GovCon Wire
Your Direct Source for Government Contracting News
Recorded on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 1:00pm-3:30pm EST Virtual, ON24
In today’s cyber threat landscape, ransomware attacks are on the rise, phishing attempts are becoming more sophisticated and any vulnerability within an organization’s information technology environment can be exploited.
As the federal government and the Department of Defense sharpen their focus on bolstering the country’s cyber defenses, protecting critical data and fortifying IT infrastructure, agency leaders are working to adopt emerging technology and modernize outdated systems in order to stay a step ahead of potential attacks.
Join GovCon Wire Events for its Second Annual Defense Cyber Forum on July 12 to hear government and industry leaders discuss the DOD’s cyber capabilities, strategies, priorities and initiatives in the ever-changing digital world and in the future of defense.
Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Command will serve as keynote speaker. She will discuss ARCYBER’s information dominance, integrated electronic warfare and cyberspace operations as the command works to ensure our country’s cyber freedom and deny that of its adversaries.
As sector president, Tom has full executive responsibility for the Cyber Mission sector’s strategy development and execution, program performance, and growth objectives. The sector delivers full-spectrum cyber programs, information operations, and technical solutions that support intelligence, defense, and civil markets. Prior to joining Peraton, Tom spent 17 years at Northrop Grumman in a variety of leadership positions. Most recently, Tom served as vice president, Defense & Intelligence, where he led a line of business that provided secure information technology and mission solutions to defense, intelligence, and civil security customers. He previously led businesses supporting federal civilian, public safety, defense and intelligence customers, and served in senior functional staff positions associated with operations, technology, and strategy. Tom began his career at AT&T, where he held a variety of engineering and management positions of increasing scope and responsibility related to planning and operating optical networks. Tom is the executive sponsor of the Peraton Pride Alliance Employee Resource Group. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
Lt. Gen. Maria B. Barrett assumed command of U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) on May 3, 2022. A Massachusetts native, Barrett was commissioned as an Army second lieutenant via the Reserve Officers Traning Corps program in 1988 after graduating from Tufts University with a bachelor's degree in International Relations. Barrett’s previous assignments include tours as Deputy Director of Current Operations, J-3, United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM); Deputy Commanding General, Joint Force Headquarters—Cyber, ARCYBER; and Deputy Commander (Operations), Cyber National Mission Force, USCYBERCOM. She has commanded units at the company, battalion, brigade and command level, including service as Commander, 160th Signal Brigade, Third United States Army, and Commander, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, the position she held prior to commanding ARCYBER. Her joint assignments include service as Chief Information Officer/Director, J-6, United States Southern Command and Director, J-3, White House Communications Agency. She has served in Army assignments in the United States, Kuwait, the Republic of Korea, Germany and Saudi Arabia. She is a veteran of Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Barrett has also earned master's degrees in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (Eisenhower School), and in Telecommunications Management from Webster University. Her awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Defense Meritorious Service Medal (one oak leaf cluster); Meritorious Service Medal (three oak leaf clusters); Army Commendation Medal (one oak leaf cluster); Joint Service Achievement Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; and the Signal Regiment’s Bronze Order of Mercury.
Colonel Heather W. Blackwell is the Director of Cyberspace and Information Dominance, and Chief Information Officer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. She leads a staff and three subordinate units responsible for delivering strategic and enterprise-level cyberspace efforts to increase the U.S. Air Force's ability to provide combat forces to Combatant Commanders. Colonel Blackwell provides the strategic vision, policy, guidance and advocacy to drive the engineering and integration to build, extend, operate, secure and defend the Air Force portion of the Department of Defense global network. She is responsible to organize, train and equip cyberspace capability and communications for the command’s 35 wings, 1,000 aircraft, 12 bases and 242 worldwide operating locations with 156,739 total force military personnel. Colonel Blackwell graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1997. She has served in a variety of assignments to include: Commander of the 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB Mississippi, Commander of the 690th Cyberspace Operations Group at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, the Director of Legislative Affairs for U.S. Cyber Command, a National Security Fellow in the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, an Assistant Executive Officer for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and as an Air Force Legislative Fellow for Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) where she was responsible for his military and foreign relations portfolios. EDUCATION 1997 Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 2001 Masters of Information Systems Management, Hawaii Pacific University, Hawaii 2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2007 Masters of Business Administration, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 2008 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2009 Air Force Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C. 2010 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2015 National Security Fellow, Harvard University, Boston, Mass. ASSIGNMENTS 1. May 1997–May 1999, Assistant Chief, Communications and Information Division, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 2. May 1999–January 2001, Executive Officer to the Commander, 615th Air Mobility Support Group, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 3. January 2001–May 2001, Crew Commander, Network Operations and Security Center, Computer Net Defense Division, Lackland AFB, Texas 4. May 2001–January 2002, Flight Commander, Network Operations and Security Center, Computer Net Defense Division, Lackland AFB, Texas 5. January 2002–April 2003, Flight Commander, Network Operations and Security Center, Computer Net Operations Division, Lackland AFB, Texas 6. April 2003–November 2004, Executive Officer to the Commander, Eighth Air Force, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. 7. November 2004–August 2005, Base Communications Team Chief, Communications Directorate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia 8. August 2005–March 2007, Expeditionary Communications Team Chief, Communications Directorate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia. 9. March 2007–June 2008, ACC Communications Officer Functional Manager, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. 10. June 2008–December 2009, Air Force Legislative Fellow, Washington, D.C. 11. January 2010–April 2010, Air Force Liaison to U.S. Senate, Office of the Secretary of the United States, Washington,D.C. 12. April 2010–April 2012, Commander, 87th Communications Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey 13. April 2012–June 2014, Assistant Executive Officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 14. June 2014–July 2015, National Security Fellow, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts. 15. July 2015–July 2017, Commander, 690th Cyberspace Operations Group, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas 16. July 2017–May 2019, Director of Legislative Affairs, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. 17. May 2019–June 2021, Commander, 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Mississippi. 18. July 2021-present, Director of Cyberspace and Information Dominance, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley- Eustis, Virginia. MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 28, 1997 First Lieutenant May 28, 1999 Captain May 28, 2001 Major Jan. 1, 2007 Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2010 Colonel Aug. 1, 2015
Brigadier General Tina Boyd received her commission as a Signal Officer from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. She is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, Joint Combined Warfighter School, NATO Senior Officer Strategic Communications Course, Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms Staff Service School, the Battalion Brigade Signal Officer Course, the Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and Airborne School. Brigadier General Boyd’s previous assignments include: Commanding General, 335th Signal Command (Theater) (Provisional) and Army Central G6, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; Deputy Commanding General – Cyber, 335th Signal Command (Theater), East Point, Georgia; Chief of Staff for the 335th Signal Command (T); Commander, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command Army Reserve Element, Norfolk, Virginia; Deputy Chief of Staff G-6, 84th Training Command (Unit Readiness), Fort Knox, Kentucky; Deputy Chief of Staff G-6, Great Lakes Division, Fort Sheridan, Illinois; Deputy Chief of Staff G-6, 100th Division, Fort Knox, Kentucky; Garrison S-6, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; S-3, United States Army Forces Command Augmentation Unit, Fort McPherson, Georgia; Battle Command Staff Training Project Manager, 87th Division, Birmingham, Alabama; Executive Officer Current Operations C3, Coalition Forces land Component Command, Camp Doha, Kuwait; Chief Air Defense Signal Officer, G-3, Third Army, Fort McPherson, Georgia; Assistant S-1, Platoon Leader, and Signal Company Executive Officer 11th Air Defense Signal Battalion, Darmstadt, Germany. Brigadier General Boyd holds a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; a Masters of Business Administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia; and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. Her awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (with oak leaf cluster), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), and the Parachutist Badge. The majority of Brigadier General Boyd’s civilian professional career has been with The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, GA, as a program manager with the Innovation Operations Directorate. She most recently resided in Prospect, KY with her husband Jim and daughter Sophia.
Christopher “Chris” Cleary is the Vice President of ManTech’s Global Cyber Practice. He directs the technical strategy to expand and enhance ManTech’s cognitive cyber innovation and capabilities business. He joined ManTech after previously serving as The Department of the Navy’s Principal Cyber Advisor and Chief Information Security Officer, respectively. Mr. Cleary has deep expertise in the public and private sectors and the military with more than 25 years of experience driving enterprise Cyber and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) innovation. He has a proven track record of accelerating technology innovation, driving revenue growth and increasing market expansion for multi-billion-dollar corporations including Leidos, Sparta (now Parsons) and Verizon. Mr. Cleary has hands-on experience managing critical Cyber programs for U.S. Cyber Command, the Intelligence Community and other key branches of the government. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in history and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War college.
MG(R) Kirk F. Vollmecke specializes in defense acquisition and procurement management culminating in a 35-year Army career as the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors. As the PEO, Kirk was the senior executive responsible for the acquisition life-cycle and portfolio management of over 90 major defense programs with an annual spend budget of $3 billion. His product development and life-cycle management activities spanned aircraft survivability, biometrics, electronic warfare, offensive cyber, space, assured-position, navigation & timing (A-PNT), national intelligence systems, force protection, TENCAP, aerial intelligence surveillance platforms, and ground target acquisition sensors. MG(R) Vollmecke is highly skilled in strategic planning, program management, manufacturing/acquisition logistics, procurement, contract administration, business management, and security assistance. He has over 28-years of acquisition and cross-functional leadership assignments. Kirk is extremely versatile and possesses in-depth knowledge about federal/DOD contracting and the Government sector’s services. His strengths include creating strategic plans, enabling business process re-engineering, and implementing adaptable acquisition programs. He has cultivated strategic partnerships and relationships across the military as well as the broader Intelligence Community, Industry, and Congress. MG(R) Vollmecke ran the largest security assistance program in the Defense Department. As the Deputy Commanding General for the Combined Security Transition Command- Afghanistan (CSTC-A), he focused on requirements development, inter-agency procurement and logistics coordination, and NATO trust project management activities in efforts to improve, train, and support the Afghanistan National Defense Forces. Prior to his Afghanistan deployment, Kirk’s portfolio and systems management expertise was proven as the Deputy for Systems Management working for the Army’s Acquisition Executive. He tackled troubled programs and modernization strategies across various sub-segments and oversaw major equipment procurements to fulfill wartime requirements in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before returning to the Washington DC, MG(R) Vollmecke was the Commanding General of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command. This buying command provided essential contracting solutions and contract administrative services to all Army commands and installations across the Continental U.S. MG(R) Vollmecke as a newly promotable Brigadier General helped to manage the Army’s $120 billion procurement system providing global, wartime, and international procurement support. Before returning to the Army’s secretariat, Kirk served on the Joint Staff as the J-8 Capabilities and Acquisition Division Chief and prior to that assignment as the Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency Iraq/Afghanistan providing contract administrative services directly supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kirk has had other program and contract management assignments spanning product development, manufacturing and global sustainment and held a number of positions overseeing classified and sensitive programs. MG(R) Vollmecke is a member of the NACD and completed Corporate Board of Directors training. Kirk graduated from Centre College of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Management and English. He is a 2015 Distinguished Alumnus and member of the President’s Advisory Council. He has a Master of Science in Management from the Naval Postgraduate School with his concentration in Systems Management and Acquisition. In addition, MG(R) Vollmecke has a Master of Science in Defense Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Kirk is a Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) as well as a member of the National Contract Management Association and Program Management Institute respectively. Kirk has completed the Executive Program Manager course as well as being DOD Level 3 certified in the Program and Contract Management fields.
1:00pm - 1:05pm EST
Opening Remarks
1:05pm - 1:40pm EST
Keynote Address
1:40pm - 2:40pm EST
Panel Discussion
2:40pm - 2:45pm EST
Closing Remarks
