Cyber Summit Speakers 2020

SPEAKERS

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Keynote & Featured Speakers

Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander.  She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator.  She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.

Governor Whitmer was elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2006 where she served as the Senate Democratic Leader. In the 2018 gubernatorial election, Governor Whitmer won all 83 counties in the primary and won the general election with 53 percent of the vote. Since taking her oath of office, she has put together the most diverse cabinet in our state’s history and has signed executive directives to clean up our drinking water, end discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation and gender identity, secure equal pay for equal work, and expand opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses.

Governor Whitmer is committed to solving the problems Michiganders face every day. That means ensuring every Michigander has a great public education and a path to a good-paying job, every community has clean, safe drinking water, and everyone can drive to work or drop their kids at school safely, without blowing a tire or cracking a windshield.

Governor Whitmer and her husband Marc Mallory live in Lansing with her two daughters, Sherry and Sydney. Her three stepsons, Alex, Mason, and Winston all live in Michigan as well. Governor Whitmer earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Michigan State University.  Born and raised in Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer is honored to serve as Governor of Michigan.

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist has dedicated his career to fixing problems for hardworking families. From spearheading campaigns for equality and justice to harnessing technology to solve everyday problems for Detroiters, his focus has consistently remained on serving the public by getting things done.

Bringing Michigan’s state government fully into the 21st century is a top priority for Lt. Governor Gilchrist. He brings a lifetime of experience to the task, receiving his first computer at age five and setting up a computer lab in the community recreation center using computers that he built himself at age 16. Lt. Governor Gilchrist studied computer engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan, graduating with honors, and later had a successful career as a software engineer at Microsoft, helping to build SharePoint into the fastest growing product in the company’s history.

During his time in Seattle, Gilchrist served as Social Media Manager for the 2008 Obama campaign in Washington, where he helped launch a national text message program to recruit volunteers. He later served as the first Director of New Media at the Center for Community Change in Washington, D.C., and spent three years as National Campaign Director at MoveOn.org, where he spearheaded equity and justice campaigns, including fighting to expand Medicaid in states with Republican governors, like Michigan.

This eventually led to his serving as the first ever Director of Innovation & Emerging Technology for the city of Detroit, where he used public data and technology to address every day concerns the community was facing – including an app to report issues such as broken fire hydrants, potholes and broken street lights. This mindset of harnessing technology to solve problems will play a critical role in finding solutions to improve the lives of people across the state.

A native of Detroit, Lt. Governor Gilchrist’s parents are proud lifelong Detroiters. His mother worked at General Motors for 32 years and his father worked in defense contract management for the Department of Defense. His family was active in the community, including serving in leadership roles within their various neighborhood associations, as well as the church. Lt. Governor Gilchrist began speaking at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Detroit at age four, and later honed his skills under Dr. Frederick G. Sampson at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist and his wife, Ellen, currently reside in Detroit where they are raising their twins, Emily and Garlin III, and newborn daughter, Ruby.

Bradford J. Willke
Assistant Director (Acting)
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Bradford Willke serves as the Assistant Director (Acting) for Stakeholder Engagement, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). He leads the Agency's strategic relationship formation and management for its stakeholders, partners, and customers. His team provides a "front door" to customers looking for CISA's capacity building and risk reducing products and services; and his programs convene industry, state and local government, academic, and nonprofit partners to channel common goals and objectives into meaningful community of interest outcomes to manage national risk.

During his ten plus years with DHS, he served as the Senior Advisor for stakeholder engagement – instrumental in unifying strategic and operational efforts to deliver cyber preparedness, risk mitigation and incident response activities, and in aligning cyber security resources, governance, and policy analysis to the needs of critical infrastructure and state and local government. Mr. Willke also was the Eastern U.S. Supervisory Cyber Security Advisor (CSA) and Chief of CSA Field Operations. Before joining DHS, Mr.

Willke led field studies and research projects in cyber security for more than 10 years while in the Software Engineering Institute’s CERT® Division. Three of his proudest achievements while at CERT were in creating the OCTAVE™ suite of information security risk assessments, in leading the DHS cyber investigative efforts related to the 2003 Northeast U.S. Power Outage and in drafting all of the key cyber findings in the joint DOE-DHS final “Black Out” report, and in developing the Cyber Resilience Review – a practical evaluation method based on the CERT Resilience Management Model™.

Mr. Willke was a law enforcement specialist in the United States Air Force. His recognized skills with IT networks, database design and programming, and security management resulted in becoming his unit’s IT operations and cyber security manager – a position previously reserved for more senior personnel.

Mr. Willke completed the Senior Executive Fellows program, John F. Kennedy School of

Government at Harvard University, Executive Education. He holds a master’s degree in Legal Studies, specializing in Homeland Security, from California University of Pennsylvania, a professional certificate in Information Protection and Security from the University of New Haven, a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems Technologies from Southern Illinois University, and an associate degree in Criminal Justice from the Community College of the Air Force.

Brom Stibitz
State Chief Information Officer & Acting Director
Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget

Brom Stibitz currently serves as the acting director for the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) as well as the state’s chief information officer.

In 2020, Gov. Whitmer appointed Stibitz to serve as the state’s chief information officer, a role in which he manages all aspects of cybersecurity and information technology across state government.

In his previous role as the DTMB chief deputy director, a position he held since 2015, he served as the head of operations for the agency of nearly 3,000 employees, providing information technology, business, and administrative services to Michigan's residents, businesses, state agencies, state employees, and retirees.

With an emphasis on efficient business processes, customer service, and employee engagement, Stibitz has led numerous efforts to create a culture of continuous improvement at DTMB, ensuring timely delivery of services to more than 48,000 state employees and 10 million Michigan residents.

Under his leadership, DTMB improved customer satisfaction scores by 19 percentage points, received two “A” grades in the Digital States Survey, and was named the top state government procurement operation in the nation by Governing Magazine. Stibitz has spearheaded efforts to enhance IT security, streamline business processes, and drive transparency and rigor around IT governance.

Stibitz also serves as the vice president of the National Association of State Chief Administrators.

Prior to joining DTMB, Stibitz served as the director of executive operations for the Michigan Department of Treasury, where he oversaw a diverse portfolio of activities, including tax processing, call centers, audits, centralized collections for the state, state banking activities, and building and facilities operations. During his tenure at Treasury, he led major initiatives involving employee and customer engagement activities.

Stibitz holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kalamazoo College and a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Michigan University. He and his wife, Youngsook, have three children.

Tracy Barnes
CIO
State of Indiana

Tracy serves as Indiana’s Chief Information Officer, appointed by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in March 2020. In this role, Tracy sits on the Governor’s Cabinet overseeing the Indiana Office of Technology and provides strategic oversight of the State’s technology portfolio, as well as leadership on technology and cybersecurity policy.Tracy brings significant business leadership and information technology experience to his role, having previously served as Chief of Staff for the Lieutenant Governor, and as Deputy Auditor and IT Director for the Indiana Auditor of State. Before joining the public sector, Tracy served as president and chief executive officer for ENTAP, Inc., an IT consulting services firm that designed and delivered effective enterprise focused information technology solutions to organizations in various industries across the globe. Over his career, Tracy has been recognized as Inc. Magazine's 9th Fastest Growing Black Entrepreneur and has received accolades from Top 50 Indiana Companies to Watch, the TechPoint MIRA awards and the IBE Governor's Award for Achievement in Technology. Tracy holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Butler University and a certificate from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He is also completing a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Law from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Tracy sits on the board of directors for the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation and for NXG Youth Motorsports. Tracy and his wife live in Indianapolis.  He has three children: David, Lacy and Julian.

Johnathan Brater
Director
Michigan Bureau of Elections

Jonathan Brater is the Director of the Michigan Bureau of Elections. Brater previously served as the Department of State’s Legal Policy Director. Prior to that, Brater was counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, a non-partisan nonprofit, where his work focused on improving election administration in partnership with secretaries of state around the country. A nationally recognized expert on voter registration law and policy, he graduated from the University of Michigan Law School.

Laura Clark
Chief Security Officer
Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget

Acting Chief Security Officer for the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget, Laura Clark brings a unique blend of strengths that include leadership, vision, and strategic and tactical planning along with the ability to promote collaboration at all levels to support high-level, critical state-wide projects to successful completion.

During the 20 years Laura has served within the State of Michigan, she has steadily built her in-depth IT knowledge while serving in various leadership positions. She has led programs and grant managements supporting not only the State of Michigan, but also many vested local and federal stakeholders and users.

In 2017, Laura transitioned from the Center for Shared Solutions into the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) organization as the Division Director over Enterprise Services; this allowed her the opportunity to strategically establish an organization and service model that maximized the business value of IT. She identified opportunities and resources, and she implemented strategies that produced cost-savings, internal efficiencies, shared services, and partnership growth.

Her success as a division director opened the door to become the General Manager of the CTO Infrastructure and Operations area. In this role, she was responsible for the critical core IT backbone services supporting the State of Michigan’s central IT services, including network and telecommunications, data center operations, server and storage, and end user support. This position allowed her to continue her commitment to developing IT staff resources through driving collaboration and critical process design as well as understanding core competency needs at all levels of the operations.

As Deputy Chief Security Officer, Laura is responsible for Michigan Cyber Security and Infrastructure Protection Services and the deployment of their resources. Through Laura’s effective leadership, her team can ensure that critical processes are audited, reviewed, and designed for maximum effectiveness, and structures for all cybersecurity and infrastructure protection are effectively delivered and operationalized throughout the enterprise. Laura also supports the Chief Security Officer by providing well-developed and researched strategic recommendations on cybersecurity policy and future department direction.

As the current Acting Chief Security Officer, Laura oversees Michigan Cyber Security and Infrastructure Protection Services.  As part of the Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) Leadership Laura formulates, implements mission, policies, strategic plans, directives, organization structure, directing over 2,500 staff and has oversight of DTMB’s Budget.  Laura leads several Cyber Security and Infrastructure Protection Committees, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Board and numerous programs at the local, state and national level.

Before starting her career with the State, Laura attended Michigan State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography with a specialization in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell represents the 12th District of Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Before being elected to Congress, Debbie was the Chair of the Wayne State University (WSU) Board of Governors.  An active civic and community leader, she is a recognized national advocate for women and children. For more than 30 years Debbie served one of Michigan’s largest employers, the General Motors (GM) Corporation, where she was President of the GM Foundation and a senior executive responsible for public affairs.   In her commitment to job creation, Debbie led the effort to bring the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative, a $20 million partnership designed to help create jobs and economic growth, to southeast Michigan. She is a past chair of the Manufacturing Initiative at the American Automotive Policy Council. With values instilled by her Catholic education, Debbie’s activism took root in her passion for issues important to women and children.  She successfully fought to have women included in federally-funded health research, and advocated for greater awareness of issues directly related to women’s health, including breast cancer and women's heart health. She is a founder and past chair of the National Women’s Health Resource Center and the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  She has served on numerous boards related to women’s issues including the advisory boards for the NIH Panel for Women’s Research, the Michigan Women's Economic Club, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the board of the Michigan Women's Foundation.  She was a co-founder of both the first Race for the Cures in Michigan and in Washington, D.C. Debbie has led a number of efforts and initiatives related to young people and education stemming from her role as a WSU Governor and co-chair of the Children's Leadership Council, a business-led advocacy group that promotes investment in early childhood education.  She chaired the Michigan Infant Mortality Task Force, the Baby Your Baby public education campaign that reduced infant mortality rates in Michigan, and has served on the board of Michigan’s Children, the only statewide independent voice working to ensure that public policies are made in the best interest of children from cradle to career. She was appointed by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to serve on the Early Childhood Investment Corporation and the Cherry Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth. Much of Debbie's recent work has been focused on ethical issues and social responsibility as they relate to government and business. She co-chaired One United Michigan, which sought to preserve and support programs that ensure equal opportunity in Michigan. She chairs the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, a statewide organization that brings business, labor and government together to find commonality on issues.  She continues to serve on the Parade Company board of directors of which she is past chair, where she helped save America’s Thanksgiving Parade, an important Detroit tradition.  A known “bridge-builder,” she continues to promote and lead efforts toward greater understanding among people of differing points of views and backgrounds. Debbie is a respected voice in Michigan.  She co-hosted Detroit Public Television’s “Am I Right,” regularly served as a panelist on “Flashpoint,” a public affairs program on WDIV-TV4 Detroit, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan by Crain’s Detroit Business.

Col. Joseph Gasper  
Director
Michigan State Police

Col. Joseph Gasper became the 19th Director of the Michigan State Police on January 1, 2019. As Director, Colonel Gasper also serves as State Director of Emergency Management and as Michigan’s Homeland Security Director. Colonel Gasper was raised in Newaygo, Michigan where he graduated from Newaygo High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northern Michigan University. Colonel Gasper joined the Michigan State Police in August 1998, and upon recruit school graduation he was assigned to the Negaunee Post in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. During his first five years in the department, he spent time working as a uniform trooper at the post and on undercover details with the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET). In 2004, Colonel Gasper was promoted to sergeant with the Executive Protection Unit, where he served on Governor Jennifer Granholm’s security detail for two years before taking a transfer to the Grand Haven Post as a detective sergeant. In early 2010, Colonel Gasper was promoted to lieutenant with the Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) in Battle Creek, before being promoted again later that year to first lieutenant in charge of the Executive Protection Section. In 2013, Colonel Gasper was promoted to captain and put in charge of the newly created State Executive Security Division. In 2015, Colonel Gasper’s division became part of the Special Operations Division (SOD). As commander of the SOD, Colonel Gasper was responsible for the department’s specialty teams including the Emergency Support Team, Canine Unit, Aviation Unit, Bomb Squad, Marine Services Unit, Traffic Reconstruction Unit, Executive Protection Unit, and the State Security Operations Section. In 2016, Colonel Gasper was elected to serve as the Vice President of the Midwest Region for the National Governors Security Association. He also represents the MSP on the Michigan Aeronautics Commission.

Deborah Golden
US Cyber & Strategic Risk Leader
Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory

Deborah, a principal at Deloitte & Touche LLP, is the US Cyber & Strategic Risk leader for Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory. In the prior six years, Deborah served as the Government & Public Services (GPS) Cyber Risk Services leader, as well as the GPS Advisory Market Offering leader, GPS Empowered Well-Being leader and the lead principal for a major federal government health care provider. Deborah has more than 25 years of information technology experience spanning numerous industries, with an in-depth focus on government and public services, life sciences and health care, and financial services. She specializes in collaborating with clients on cybersecurity and technology transformation, and privacy and governance initiatives. Deborah received a bachelor’s degree in Finance at Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in Information Technology at George Washington University. She serves on Virginia Tech’s Business Information Technology and Masters in Information Technology Advisory Boards is a self-proclaimed fitness junky and avid traveler and trains service dogs with the Guide Dog Foundation in her spare time.

Joel Hollenbeck
Director of Engineering, Office of the CTO
Check Point

Joel Hollenbeck is a Cyber Security Visionary with the Office of the CTO at Check Point Software Technologies Inc., the worldwide leader in securing the Internet. His background includes over 20 years of experience deploying application protection and network-based security. Mr. Hollenbeck has been securing networks and systems since 1994, including developing and executing strategies to connect some of the most sensitive networks for the Federal Government and Financial Institutions to the Internet in the earliest days of commercial internet connectivity. Mr. Hollenbeck has served as a consulting Security Architect with Check Point Software Technologies advising a wide variety of clients across many verticals on Security Best Practices, Security Architecture, and deriving the maximum value from investments in security, prior to joining Check Point, Mr. Hollenbeck has held various security engineering, leadership and executive roles within organizations local to St Louis.

Cynthia Kay
President
Cynthia Kay and Company

Cynthia Kay founded Cynthia Kay and Company media production which produces high-quality communications for organizations from the Fortune Global 100 to small business. A graduate of Michigan State University, Kay holds a Masters in Communications from Western Michigan University.

She is the Past Board Chair of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) and the National Small Business Association (NSBA). She serves on the Board of Michigan Celebrates Small Business (MCSB).  Cynthia and the company have been honored with many awards including several Tellys and Woman Owned Small Business Supplier of the Year from Siemens in 2018. She has been named One of West Michigan’s 50 Most Influential Women 5 times. She is also the recipient of over 30 broadcast awards from UPI, AP and other news organizations. CK & CO Cynthia has authored several books. She has written for the Washington Post, has been featured in Time Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine’s Ask the Expert and on NPR. Cynthia also testified on behalf of NSBA before the House Committee on Small Business Hearing.

Susan Kellogg
Chief Deputy State Chief Information Officer and Chief Services Officer
North Carolina Department of Information Technology

Susan Kellogg joined the N.C. Department of Information Technology as deputy state chief information officer and chief services officer in March 2020. In this role, she leads the Service Delivery Division and focuses her efforts on providing enterprise application and infrastructure services to state agencies, local governments and universities across North Carolina. Kellogg has more than 30 years of IT experience in both the public and private sector. Most recently, she was with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she served since 2003 in various IT roles, including special consultant to the executive vice chancellor and provost as well as deputy CIO. She was also deputy associate dean of information technology and CIO at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. Kellogg has a diverse background in business intelligence, student information systems, learning management systems, customer relationship management, information security, cloud infrastructure and business continuity as well as strong leadership, governance and customer service skills. She earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematical sciences and computer science from the UNC-Chapel Hill and earned a Master of Science in computer science from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. In addition, she received the 2012 CIO of the Year Award from the Triangle Business Journal and 2011 Roy W. Holsten Award for Exceptional Service.

Suzette Kent
Former United States Federal Chief Information Officer

Suzette Kent was appointed the Federal CIO in January of 2018, serving the position until earlier this year.  She joined government from industry where she has been a global leader in large-scale business transformation and has worked with many of the world’s most complex organizations.  Her experiences cover a wide spectrum, which include technology development, product design, customer servicing, merger and acquisition, technology and risk policy and establishing new global industry capabilities.

Before taking the role of Federal CIO, Suzette spent over 29 years in the financial services industry where she served as a principal at EY, partner at Accenture, consulting president at Carreker Corporation, and Managing Director at JPMorgan.   Ms. Kent has served as an enterprise leader for organizational learning, diversity and inclusiveness, and career development at every organization at which she has worked. She has been a frequent speaker in global industry forums, publisher of thought leadership pieces, and holds patents in banking processes.

Bryan Kissinger, PhD.
Vice President, CISO
Trace3

A hands-on, results-oriented senior information technology and business professional with over 20 years of experience leading global teams in the successful delivery of technology solutions that enable business value. Healthcare industry expertise coupled with Big 4 consulting leadership across emerging technology, financial, retail, and government sectors. A proven record of accomplishment in quickly assessing technology and security program maturity and developing multiyear road maps to achieve desired outcomes. A reputation for building programs and teams using a business-minded approach. Accomplished IT and security program designer utilizing practical solutions that deliver rapid return on investment. Bryan joined Trace3 having recently held the role of Vice President, Chief Information Security officer, at Banner Health. Bryan was responsible for the overall IT risk and information security program and was accountable to the Board of Directors for designing ongoing IT risk management functions, security architecture and operations, policy development and implementation, and enterprise-wide security training and awareness initiatives. He has been an advocate for, and implemented many, next-generation security solutions focused on preventing and detecting current and anticipated threat.

Michael Melfi
Partner
Bodman PLC

Michael S. Melfi helps emerging and established businesses overcome the legal and financial obstacles that often stand in the way of growth. His work with these companies focuses on financing and fundraising, intellectual property protection, technology licensing, tax planning, acquisitions and dispositions, and general corporate matters. He has particular experience in a broad range of technology industries including software, big data, healthcare, manufacturing, publishing, automotive, and aerospace, as well as transportation, retail, food and beverage, and construction. He has extensive experience mentoring, counseling, and securing funding for entrepreneurs, inventors, startups, and small businesses and their disruptive technology. Michael works with inventors to secure, protect and commercialize their intellectual property. He collaborates in an entrepreneurial manner on the assessment, strategic planning, business development, execution, and fundraising for the ideas and inventions' journey to commercialization. Before joining Bodman, Michael founded and served as chief operating officer and general counsel of a multimedia company where he pioneered experiential digital campaigns for Fortune 500 clients and worked with numerous national industry-leading products and brands to monetize and grow their web-based businesses. He is active in many organizations that serve the entrepreneurial and general business communities. Michael is a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. He mentors entrepreneurs at 1871, a technology accelerator and incubator based in Chicago that is the home of more than 400 early-stage digital startups. Michael also serves on the Board of Governors for the University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology's Alumni Society and the President's Advisory Council (PAC) for The Community House in Birmingham, Michigan, a non-profit community center for professional, philanthropic, and recreational pursuits.

Congressman John Moolenaar

Congressman John Moolenaar represents the residents of Michigan’s Fourth Congressional District. He is currently a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Moolenaar brings years of leadership experience in the private and public sectors to Congress. He has worked as a chemist and business development director, and as a school administrator. As a public servant, Moolenaar has been elected to the Midland City Council, the Michigan House of Representatives, and the Michigan Senate. Moolenaar was born and raised in Midland, where he now lives with his wife, Amy, and together they have raised six children. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hope College and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Beth Niblock
CIO
City of Detroit

Spend enough time with Beth Niblock, and you will understand two things clearly. One, she is earnest in her belief that transparency is the lifeblood of a healthy government. The other, she loves big challenges.

Before coming to Detroit, Niblock was the first CIO appointed to a merged Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government in 2003. She was challenged with unifying IT systems and infrastructure, while implementing systems. During her 11 years at the helm, her teams won numerous awards. Niblock was tapped by the Obama Administration to serve as part of a team of technology officials to support the City of Detroit. It was her first introduction to Detroit; and the opportunity to come back,was too enticing to walk away from. In March of 2014 Mayor Mike Duggan appointed her to be the CIO for the City of Detroit. She managed significant upgrades to infrastructure, all major systems (Financial, HR, 911 + Dispatch, Police, Fire and EMS systems) making city business transparent, and making Detroit online an easy place to do business with. In July of 2019 Mayor Duggan expanded her responsibilities by adding Homeland Security and Emergency Management to her portfolio.

Chad R. Paalman
CEO
NuWave Technology Partners

Chad Paalman is the Co-Founder & CEO of NuWave Technology Partners.  Chad is presently serving on Cisco System’s Small & Midmarket Advisory Board, Cisco System’s Managed Service Provider (MSP) Advisory Board, Lansing Community College & Career Quest Learning Centers IT Curriculum Advisory Boards, Sparrow Hospital Foundation Board and the Leadership Council of the Board of Directors for the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM).  Previous positions include the CompTIA Partner Advisory Council, The Channel Company's Xchange Advisory Board and NexGen Cloud Advisory Board, the Michigan FFA Foundation Board and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM).  Chad holds a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and resides in Ada, MI with his wife and children.

Senator Gary Peters

Sworn into office in 2015, Senator Gary Peters is honored to represent the State of Michigan in the U.S. Senate. Throughout his career in public service, Gary has been a strong, independent voice for Michigan’s families, workers and small businesses. He has focused on uniting our communities by fighting for the things that we all agree on — a stronger economy, good-paying jobs, quality and affordable health care, a secure retirement and a fair chance for everyone to succeed. In the 116th Congress, Gary serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Joint Economic Committee. In the U.S. Senate, Gary’s top priority is to continue supporting job creation and economic growth to strengthen Michigan small businesses and our middle class. Gary has led and passed legislation that was signed into law under both Democratic and Republican Administrations. He has worked with members of both parties to find commonsense, practical and bipartisan solutions to challenges facing Michigan and our nation. These successful efforts include: increasing protections for the Great Lakes and securing historic funding for restoration efforts; supporting veterans suffering from PTSD or TBI; expanding career and technical education and apprenticeships for workers; and increasing our nation’s security at our borders. That’s why he’s been named one of the most effective and bipartisan Senators, according to non-partisan organizations. Gary is a product of Michigan schools. He graduated from Rochester High School and went on to Alma College where he earned a B.A. in Political Science. After graduation, while working a full-time job and raising a family, he went on to earn an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Detroit Mercy, a law degree from Wayne State University Law School and an M.A. in Philosophy from Michigan State University with a focus on the ethics of development. Gary was born in Pontiac, Michigan. His father, a World War II veteran, worked as a public school teacher for more than 30 years. His mother – who survived Nazi occupation of France and met Gary’s father while he served in Europe during the war – worked as a nurse’s aide at a local nursing home. She helped organize her workplace and became an SEIU union steward. Growing up, Gary learned the importance of hard work and fairness from his parents. He started his own small business delivering newspapers at age 11. In junior high, he bused tables at a Big Boy restaurant, and in high school and college, he worked at a local retailer. Gary is an Eagle Scout, and a member of the National Eagle Scout Association. In 2019, he received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. For more than 20 years, Gary worked as an investment advisor, helping families save for their retirement and provide for their children’s college education. However, he always felt the need to serve and give back to his community. Gary volunteered for the U.S. Navy Reserve at age 34, where he earned a Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist designation and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After the September 11th terrorist attacks on our country, he volunteered again for drilling status. He also earned a diploma from the College of Naval Command and Staff, U.S. Naval War College. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. Gary began his public service as a Rochester Hills City Councilman in 1991. In 1994, he was elected to the Michigan State Senate, where he had more bills signed into law than any other member of his party. Gary later served as the Michigan State Lottery Commissioner. Gary and his wife, Colleen, live in Oakland County and have three children: Gary Jr., Madeleine and Alana.

David C. Rhoa
President
Marana Group

David Rhoa (pronounced “roy”) is and serial entrepreneur owning five business serving customers around the world.  David has extensive experience in advocating for small business. David has written and spoken on the subjects of small business tax policy, and small business labor policy at both the state and federal level.  David has testified repeatedly before committees of the Michigan House and Senate regarding tax policy, Michigan’s minimum wage, health care reform, the expansion of Medicaid in Michigan, and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic on small business.  He has also briefed state and federal lawmakers on the use of alternative fuels by small business fleets and the impact of such fuels on transportation infrastructure funding.  David has also served as a consultant on alternative fuels for General Motors and Fiat Chrysler.  Both national and international media outlets regarding political and economic issues facing small business have frequently interviewed David.  David is a three-time delegate to the National Small Business Association’s Small Business Congress and has actively participated in White House briefings on small business issues. David is a Past Chair for the Small Business Association of Michigan and its Political Action Committee in addition to several other positions.  David is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Small Business Council of America. David has served as a member of the part-time faculty in the Department of Economics and Business at Kalamazoo College since 2014.

Ted Richmond
Director
RGS Limited

Ted Richmond is a Director at RGS Limited; a cyber insurance broker and program manager that specializes in unique insurance products for data breach and cyber risks. Ted is responsible for the development and distribution of the programs. A graduate of DePaul University Ted has been in the insurance business since 2011 and holds various licenses in all 50 states.

Ervan D. Rodgers
State Chief Information Officer/Assistant Director
State of Ohio

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed Ervan Rodgers State of Ohio Chief Information Officer in January 2019. Rodgers is responsible for the strategic direction and efficient use of information technology across State government, which entails 50,000 employees at State agencies, boards and commissions with an annual IT budget of $1 billion. Rodgers serves a dual role as Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, which houses the State’s Office of Information Technology and works behind the scenes to deliver innovative services and solutions that support the operations of State government. Rodgers is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience and expertise in IT disciplines, as well as business process, project and operations management. Prior to his appointment, he was CIO of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office where he managed a budget of $50 million and a staff of 100 who support 30 legal sections, collections enforcement, operational groups and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations. Rodgers was previously an IT consultant to global Fortune 100 companies including Huntington National Bank, Accenture and Hewlett-Packard, where he developed a successful track record of leading teams and leveraging technology to position for growth. This private sector work included hands-on experience that honed his expertise in digitizing core business processes, e-business, developing value-added solutions, change management, and mentoring management teams. Rodgers serves on the board of directors for Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program, an organization that encourages the creation of digital geographic data of value, the State of Ohio CyberOhio Advisory Board and the Franklin University Cybersecurity and Public Safety Advisory Board. Rodgers earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in management and organizational development from Spring Arbor University in Michigan and currently working toward a master’s degree in computer science from Muskingum University.

Nick Rossmann
Global Lead, X-Force Threat Intelligence
IBM Security

Nick Rossmann is the Global Lead for X-Force Threat Intelligence. His teams hunt for evil and reverse engineer malware. Nick works closely with offering management across IBM Security to integrate threat intelligence into the portfolio. Prior to IBM, Nick was a senior manager for intelligence production at FireEye where he coordinated research, including assessments about China, Russia, cybercriminals and ICS vulnerabilities. In addition, he oversaw the production and dissemination of threat intelligence to clients and supported the sales organization with product marketing material. Prior to moving to the private sector, Nick was an intelligence analyst on Middle East issues at the CIA, and also worked at the FBI and Department of Defense. He’s a graduate of the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. Nick attended the National Intelligence University. He’s currently earning his Executive Master of Science in Information Management from the iSchool at Syracuse University.

Representative Elissa Slotkin

Representative Elissa Slotkin is honored to serve the residents of Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, a district that includes Ingham, Livingston, and North Oakland Counties. Rep. Slotkin has spent her career in national service. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which took place during her first week of graduate school in New York City, Rep. Slotkin knew that national service would define her career. She was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be a Middle East analyst and went on to devote her career to protecting the United States from national security threats. In her role at the CIA, Rep. Slotkin worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a militia expert. In between her tours in Iraq, Rep. Slotkin held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2011, Rep. Slotkin took a senior position at the Pentagon and, until January 2017, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this role, Rep. Slotkin oversaw policy on Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the Pentagon and participated in negotiations on some of the country’s most pressing national security issues. It is this same mission-focus that Rep. Slotkin brings to issues affecting citizens of Michigan’s 8th congressional district. For Rep. Slotkin, this means ensuring that everyone has access to healthcare they can afford, lowering the price of prescription drugs, protecting access to clean water and Michigan’s Great Lakes, and returning decency and integrity to politics. Rep. Slotkin’s background in national security contributes to the urgency and passion she brings to increasing government integrity and accountability and passing campaign finance reform. To learn more about Rep. Slotkin’s legislative priorities, click here. A third-generation Michigander, Rep. Slotkin spent her early life on her family farm in Holly, Michigan. The generations of Slotkins before her worked in the family business, Hygrade Foods, which was headquartered in Detroit and produced iconic foods loved by Michiganders, like the Ballpark Frank first sold at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium. The values that made the family business successful instilled in Rep. Slotkin an enduring commitment to integrity, decency, and hard work that guided her to a career of service. The Slotkin family business is well represented in Rep. Slotkin’s office, with hot dog figurines and artwork proudly displayed. Rep. Slotkin attended Cornell University (BA) and Columbia University in the City of New York (MA). Rep. Slotkin’s home is her family farm in Holly. Rep. Slotkin’s husband, Dave, is a retired Army colonel who served for 30 years as an Apache helicopter pilot. Her two stepdaughters have pursued their own lives of service, one as a physician and the other as a new Army officer.

Congresswoman Haley Stevens

Congresswoman Haley Stevens grew up in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and graduated from Seaholm High School in Birmingham. She earned a master’s degree in social policy and philosophy and a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from American University. Before being elected to Congress, Congresswoman Stevens served as the Chief of Staff to the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force, the federal initiative responsible for saving General Motors, Chrysler, and 200,000 Michigan Jobs. She also played a key role in setting up the Office of Recovery for Automotive Communities and Workers, and the White House Office of Manufacturing Policy. After serving in the Obama Administration, Congresswoman Stevens worked in a manufacturing research lab focused on the future of work in the digital age.

Congresswoman Haley Stevens sits on the House Committee on Education & Labor, and the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, where she also serves as Chairwoman of the Research & Technology Subcommittee. On these Committees, Congresswoman Stevens works to protect access to healthcare, promote manufacturing, expand educational opportunity, stand up for workers’ rights, and increase investment in critical research and development. Congresswoman Stevens resides in Rochester Hills and attends Kensington Church in Troy.

Sarah Tennant
Senior Development Director & Cyber Initiatives
Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Sarah Tennant is the Sector Development Director & Cyber Initiatives at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Serving as the State's program expert and advisor to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Sarah collaborates with other government agencies, academia and industry on raising awareness and promoting the growth of the cyber ecosystem within the State of Michigan. Sarah’s focus is on cultivating cybersecurity talent through statewide education, with an emphasis on the emerging embedded systems security space while promoting a collaborative statewide approach to cybersecurity. Previous to joining the MEDC Sarah was the DOD OEA Grant coordinator for the Macomb/St. Clair Workforce Development Board where she oversaw a $6.7 million dollar Southeast Michigan Defense Industry Adjustment grant, supporting 15 projects intended to identify and diversify Michigan’s defense portfolio, expand educational and workforce training for emerging markets including the cyber range hub expansion in Michigan, and provide opportunities for Michigan companies engaged in the defense economy. Additionally Sarah also serves on several non-profit boards and advisory committees and currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Women in Defense Michigan Chapter. A Michigan transplant, Sarah is a proud graduate of the University of Windsor holding a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Jennifer Tisdale
Principal of the Cyber-Physical Systems Team
GRIMM

Jennifer Tisdale is the Principal of the Cyber-Physical Systems team GRIMM, a cybersecurity research and engineering firm. GRIMM is a Service, Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business which provides cybersecurity testing, consulting and training to the U.S. military & intelligence agencies, commercial automotive, aerospace, medical and manufacturing industries. Previously, Jennifer served as R&D Program Manager of Vehicle Product Cybersecurity at Mazda North America where she bridged the gap between R&D for product development and Government Affairs, focused on cybersecurity for connected and automated vehicles. Before her time at Mazda North America, Jennifer developed the Cyber-Mobility program for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).  Jennifer’s work with MEDC created the foundation for an economic strategy to band together Michigan’s existing automotive, defense and aerospace industries with non-traditional suppliers in cybersecurity. Through her work, Michigan has carved a unique economic strategy positioning the state of Michigan as a leader in Cyber-Physical Systems security. Jennifer is a volunteer for the National Defense Industrial Association (MI) and serves on the Board of Directors. Jennifer leads all cybersecurity programming for the organization including the annual Cyber-Physical Systems Security Summit and created and lead the Cyber Military Vehicle Industry Collaborative (MVIC), dedicated to supporting the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center in conducting a study to increase the cyber resilience of military ground vehicle systems. Jennifer was recently voted one of SC Magazine’s “Women to Watch” in Cybersecurity, and she prides herself in challenging the negative narrative often associated with hackers, being an advocate for increased diversity and inclusion in the cybersecurity industry and volunteers with several non-profit, STEM programs to encourage students to embrace cybersecurity education for embedded systems.

Anthony Tuttle
Program Manager, Cyber + Tech Initiatives
West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology

Anthony is a Michigan transplant and former educator turned marketer turned cybersecurity community builder. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Technology, Engineering, and Design Education from North Carolina State University before earning his Master of Arts in Management from the Wake Forest University School of Business. Before joining WMCAT, Anthony worked at Steelcase where he focused on the intersection of furniture and technology, and managed multiple products that solved for the needs of both end users and IT decision makers. It was in this role where he solidified his belief that success in business lies at the intersection of education, technology, design, and human behavior. In essence: life is interdisciplinary, and diversity matters. Currently, Anthony is working to increase awareness, build excitement around, and provide equitable access to cybersecurity trainings and other technology resources in our community. As program manager of the Cyber Hub at WMCAT, he is leading WMCAT’s efforts to build a diverse and inclusive cybersecurity and technology talent pipeline in West Michigan.

At heart, Anthony is a learner and an educator who is passionate about equipping individuals – especially those with multicultural backgrounds and from underrepresented communities – with the knowledge and skills that will develop them holistically, allow them to make economic progress in their lives, and make positive impacts in their communities.

Tabice Ward
Director of Information Protection and Security
DTE Energy

Tabice Ward is director of Information Protection and Security at DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. DTE Energy’s operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio also includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan’s leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism, and economic progress. She joined DTE Energy in 1989 and has held positions of increasing responsibility across various departments. Her last 25 years have been spent in the Information Technology Services organization with experience that span across the areas of software delivery, operations and support, project management, cybersecurity strategy, cybersecurity operations, security compliance, technology risk management, business continuity, and crisis response planning. As director, Information Protection and Security, she is responsible for overseeing the execution of DTE Energy’s enterprise cybersecurity program for both information technology and operational technology, which includes security policies and standards, cyber risk management, regulatory compliance, security awareness, security operations, network security, identity and access management. Additionally, her responsibilities include representing DTE Energy across multiple externally facing industry groups, committees and forums that support the protection of critical infrastructure. She serves as an executive board member for Belle Isle Conservancy non-profit organization, Wayne State University Computer Science Advisory Board and Henry Ford High School Early College Advisory Board, and Center for Cyber Security and Intelligence Studies Advisor Board. She is also very active in the cybersecurity community providing mentoring support. Her accomplishments include being a recipient of the Who’s Who in Black Detroit Award (2015), Women of Color in STEM Special Recognition Award (2016) and recognized as a Global C1SO 100 (2020).

Alex Wyllie
Program Manager
IBM Security

Alex Wyllie is the Program Director of Field Marketing at IBM Security. He leads a team focused on delivering the story of IBM’s portfolio of cybersecurity products and services to organizations both big and small across the United States. He is an effective listener and communicator that looks to understand the challenges of security professionals and partner with them on finding solutions.

Breakout Session Speakers

Doug Anderson
Sr. Director Information Technology
Los Angeles Metro

Doug Anderson – is a native-born Californian with 45 years in the transit industry and currently Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Innovation for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He was hired in response to a board motion made by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for the creation of a strategic technology department to advance new technologies focused on improving the customer experience in transit. Doug is a technical innovator with 46 years in the transit information field. He implemented the nation’s first public transit trip planner in 1979, integrated multi-agency planning in support of the 1984 Olympics, and pioneered early voice response technologies and one-number clearinghouse projects such as 2-LA-Ride and 1-800-Commute which served as precursors to todays 511 systems. He created and implemented early raster–based map systems on the web when most GIS systems relied heavily on vector-based technology. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California, he spearheaded a 100+ kiosk project to implement a transportation alerts system. He was an early adopter of open source software and promotes its use by public agencies whenever he can. He recently created a suite of open API’s which allow access to regional real-time transit data and functionality to developers and other local transit agencies. Currently, Doug is exploring extending outreach to transit customers via a number of technologies including equipping the LA Metro’s fleet of vehicles with Wi-Fi and digital displays, adding a social media component to the mobile trip planner, adopting i-beacons for use in way-finding for the blind, evaluating first and last mile personal e-vehicles, and providing real-time customer support onboard transit vehicles.

Thomas Beck
Government & Public Sector Cloud Leader
Deloitte Consulting

Thomas is Deloitte’s government cloud practice leader, responsible for the firm’s cloud activities across the Federal, State, and Local Government markets. He has 20 years of experience working with State government IT organizations, including his most recent public, hybrid and private cloud work with the states of Louisiana, Texas and Maryland. In addition to his CISSP, Thomas holds technical architect certifications from the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), AWS, and Microsoft. Prior to joining Deloitte, he was a military intelligence specialist in the U.S. Army. Thomas lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI with his wife and 2 daughters.

Deborah Blyth
CISO
State of Colorado

Deborah Blyth is Colorado’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), with over 25 years technology background and 15 years leading information security programs.  As the CISO, she serves as the point of contact for all information security initiatives in Colorado, informing the state Chief Information Officer and executive agency leadership on security risks and impacts of policy and management decisions on IT-related initiatives. Deborah is responsible for determining the strategic and tactical security direction for executive branch agencies, to meet established objectives. Before joining the state of Colorado, Deborah led the Information Technology Security and Compliance programs at TeleTech (5 years) and Travelport (3 years).  Deborah is a Colorado native, and graduated Summa cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Regis University.  

Ashlee Breitner
Associate Director
University of Michigan - Economic Growth Institute

As a Program Manager at the Economic Growth Institute at the University of Michigan, Ashlee Breitner engages with organizations to support them in strategizing, stabilizing, and growing.  Ashlee manages program operations at the Institute including the Defense Cybersecurity Assurance Program. Prior to working at the Institute, Ashlee managed global business operations for a variety of product and systems certification programs in the public health and safety sector. Ashlee holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Eastern Michigan University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University.

John (Jayson) Cavendish
Senior Security Architect
TEKSystems Contractor to State of Michigan

John Cavendish (Jayson) has been involved at a professional level with Information Technology since 1989. Jayson served in the USMC from 1989-1993 and was involved in all major facets of the Gulf War in 1990-1991. Jayson has been an Application Developer/Software Engineer, Data Warehouse Business Intelligence Designer/Manager including Database Security Monitoring and Vulnerability Management, Director Technical Services, Information Assurance Architect, IT Security Manager, Threat Intelligence / Threat Hunter and Security Architect. Most recently Jayson was involved with securing Enterprise Applications being built with Cloud Native technologies and DevSecOps practices. Jayson has also been involved with Mobile Device Management, Identity and Access management integrating Identity Providers with Service Providers to provide federated and centralized authentication and authorization systems.  Jayson enjoys recreational computing and learning about new technologies in his spare time. Jayson holds and maintains the following certifications CISSP CISA PMP CEH CHFI ECSA et al. Licensed Professional Investigator.

Simon Conant
Principal Researcher, Unit 42 Threat Research Group
Palo Alto Networks

He draws upon a quarter-century of international experience in the fields of malware & infrastructure analysis, networking, and information security, including several years in the Microsoft Security Response Center. He was involved in founding Microsoft's CSS Security & Internet Crime Investigation teams, and the International Botnet Task Force. Subsequently he has worked in threat intelligence and analysis in the financial sector and for a large international law firm. Simon now researches malware, campaigns and actors, with Unit 42, and is a recent recipient of the FBI Director's award. A native of New Zealand, Simon is based out of Seattle. 

Jon Clay
Director, Global Threat Communications
Trend Micro, Inc.

Jon Clay, Directory of Global Threat Communications at Trend Micro, has worked in the cybersecurity space for over 24 years. He is responsible for managing marketing messages and external publication of all the threat research and security intelligence within Trend Micro as well as different core technologies. As an accomplished public speaker with hundreds of speaking sessions around the globe, Jon focuses on the threat landscape and the use of advanced technologies in protecting against today’s sophisticated threats. Jon is also a volunteer speaker for the Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids and Families program.

Michelle Cordano
Talent Development Liaison
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity – Workforce Development

Michelle currently serves as the Talent Development Liaison for Prosperity Regions 5 and 6, with an industry focus of Information Technology (IT) statewide for the Industry Engagement Division within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity -Workforce Development (LEO-WD). She has 10 years of experience building, supporting, and championing strategic partnerships between employers, workforce development professionals, educators, and other key stakeholders. Cordano has a bachelor's degree in Business Marketing from the University of Phoenix.  She is a certified Business Services Professional and a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Talent Pipeline ManagementTM Academy.

Ray Davidson PhD
Program Manager
Michigan Cyber Civilian Corps

Ray served as dean at the SANS Technology Institute during its founding, and now leads the Michigan Cyber Civilian Corps, which is currently the only completely civilian, state sponsored team of incident responders in the country. He continues to serve as a mentor, subject matter expert and technical reviewer for the SANS Institute, and for anyone else who will listen. He holds a doctorate in Chemical Engineering, and several infosec certifications. He has held a variety of positions in his career including paperboy, information operator, backstage manager, pharmaceutical research scientist, and he has led global security projects for a major pharma company. He has been a college professor and has cofounded a security startup. Mostly he is passionate about empowering and encouraging others to do the right thing.

Daniel Dister
Chief Information Security Officer
State of New Hampshire

Daniel Dister serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of New Hampshire. In this role, he is responsible for the enterprise cybersecurity vision, strategy and program to ensure the protection of the State of New Hampshire’s information assets including systems, networks and data crucial to state government operations on behalf of its citizens. Prior to this position, Mr. Dister worked for the federal government for 27 years where he was responsible for cybersecurity policy, governance, risk management and compliance for National Security and Intelligence systems.

John Guerriero
Cybersecurity Policy Analyst
National Governors Association

John Guerriero serves as a cybersecurity policy analyst for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, where he supports governors’ staff and state policymakers on issues related to election resilience and state cybersecurity, including state and local partnerships, cyber workforce development, incident response planning, disinformation campaigns and cyber governance. Prior to joining the cybersecurity team, John focused on workforce development, including registered apprenticeship and state work-based learning programs, as part of NGA’s Economic Opportunity Division. John holds a master’s degree in public policy and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Michigan.

Justin Hall
Director, Security Consulting
CBTS

Justin Hall has been a technologist for 25 years. For the past fifteen, Justin has served as an information security consultant at CBTS. He has performed work in every field of infosec - vulnerability management, digital forensics and incident response, security architecture, operations, and governance and risk management. He's consulted for customers in every vertical and all sizes, from SMB’s to the Fortune 10. Justin is the Director of the Security Services team, overseeing the world-class CBTS security consulting group. Justin has a BBA in Information Systems and International Business from the University of Cincinnati. He has been GIAC certified in Incident Response, Digital Forensics, and Penetration Testing.

Andy Hanks
CISO
State of Montana

Andy Hanks is a business-driven cybersecurity executive with over 25 years of experience in information technology, a Master of Science in Information Systems, and multiple cybersecurity certifications.  As Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Montana, Andy’s mission is to protect citizen's data.  Andy partners with state and federal agencies to identify threats, mitigate vulnerabilities, and reduce risks; and he collaborates with cybersecurity leaders across the nation to develop and implement best practices. Andy represents Montana’s cybersecurity interests in the State Legislature, State Information Technology Manager’s Council, and the State Information Technology Board. He is chair of the Montana Information Security Advisory Council, a member of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center Executive Committee, and a member of the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Coordinating Council.  Andy enjoys backpacking, watching football, and riding his motorcycle.

Mitch Herckis
Senior Advisor
New York City Cyber Command (City of New York)

Mitch Herckis has spent over a decade focused on supporting state and local governments on technology and security policy. A Senior Advisor for New York City Cyber Command, Mitch helps the City’s central cybersecurity authority facilitate efforts across 100+ city agencies, as well as with City residents. Prior to joining NYC government, Mitch helped build a state and local government focused publication, Route Fifty, and served as Director for State and Local Government Programs at a cybersecurity company. He has advocated for sound technology policies at all levels of government, serving as the Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), and Senior Legislative Counsel for Federal Relations at the National League of Cities. Mitch has also served as a consultant, strategist, and advocate for individual states and localities on a variety of public policy concerns.

Thomas J. Holt, Ph.D.
Director, Professor
Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice

Dr. Thomas J. Holt is the Director of the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University.   His research focuses on cybercrime and cyberterrorism, as well as the policy responses to these activities.  Dr. Holt's work has appeared in a range of academic journals, and has published multiple books and edited works on cybercrime issues.  His work has also been funded by various federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Justice. 

JT Keating
SVP of Marketing
Zimperium

For over twenty-five years, JT Keating has been driven to deliver technology-based solutions that make enterprises more profitable, compliant and secure. JT has served as CEO, CMO or CRO for multiple software companies, most of which have helped create and define new markets and changed the way organizations solve problems.  These companies include SMART Technologies (acquired by i2 Technologies), WholeSecurity (Symantec), Site Controls (Siemens) and CoreTrace (Lumension).  As the SVP, Marketing for Zimperium, the global leader in enterprise mobile security, JT leads all marketing efforts including lead generation, public relations and analyst relations.

Dennis Klaas
Co-Founder
Michigan Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (MICE)

Dennis Klaas has over 17 years of teaching experience in system administration, cyber security/information assurance, and digital forensics.  He is currently the Cybersecurity Instructor at Sterling Heights High School in Sterling Heights, Michigan. In addition to teaching Dennis is the President of Compudene LLC a network consulting company for the past 22 years. Dennis also serves on multiple committees, including the following: Michigan CTE Curriculum Development Group, NICE (National Initiative for Cyber Education) K-12 Subgroup. Dennis is a founding member of the MICE (Michigan Initiative for Cyber Education) group focusing on the expansion of cyber-security education in the United States.

Daryl Knopf
Senior Solutions Architect
GitLab

Daryl is a Senior Solutions Architect at GitLab and has been working with Security Software for over 25 years in multiple roles. Before joining GitLab in 2019, Daryl worked as a technical strategic leader with government and commercial customers both nationally and internationally. Daryl lives in northern VA with his wife and two daughters.

Dan Lohrmann
Chief Security Officer & Chief Strategist

Daniel J. Lohrmann is an internationally recognized cybersecurity leader, technologist, keynote speaker and author. During his distinguished career, Dan has served global organizations in the public and private sectors in a variety of executive leadership capacities, receiving numerous national awards including: CSO of the Year, Public Official of the Year and Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leader. In 2017, Dan was awarded the cybersecurity breakthrough CISO of the year for global security products and services companies. Lohrmann led Michigan government’s cybersecurity and technology infrastructure teams from May 2002 – August 2014, including enterprise-wide Chief Security Officer (CSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) roles in Michigan. Dan currently serves as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) and Chief Strategist for Security Mentor, Inc. Lohrmann is leading the development and implementation of Security Mentor’s industry-leading cyber training, consulting and workshops for end users, managers and executives in the public and private sectors. He has advised senior leaders at the White House, National Governor’s Association (NGA), National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), federal, state and local government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and non-profit institutions. Dan has more than 30 years of experience in the computer industry, beginning his career with the National Security Agency. He worked for three years in England as a senior network engineer for Lockheed Martin (formerly Loral Aerospace) and for four years as a technical director for ManTech International in a US / UK military facility. Lohrmann is the author of two books - Virtual Integrity: Faithfully Navigating the Brave New Web and BYOD For You: The Guide to Bring Your Own Device to Work. He has been a keynote speaker at global security and technology conferences from South Africa to Dubai and from Washington D.C. to Moscow. Lohrmann holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science (CS) from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and a Bachelor's Degree in CS from Valparaiso University in Indiana.

Follow Dan on Twitter at: @govcso. Dan’s award-winning blog: http://www.govtech.com/blogs/lohrmann-on-cybersecurity/. CSO Magazine articles: http://www.csoonline.com/author/dan-lohrmann

Stephanie Ludwig
Project Manager
University of Michigan - Economic Growth Institute

As a Project Manager, Stephanie works with companies in Michigan that supply the Department of Defense (DoD) to support them in stabilizing, growing and diversifying their businesses.  She works with small to midsize companies to assist them in understanding and achieving cyber-security compliance in today’s technology driven economy.

Matt McMahon
Associate Superintendent for Technology
Gratiot-Isabella RESD

Matt McMahon is the Associate Superintendent for Technology at Gratiot-Isabella RESD (GIRESD) where he has been serving for over 25 years. He oversees the GIRESD Technology Department and the MMNet high speed fiber network which provides circuits and Internet access for over 20 schools in the mid-Michigan region. He is currently serving as the chairperson for the Michigan's Cybersecurity Task Force and is an advisory member for Michigan's State Education Network.

Michael Melore, CISSP
Cyber Security Advisor
IBM

IBM Cyber Security Advisor, Channel Leader, Certified Information Systems Security Professional, author, National public speaker, and recognized subject matter expert in Security Intelligence, Identity Access Governance, and Authorization. Pioneer in Identity and Access Management, Access Governance, and Authentication. Past Consulting roles include: Lead architect for many of the world’s largest authentication and authorization infrastructures. This includes two individual Billion user authentication infrastructures. Founder, Moderator, and Group Secretary for 13 Security Leaders Round Table Chapters across the US. Champion, host and evangelist of cyber range threat simulation exercises and cyber training and education.

Bill Nash
Chief Information Security Officer
State of Wisconsin

Bill has 30 years of information technology (IT) experience in the areas of application development, infrastructure support, and security. He develops, maintains, and oversees IT security programs across Wisconsin state agencies. Bill is responsible for security communications, applications, and infrastructure, including the security requirements for strategy, operations, and budget for protecting enterprise information assets. He also oversees security operations that detect, report, contain, and mitigate incidents that impair data and infrastructure security. Bill leads the Wisconsin Cyber Response Teams, which support cyber incident responses by local governments in Wisconsin. He produced the State of Wisconsin’s first enterprise security strategy and roadmap based on agencies’ business needs, risks, and opportunities. Bill was also the recipient of the Thomas M. Jarrett Cybersecurity Conference Scholarship due to his dedication and leadership in the cybersecurity field.

Ross B. Nodurft
Senior Director of Cybersecurity Services
Venable

Ross Nodurft counsels clients on issues related to risk management, government policy standards and regulatory compliance, and incident management. Having served as principal of Risk Management and Government Solutions at a digital identity and cybersecurity firm and chief of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Cyber Team in the White House overseeing federal government cybersecurity policy and federal agency incident response, Ross has significant experience on advising clients on how to navigate issues at the nexus of homeland security, technology, and cybersecurity policy. In his role at OMB, Ross worked closely with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) on supply chain and acquisition policy and with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) privacy office on technology policy and breach response. He also led efforts to modernize federal IT systems and modernize risk management practices to ensure secure infrastructure across the federal government. In partnership with the White House's senior leadership, Ross developed, implemented, and transitioned key cybersecurity and risk management policies and initiatives across two administrations, including the Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP), the IT Modernization report and plan, and the OMB breach memorandum. During his tenure, Ross helped establish the federal CISO council to ensure use of common security performance metrics and targeted industry engagement, briefed congressional staff on OMB's oversight of federal agencies' cybersecurity posture, and developed approaches and recommendations for strategic messaging opportunities for OMB leadership, National Security Council staff, and other White House leadership. Ross has served as a legislative director for a U.S. House of Representatives member, where he managed voting for all of the economic, defense, and homeland security policy; wrote, edited, and introduced legislation focused on information sharing liability protection and critical infrastructure development; and developed the strategy for the introduction, debate, and adoption of all legislative priorities. He was also a senior policy advisor for a U.S. senator, where he negotiated inclusion of legislative language in both appropriation and authorization bills focused on homeland security, technology, and economic policy; built strong relationships with the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security while advocating on behalf of large and small ISPs for internet and data security reforms; and, in collaboration with Homeland Security Appropriations staff, helped to craft key policy decisions, including the inclusion of full funding for cyber education. Earlier in his career, Ross was a professional staff member with the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, where he started the cybersecurity/IT portfolio in the Small Business Committee, negotiated numerous budget and tax amendments, and drafted legislation authorizing Small Business Administration programs for disabled and minority veterans groups.

Jared Phipps
Vice President of Worldwide Sales Engineering
SentinelOne

Jared has been involved in cybersecurity professionally since 2001, and is passionate not only about technology, but also with effective use of technology to solve real problems. Jared is the Vice President of Worldwide Sales Engineering at SentinelOne, where he gets to use his passion for technology and experience in cybersecurity daily as he advises various prospects and clients through security projects. He spent the prior 6 years leading the sales engineering, professional services and incident response teams at Fidelis Cybersecurity. Prior to joining Fidelis he worked for MITRE supporting NSA Cryptographic Modernization Programs for the United States Air Force. Jared is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he worked in cyber defense and offensive cyber operations.

Matt Pincus
Director of Government Affairs
National Association of State Chief Information Officers

Matt Pincus serves as the Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, Matt works with association partners, Congress, federal agencies and the White House to advance the national priorities and initiatives on behalf of the state chief information officers (CIOs). Prior to joining NASCIO, he was the Deputy Legislative Director at the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and served as Military Legislative Assistant (MLA) to U.S. Representative John Carney (DE-AL). Matt holds a B.A. in History and Government from Skidmore College and an M.A in Global Security

Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

Tonya Rice
Senior Business Development Manager, US Elections
Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Tonya Rice has served as a leader in the elections and public sector technology industries for over 15 years. At AWS, Tonya advises state & local governments on how to address their most complex challenges by securely modernizing systems that drive electoral, legislative, and political processes.

Prior to Amazon, Tonya served as Director of Elections and Chief Data Officer for Cook County, Illinois, one of the largest US election jurisdictions, where her responsibilities included leadership across a diverse Security and Technology group. Collectively, her teams of 100+ specialists led strategy, development, and operations of innovative new solutions and public-private partnership models.

As a subject matter expert, Tonya has authored multiple cybersecurity white papers and delivered keynotes at national election conferences. She has also served on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s national task force of election officials to develop industry best practices. Tonya earned a J.D. degree from Northwestern University School of Law, a B.A. degree from Northwestern University, and serves on the Board of Advisors for Auburn University’s Graduate Program in Election Administration. She also chairs the Board of Directors at Chicago HOPES for Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides educational services for children living in homeless shelters. 

Taylor Roberts
Global Director, Security and Trust Policy
Intel Corporation

Taylor is a Global Director of Security and Trust Policy at Intel Corporation. At Intel, Taylor works on a variety of security policy issues, including security certification, supply chain risk management, and internet of things policy. Prior to his time at Intel, Taylor served as a Cybersecurity Advisory for the White House, Office of Management and Budget. There, he worked at the Office of the Federal CIO to improve the security authorization process, particularly for cloud systems, and led groups across the inter-agency to better prioritize high value assets, help mature agency security operation centers (SOC’s), and revise key cybersecurity standards such as NIST’s Risk Management Framework.  Taylor has also worked at the University of Oxford as a Senior Researcher, conducting international assessments to model cybersecurity maturity at the national level. He received his Master’s in Pacific International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego and Bachelor’s from Trinity University.

Trevor Rudolph
Vice President of Global Digital Policy & Regulation
Schneider Electric

Trevor H. Rudolph is Vice President for Global Digital Public Policy at Schneider Electric where he directs Schneider’s technology policy and regulatory affairs strategy in North America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining Schneider, Rudolph served for five years as the first appointed Chief of the Cyber and National Security Division at the White House Office of Management and Budget. Rudolph is a two-time winner of the Federal 100 Award and serves as the International Co-Chair of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) Cybersecurity Committee. As a former government official, Rudolph advises global policymakers on crafting technology policy that balances the interests of both consumers and industry. He is regularly quoted in Politico, Federal Computer Week, and Federal News Radio and has appeared on Al Jazeera English, Sky News, and the ABC show, the Bridge.

Monica M. Ruiz
Fellow, Cyber Initiative and Special Projects Program
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Monica M. Ruiz is the Program Fellow for the Cyber Initiative and Special Projects at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and serves on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Advisory Board for the Peace and Security Funders Group. She was the first recipient of the U.S. Boren Fellowship to Estonia, where she researched topics related to cybersecurity policy and strategy and regularly writes about cybersecurity, cyber defense and state-level best practices to build cyber resiliency. She is a graduate of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Florida International University.

Patrick Schultz
Co-Founder
Michigan Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (MICE)

Patrick Schultz is a founding member of the MICE (Michigan Initiative for Cyber Education) group focusing on the expansion of cyber-security education in Michigan. In addition to staying on the cutting edge of innovative technology and framework development, Patrick serves on multiple state and national committees, including:  NICE (National Initiative for Cyber Education) K-12 Subgroup, and multiple Michigan CTE curriculum task forces.  As the Director of Technology Integration for National Business Professionals of America, Patrick also focuses on innovative approaches to infrastructure and technology education advancements across the nation.

Sagar Shah
Security Architect
State of Michigan

Mr. Shah has been working in the AWS space for the past 7 years and has helped many Fortune 100 companies in their cloud journey with respect to cloud strategy, solution architecture, Cloud security implementation and cloud security assessment and gap analysis.

Jill Shapiro
Senior Director, Global Government Affairs Office
Tenable

Jill Shapiro is a Senior Director for the Global Government Affairs Office at Tenable, Inc. Tenable helps organizations around the world understand and reduce their cyber risk. At Tenable, Jill advocates for smart cybersecurity policies for federal, state and local government agencies. Previously Jill was in the Government Affairs Office at Dell/EMC where she worked on cybersecurity, tax, and intellectual property policies. She also worked at McBee Strategic Consulting (now Signal Group) where she helped clients advance their policy and business priorities in D.C. and spent seven years in the U.S. Senate as a staff member for the Senate Appropriations Committee and as a legislative aide to Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD). She is a graduate of Duke University and Georgetown University Law Center.

Tamara Shoemaker
Founder of the Michigan CyberPatriot Program and Director Center for Cyber Security & Intelligence Studies
University of Detroit Mercy

After twelve years in the criminal justice world Tamara brought those talents to the Center of Academic Excellence with the Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency at the University of Detroit Mercy. An accomplished investigator and entrepreneur, Tamara handles all aspects of running the Center, coordinating all interactions with state and federal agencies, as well as international, educational and business contacts for the Center. She is also the President of the Michigan Midwest Regional Chapter of CISSE (MCISSE). As a founding Board Member of the Midwest CISSE Chapter, she has helped form partnerships with schools and industry, across the region. Her primary mission has been to address the critical shortage of specifically educated and trained Cyber Security professionals. Tamara Shoemaker has become an evangelist for the CyberPatriot Program, founding the Michigan CyberPatriot program to grow the number of teams participating across Michigan. In October of 2017 MCISSE was honored to become the 12th Center of Academic Excellence with the AFA National CyberPatriot program for the work Tamara spearheaded.  Funding for the Michigan CyberPatriot program has allowed the program to get training materials to Michigan’s K-12 educators, grow the CyberPatriot program and to set-up a the first in the country digital badging system for CyberPatriot participation.  CyberPatriot has allowed her to address the critical shortage of growing Michigan’s hometown cyber heroes.

Michael South
Americas Regional Leader, Security & Compliance Business Acceleration Team, World Wide Public Sector
Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Michael joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2017 as the Americas Regional Leader for Public Sector Security & Compliance out of Herndon, VA. He advises customer executives on how to build a strategy to achieve their business objectives and improve their security and compliance in the Cloud. His customers include national/federal governments, militaries, state/provincial governments, academic institutions, and non-profits from North to South America. Michael’s most notable leadership positions prior to AWS include the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the city of Washington, DC, the U.S. Navy’s Operations Officer for networks and telecommunications in Europe, the U.S. Navy’s Regional CISO in Asia, and the U.S. Navy’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Japan.

Amanda J. Stoel
Department Specialist
Michigan Department of Education

Amanda works with educational leaders across the state to explore the effective use of technology to support learning and learners.  It is her vision to bring awareness of, remove barriers to, and enhance the use of technology through authentic collaboration. Amanda administered Michigan’s largest state funded technology grant, the Technology Readiness Infrastructure Grant. She also administered the state’s first educational cybersecurity grant program 99k.  Amanda currently administers the FIRST Robotics, Minecraft: Education Edition, and Title IV-Effective Use of Technology grants. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Community Development from Central Michigan University.

Maria Thompson
State Chief Risk Officer
State of North Carolina, Dept of IT

Maria brings to the state over 20 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity. She served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and retired as the cybersecurity chief/information assurance chief for the Marine Corps. Since then, she has served in numerous security roles such as certification and accreditation (C&A) lead for the Multi National Forces – Iraq and senior security engineer in a joint military organization and federal agency. Maria joined the North Carolina Department of Information Technology in 2015 as the state’s first chief risk officer. Maria earned her bachelor’s degree in information systems management and also holds a master’s degree in information technology. Maria’s personal honors include receiving the 2007 National Security Agency’s prestigious Rowlett Award for individual achievement in information assurance. Additionally, she received the 2008 Office of Secretary of Defense Certificate of Excellence for the implementation of an IA strategy for the Information Assurance Workforce. Most recently, Maria was selected as a winner of the 2018 Triangle Business Journal Women in Business Tech Star award, 2018 State Scoop’s 50 Award - State Cybersecurity Leader and was a recipient of the 2019 NASCIO Thomas Jarrett Cybersecurity Scholarship and 2020 Government Technology Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers Award. Maria currently holds the following industry certifications: ISC2 CISSP, ISACA CRISC, National Security Agency IAM/IEM and ITIL v3.

Suleyman Uludag
Associate Professor
The University of Michigan - Flint

Suleyman Uludag obtained his Ph.D. in computer science. He is now an associate professor of computer science at the University of Michigan - Flint teaching cybersecurity and networking classes. His research interests have been around secure data collection, Smart Grid communications, Smart Grid privacy, Smart Grid optimization, demand response bidding privacy, denial-of-service in the Smart Grid, cybersecurity education and curriculum development, routing and channel assignment in Wireless Mesh Networks, Quality-of-Service (QoS) routing in wired and wireless networks, topology aggregation. More recently, his research focus has been on the Internet-of-Things devices, especially on developing intrusion detection systems against DDoS attacks against the Smart Grid using machine learning techniques. He has received a Teaching excellence award in 2010 and Research Excellence Award in 2020 at the University of Michigan - Flint.

Geanie Umberger
Executive Director
Purdue Cyber Apprenticeship Program (P-CAP)

Dr. Geanie Umberger is the Executive Director of the Purdue Cyber Apprenticeship Program (P-CAP) a DOL-funded program at Purdue University.  Dr. Umberger was the Assistant Vice President for Research, focusing on industry-academic research relationships, technology transfer, and economic development prior to joining the Purdue Polytechnic Institute as the Associate Dean for Engagement.  In addition to her academic experiences, Dr. Umberger worked for IBM and Lexmark International, REGISTRAT (Contract Research Organization), NIOSH, and Bristol Myers-Squibb.  She earned her doctorate degree in Anatomy and Neurobiology, MS in Public Health, and her Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky College.