and reentry/landing of the Falcon 9v1.1, Falcon 9 Full Thrust, Falcon Heavy, and Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) vehicle programs. He was also a key member of the original Hyperloop design team. Dr. Smayda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical and Aerospace engineering from Cornell University and a PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia. His dissertation focused on dual-mode scramjet operation and testing.

Casey Weinstein is an Area Vice President for Gartner, leading a team responsible for sales, marketing and business development activities for the US Air Force market.

He is also the State Representative for Ohio’s 37th House District, having been elected in November 2018.

Casey is a 2004 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and a 2007 graduate of The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.

Casey served on Active Duty as Deputy Chief of Information Assurance at Los Angeles Air Force Base and as Officer in Charge of Maintenance Support at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

After leaving Active Duty, Casey joined Qbase, a data analytics company, where he was the top Business Developer to non-profit and government markets in both 2007 and 2008. Casey then led DOD Business Development and Operations at RhinoCorps, Ltd. Co., a simulation software firm. Prior to joining Gartner, Casey was the Air Force Account Manager for MicroStrategy, a business intelligence software company. Casey maintains a Top Secret Clearance.

Casey was recognized as a ‘Top 40 Under 40’ award winner by the Dayton Business Journal in 2013. Prior to that, he was chosen out of over 1,600 peers as the top Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Company Grade Officer during his tenure there. He was awarded the 2013 AFCEA Meritorious Service Award and the 2012 AFCEA International Emerging Leader Award. Casey served on Ohio Congressman Steve Austria’s Blue Ribbon Task Force for Economic Development and is a member of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s Service Academy Nomination Board. He is also the President of the Air Force Academy’s NE Ohio Association of Graduates Chapter.

Casey was elected to Hudson, Ohio’s City Council in 2015. He was named an Akron Chamber of Commerce ‘Future 30’ Award Winner In 2018.

Casey is married to his Air Force Academy classmate, Amanda, an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Akron. They have 2 wonderful daughters, Nora and Emilia.

Tara Copp is senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense One. Copp has reported through the Middle East, Asia and Europe to cover defense policy and its impact on the lives of service members. Her investigative reporting on military aviation accidents and on skyrocketing veteran cancer rates drove Congressional hearings and legislation. Before returning to journalism, she worked as a senior defense analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, focused on readiness and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is a Plan II graduate of the University of Texas and earned her masters in Security Studies at Georgetown University.

Experienced Publisher with a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry. Strong media and communication professional skilled in Integrated Marketing, Strategic Partnerships, Marketing, Business Development, and Marketing Strategy. Recognized by Folio’s Women in Media as 2018 Corporate Champion.

Marshall joined Nanoracks in August 2021, bringing extensive experience in designing and building large space systems, making him the right person lead Nanoracks into the next phase of commercial space systems.  As senior vice president, Marshall oversees the development of Outpost, Mission Extension Kits and Commercial Space Stations.  All these systems serve as platforms to enable commercial space.   

As Deputy Associate Administrator for Systems Engineering, Director for Human Exploration and Director for Cross-Program Systems Engineering Marshall led teams of hundreds to develop and implement some of NASA’s most critical systems including systems engineering for SLS, Orion and Exploration Ground Systems, formulation of the Artemis and Moon to Mars plans and the formulation of the NASA’s Gateway, the Human Landing System and other future systems required for Moon and Mars missions. This experience is key in enabling Nanoracks to develop space systems that will meet our customer’s needs.

Marshall received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is the recipient of the NASA Systems Engineering Excellence of the Year Award and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.

Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond is the Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force. As Chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Space Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of all organic and assigned space forces serving in the United States and overseas.

Gen. Raymond was commissioned through the ROTC program at Clemson University in 1984. He has commanded at squadron, group, wing, numbered air force, major command and combatant command levels. Notable staff assignments include serving in the Office of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense; the Director of Plans, Programs and Analyses at Air Force Space Command; the Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command; and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Gen. Raymond deployed to Southwest Asia as Director of Space Forces in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to leading establishment of the U.S. Space Force and serving as the first Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Raymond led the re-establishment of U.S. Space Command as the eleventh U.S. combatant command.

Steve “Bucky” Butow is the Director of the Space Portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). He joined the team in 2015 as an early plank owner when DIU was known as the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) and helped establish the organization’s operating locations in Silicon Valley; Boston, Massachusetts; and Austin, Texas.

Brig. Gen. Butow also serves as Commander, California Air National Guard. In this role, he is the primary advisor to The Adjutant General on all programs, strategic planning, and operations affecting the California Air National Guard. He is responsible for the mission readiness and operational effectiveness across a broad spectrum of programs and activities involving five wings and over 4900 military and civilian personnel. to joining DIU, Butow was the Vice Chief of the Joint Staff, California Military Department with responsibilities including cybersecurity, incident awareness and innovation. He is a former Commander of the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield, CA, where his responsibilities included organizing, training, equipping, and maintaining 970 combat-ready forces and $1 Billion dollars of MC-130P aircraft, HH-60G helicopters and special mission equipment supporting the U.S. Air Force’s combat rescue and personnel recovery missions. He has additionally served as the Deputy Director of the Joint Search and Rescue Center for U.S. Central Command in 2005, and as Chief of Personnel Recovery for U.S. Air Forces Central in 2007 supporting Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM. He has more than 3,500 flying hours in T-37, T-38, C-130, HC-130 and MC-130P aircraft. In his reserve capacity, Butow is a Brigadier General serving part time as a Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard in a federal (Title 10) status.

As a researcher with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, Butow worked on instrument concepts for Mars surface soil analysis at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. He later served as co-principal investigator for a series of airborne science missions for which he was recognized for outstanding achievement and contributions to the Space Science Division in 1999 and received an Ames Honor Award as a member of an Astrobiology Mission Project Team in 2000.

Butow graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in Physics & Astronomy and earned a M.S. in Management with specialization in Air and Space Strategic Studies from the University of Maryland. He has also completed executive courses at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and was a member of the National Leadership Preparedness Initiative (NPLI) Cohort 16. Butow is a lifetime member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi for academic achievement.

Jeff A Babione is the Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs (ADP), also known as the Skunk Works®, for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading all ADP activities and personnel across the Aeronautics enterprise.

Prior to leading the Skunk Works, Jeff Babione was the Executive Vice President and General Manager, F-35 Lightning II Program, at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. In this role, Mr. Babione led all areas of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft program to include development, production, sustainment and modernization supporting three F-35 aircraft variants for three U.S. military services, eight international partner nations, and multiple foreign military sales customers. Mr. Babione served as Vice President and Deputy General Manager, F-35 Lightning II Program, from March 2013 to December 2015.

Prior to joining the F-35 program, he served as Vice President and General Manager, F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group, where he led all aspects of the development, manufacture and sustainment of the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-22 Raptor.

A Lockheed Martin employee for more than 25 years, Mr. Babione has held a wide range of engineering and leadership positions, including F-22 Chief Engineer from 2006 to 2010. As Chief Engineer, he was responsible for overall technical integrity of the world’s first 5th Generation fighter program. Lockheed Martin and the Raptor Team were awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy for the most significant achievement in American aerospace in 2006.

He began his career with the Boeing Company in Seattle, Wash., where he worked as a structural engineer.

Mr. Babione holds a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Washington, and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee.

He and his wife Mary live in Fort Worth, Texas. They have three daughters, Sarah, Bethie and Emily.

Josh is the Vice President of Business Development at Relativity Space, leading all the company’s business development and customer mission management efforts. Disrupting 60 years of aerospace manufacturing, Relativity is a vertically integrated technology platform that fuses 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics, to design, print and fly entirely 3D-printed rockets with 100x fewer parts in less than 60 days.

As an experienced aerospace business leader, Josh has a proven track record of shaping long-term strategies that deliver company revenue growth while also shaping how customers purchase existing services and novel capabilities. Under Josh’s leadership, Relativity’s first rocket, Terran 1 has become the most pre-sold rocket in history, with multiple contracts from both private and government entities, including a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contract, a Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract with NASA as well as on-demand satellite launch contracts with Iridium, Telesat, among others.

Prior to joining Relativity, Josh spent nine years at SpaceX where he was the Senior Director of Government Business Development, securing $3B+ in government and commercial contracts, including SpaceX’s first U.S. Air Force EELV launch services contract, an Other Transaction Authority agreement to develop a new boost stage engine, and the first operational Falcon Heavy mission. Josh also previously worked as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group and as an aerospace engineer at Boeing. In addition to a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Arizona State University and The University of Washington respectively, Josh earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School

Paul Ferraro is vice president of Air Power for Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a business of Raytheon Technologies. Ferraro’s team provides combat, command and control, and sensor power to the U.S. Air Force that will allow them to dominate the airspace and complete direct attack, standoff and strike missions with precision.

Ferraro, who has held leadership positions for 25 years, leads a business focused on program execution, business growth, and the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Ferraro was vice president of Seapower Capability Systems at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, prior to Raytheon Company’s merger with United Technologies Corporation in 2020. He also was vice president of Advanced Technology programs and vice president of Engineering and Technology for the Network Centric Systems organization.

He holds both bachelor and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Boston University Executive MBA program.

Paul Meyer is vice president of Space & C2 Systems for Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a business of Raytheon Technologies. He is responsible for advancing the business strategy and delivering against our customers’ current and future space missions.

Meyer joined the organization as a senior strategic counselor in 2016. Most recently, Meyer strategically supported Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems advanced programs portfolio prior to Raytheon Company’s merger with United Technologies Corporation in 2020. He was also the capture executive for Raytheon’s T-X offering and several key classified initiatives.

Meyer has extensive experience in the aerospace industry. Prior to joining Raytheon, he served as Chief Operating Officer, and earlier Executive Vice President, for Seabury Global Aerospace & Defense LLC. He also held executive roles at Northrop Grumman, most recently as sector vice president and general manager of the Aerospace Systems Advanced Programs and Technology Division and at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.

Meyer holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri. He is also a retired Air Force Weapons System Officer, a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Fighter Weapons School and has completed advanced leadership courses at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Stanford University.

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Jeff is responsible developing and executing a growth strategy for the product line and managing
customer relationships.

Jeff comes to RI&S from General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) where he served as the
business area director for Space Command and Control. In that role, Jeff was responsible for
strategy, business development, teaming, capture, program management and business matters
for GDMS Space Systems. Prior to joining GDMS, Jeff was the executive director for DoD
Special Access Programs at ManTech International Corporation. Before entering industry, he
served 13 years as a federal civilian with the Department of the Air Force where he led major
weapon systems acquisitions.

Jeff holds two master’s degrees in finance/international business and national resources strategy
from the University of Cincinnati and the National Defense University, respectively, and earned
his bachelor’s degree in supply chain management from Bowling Green University.

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Tara Copp is senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense One. Copp has reported through the Middle East, Asia and Europe to cover defense policy and its impact on the lives of service members. Her investigative reporting on military aviation accidents and on skyrocketing veteran cancer rates drove Congressional hearings and legislation. Before returning to journalism, she worked as a senior defense analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, focused on readiness and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is a Plan II graduate of the University of Texas and earned her masters in Security Studies at Georgetown University.

Jacqueline Feldscher is senior national security correspondent at Defense One. Previously, she was national security and space reporter at Politico. Before that, Feldscher covered defense issues in Congress and at the Pentagon for the Washington Examiner, the Washington Times, and Navy Times, covering the Navy and Coast Guard. She’s a graduate of Boston University, and holds a master’s in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Dr. Ayodeji Coker serves as the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Portfolio Manager for Autonomy. In this role, he leads ONR’s corporate strategy in Autonomy; manages the corresponding investment portfolio; and provides focus on transition, operationalization, and fielding for autonomy and autonomous unmanned systems.

Dr Coker also serves as a Science Director for Artificial Intelligence, Autonomy, and Unmanned Systems at the Office of Naval Research Global (ONRG) London office. He brings domain expertise in Complex Adaptive Systems, Distributed and Collaborative Autonomy, and Command and Control (C2) Battlespace Awareness. His key technical areas of interest are in Swarm Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence. In particular, Swarm intelligence as it relates to how swarm collectives make decisions in complex dynamic environments, and how humans interact effectively with Swarms. Dr. Coker is also currently leading a grand challenge effort in partnership with the Alan Turing Institute (United Kingdom) to develop ‘AI Scientists’: AI systems capable of making Nobel quality scientific discoveries highly autonomously at a level comparable, and possibly superior, to the best human scientists by 2050.

His primary responsibilities are to identify cutting-edge research, and to facilitate opportunities for international collaboration and partnerships with the Naval Science & Technology Research Enterprise, and with U.S. academic institutions. He is also responsible for coordinating ONRG S&T activities in Sweden, Italy and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to joining ONR and ONRG, Dr. Coker was the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC) (formerly Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SPAWAR)) Project Manager and DARPA Contract Officer Technical Representative (COTR) for the Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Simplifying Complexity in Scientific Discovery (SIMPLEX) program. During his time at NIWC, Dr. Coker worked on various projects in distributed and collaborative autonomy, and C2 data synchronization in environments characterized by Disconnected, Intermittent, and Low-Bandwidth (DIL) conditions.

Dr. Coker received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University at Albany, New York, his Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (optical communications) from Northwestern University, and his doctorate in Computer Engineering from Texas A&M University. His Doctoral work focused on the performance and reliability of Nano-electronic Memories.

Mr. Gustavo A. Rivera is the Distinguished Engineer for Weapons Control Science & Technology (S&T) Engineering for Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). Promoted to this position in 2016, Rivera is a national-level expert in weapons control systems research, development, test, and evaluation; weapon, launcher and missile systems integration; system HW and SW engineering; manned/unmanned systems; rapid prototyping; and acquisition of naval warfare systems. He is an expert in sensors and in developing ways to provide a layered defense capable of detecting, tracking and prosecuting asymmetric and non-asymmetric threats, to ensure fleet protection against adversaries and to counter sea and shore attack. He has expertise in fleet operations, CONOPS, Doctrine and missions to include joint fires, Surface Warfare, Strike Warfare, and Expeditionary Warfare.

Rivera is currently serving as the Director for Unmanned and Autonomous Systems. In this role, he assists in shaping the Navy’s needs, capabilities and technologies to solve the most critical operational gaps. He identifies areas for investment, guide the centers activities in unmanned and autonomous systems, and determine opportunities for introducing AI/ML technologies to advance autonomous concepts in current and future warfare and combat systems.

Rivera began his career as a Test Director for the Tomahawk Weapons Control System program. In his previous position, he was the lead for Over-the-Horizon Targeting and integrating Long Range Fires concepts establishing a program with Office Secretary of Defense OSD(R&E). He focused on developing solutions, concepts and capabilities on integrating various multi-intelligence platforms and sensors and weapons systems with the Navy, other services and intelligence community and supported the Time Sensitive Targeting – Defeat office, Principal Deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Emerging Capability & Prototyping. He played a key role in shaping OSD(R&E)’s technology and experimentation evaluation concept with senior leaders at INDOPACOM and PACFLT.

Rivera has held numerous positions from Chief Mission Architect for the NSWCDD Mission Engineering & Analysis Directorate, group supervisor, chief engineer, to program director as well as positions in several program offices throughout his career. He has participated in programs such as Tomahawk, Arsenal Ship, Surface Combatant for the 21st Century, Electromagnetic Rail Gun, Solid State Laser, Next Generation Jammer, Long Range Anti-Ship Missile and the future surface combatant CG(X). Rivera spent two years at the Pentagon as an OPNAV N76 Action and Requirements Officer within the Surface Warfare Directorate.

Rivera has over 29 years of experience as a Civil Servant Engineer with experience in acquisition programs and systems engineering oversight and expertise in the design, development, integration, certification, test and evaluation, deployment, and lifecycle support of configurations, platforms, systems, networks, and C4I elements. This includes assisting the warfighter in developing TTPs/publications and conducting operational problem analysis. Additionally, he has provided customers with integrated proposals that highlight ways to reduce, optimize, or eliminate redundant Joint, DoD, and Navy capabilities. He has participated in initiatives to improve warfighter capabilities and gain efficiencies in acquisition of warfare and combat systems.

He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and a Master of Science degree in Telecommunications from Southern Methodist University. His awards include the Navy Hispanic Engineer of the Year, Civilian Meritorious Award, OPNAV Surface Warfare Directorate Commendation, and NSWCDD Excellence in Systems Engineering.

Rear Adm. Carr has spent his Navy career at sea in cruisers and destroyers, operating in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, North and South Atlantic, South Pacific, Baltic, Caribbean, Arctic and Red Seas. Shipboard tours included USS King (DDG 41); USS McCandless (FF 1084); USS Thomas S. Gates (CG 51); USS Vella Gulf (CG 72); Cruiser/Destroyer Group 8 staff embarked in USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69); and the 2nd Fleet staff embarked in USS Mt. Whitney (LCC 20). He commanded USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) and USS Cape St. George (CG 71), winning Battle E’s and Golden Anchors in both tours. While in command of Cape St. George, the ship participated in combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in both the European and Central Command theaters.

Ashore, Carr has served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he worked on the Arleigh Burke, Ticonderoga and Seawolf programs, and several Ballistic Missile Defense programs. He later served in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as requirements officer for the Aegis Cruiser and Destroyer programs, and was executive assistant to the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Following promotion to flag rank in 2006, he was assigned as the deputy director of Surface Warfare for Combat Systems and Weapons, and later as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (International Programs) and director, Navy International Program Office.

Carr graduated in 1979 from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture. He earned a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

In December 2008, he became the 22nd chief of Naval Research, with additional duties as director, Test and Evaluation and Technology Requirements.

George Jackson is the director of events at GovExec Media – the largest and most-influential media company in the public sector marketplace. George joined GovExec in October of 2020 to enhance the scale of their events and audience experiences.

He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in English. In 2006, he earned his master’s in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

George spent the first five years of his journalism career at WJHL-TV in Johnson City Tenn. – beginning as an overnight producer for the station’s 6 a.m. broadcast. He advanced to lead on-air reporter for WJHL’s 11 p.m. newscast.

As a reporter, George examined the earnings of two non-profit hospital systems, felony charges filed against a local sheriff, predatory paving companies, a health benefits backlog for local veterans, and a series of cold-case murder investigations. He received an honorable mention for Best TV Reporter in the 2011 Tennessee AP Broadcast awards and won a Best Investigative Reporting award from Media General in 2010.

George joined DC’s ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in 2012 to produce Capital Insider, which won him an Emmy award. One year later, he developed and recorded the pilot episode of Government Matters – a program about the business of government. It debuted as a weekly show on Sunday, August 4^th of 2013. George led Government Matters through September of 2020, expanded its reach to a daily worldwide audience, and produced its first feature-length documentary “The Dawn of Generation AI.”

George is from Toledo, Ohio. He lives with his wife, twin daughters, and a pair of rescue dogs in Northern Virginia.

Dr. Gabriella Larkin is the corporate manager for ARL’s essential research programs (ERPs). The ERPs are the Lab’s high priority programs. Spanning a range of disciplines and operationally relevant application spaces, each program consists of connected foundational research efforts that are cumulative and converge on outcomes that will transform the Army’s capabilities. In this role, Dr. Larkin identifies and pursues ERP opportunities for strategic contributions to and participation with Army priority activities, enabling the Army to harness the major investments ARL has made through these programs, and leverage the scientific discoveries and expertise within it to best inform the the future S&T landscape.

Dr. Larkin’s technical expertise is in the areas of cognitive science and human-systems interaction. In previous roles, she has lead large scale projects for the ARL and the Army in these areas, and has worked extensively with the Dismounted Soldier application space. Dr. Larkin joined ARL in 2008, after completing her Ph.D. At the City University of New York.

Dr. Arwen DeCostanza is the Program Manager of the Army Futures Command (AFC) Catalyst Pathfinder Program.  Through her leadership of the Catalyst Pathfinder Program, the Army is creating close working relationships between Soldiers and universities to harness the creativity and technical skills of the nation’s academic institutions.  Her focus is on helping the Army create better and faster solutions to real problems. Initial efforts are concentrated on problems identified and curated within the XVIII Airborne Corps, including the 101st and the 82nd Airborne Divisions, but the goal is to build a scalable approach that can be used throughout the Army.

Dr. DeCostanza has expertise in the areas of team and organizational performance, with over 60 peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. She led large-scale research programs focused on understanding and predicting human variability for the development of future adaptive technologies, and enhancing teamwork in human-autonomy teams through individualized, adaptive technologies.

Prior to taking on her current role. Dr. DeCostanza was a Branch Chief in the U.S. Army Combat Capability Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory, Human Research and Engineering Directorate. Before joining ARL in 2014, Dr. DeCostanza spent over 8 years with the U.S. Army Research Institute conducting research focused on selection, assessment, and organizational performance. Dr. DeCostanza received her Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from The George Washington University in 2008.

Dr. Troy Alexander is Chief of the Technology Forecasting Office at CCDC Army Research Laboratory. In this role, he is responsible for oversight and supervision of the office, which is dedicated to development of long-range technology projections to inform Army decision-makers about new and emerging technology maturation trends. Prior to taking on his current role, Troy held a joint post as the Director of Strategy and Acting Basic Research Portfolio Director in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology (DASA(R&T)) at the Pentagon. In these capacities, he led development of the Army’s strategy to guide and shape its science and technology enterprise; and oversaw and supervised execution of the Army’s basic research portfolio accounting for a budget of more than $500 M annually. In addition to these prominent roles, Dr. Alexander’s career has focused on pioneering a broad range of technologies – including novel spectrochemical analytical approaches, biosensors, and fundamental nanomaterials characterization methodologies – that have led to realization of numerous innovations critical to the Army’s mission as America’s principal land force.

Since joining the Army Research Laboratory in fall of 2000, Dr. Alexander has had the privilege of leading numerous high impact technical projects. Based on his broad technical foundation, Troy has also been called upon to provide technical advice to the highest levels of the Department of the Army (DoA) and Department of Defense (DoD).

Will Johnson has more than 30 years of progressively responsible experience directing as many as 2,100 employees in business units with revenues in excess of $700 million. The Logistics and Mission Support Operation within Leidos Defense Group concentrates on providing technical solutions to warfighters in the federal logistics sector. Prior to becoming a Leidos Operations Manager, Will was President and co-founder of Thom-John Strategies, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business providing Information Technology services to the Department of Veteran Affairs. He has successfully led companies through start-ups, turnarounds and growth modes.

Prior to founding Thom-John Strategies, Will served as the President of Systems Made Simple, a Leidos Company. He led a team of 500 employees and over 800 subcontractors providing a range of Information Technology services to the Department of Veteran Affairs. Mr. Johnson is a 20-year veteran of the United States Air Force; retiring as a Communications Officer. Prior to joining the Health sector, Will served as Managing Director of Energy and Environmental Services within Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems and Global Solutions organization. This organization provided information technology and environmental services to the government and regulated industry clients including the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Interior and Department of Labor.

Before he began leading the Energy team, he was a Senior Program Manager for Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Johnson was responsible for the daily activities of over 300 personnel with services ranging from IT Service Desk through Systems Architect. Will has specific expertise providing IT services to executive leadership teams: skills that were honed while in the USAF working with the White House Communications Agency responsible for providing IT services to the President of the United States, White House staffers and United States Secret Service.

Will is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where he earned a bachelor’s of science degree in Computer Science. He is a graduate of Webster University where he earned a master’s degree in Business Administration. During his Lockheed Martin career, he has completed the IS&GS Executive Roundtable Mentoring Program and the IS&GS Program Management Development Program. In 2012, he received the IS&GS Excellence in Managing Programs award.

Mr. Johnson is married to wife Tracey and has two children, William III and Brittany.

Dr. Adam Cohen is a neurologist with a background in digital health, inpatient neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, and neuroradiology. He leads the civilian health programs at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), a university-affiliated research center that works primarily with the US Government. His APL teams have developed and deployed next-generation medical and information technologies spanning surveillance systems, digital health and advanced telemedicine technologies, autonomous systems, and novel sensors. He studies and publishes on the digital health industry, is the associate editor for Digital Biomarkers, and is a practicing neurologist. He was previously the inpatient neurology director and teleneurology director at Massachusetts General Hospital, which culminated in a large ambulatory & inpatient telemedicine program. Dr. Cohen was part of the American Academy of Neurology quality committee and published extensively on health care quality.