CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE

2020 NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference Planning Committee

The NICE K12 Conference has a robust Planning Committee of constituents from Industry, Education, and Government consisting of the following members:

Committee Co-Chairs

JON Brickey - INDUSTRY CO-chair

Senior Vice President, Cybersecurity Evangelist, at Mastercard Operations & Technology (O&T)

Dr. Jon Brickey is Senior Vice President, Cybersecurity Evangelist, for Mastercard Operations & Technology (O&T). In this role, he leads the development of cybersecurity strategy, architecture, research, outreach, education/training/awareness, and tech scouting. Jon supports Corporate Security’s mission of delivering safety and security at the speed of business.

Before joining Mastercard, Dr. Brickey served in the Army on active duty for over 26 years and retired as a Colonel, holding a variety of leadership and technical roles in information systems management and cyberspace operations. In his last position, he served as the Army Cyber Institute Partner Relations Director for the National Capital Region. Previously, Jon held leadership positions in Cyber-related programs at the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command, Army Cyber Command, U.S. Northern Command, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Dr. Brickey earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a master’s degree in Science in Information Technology Management from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Information Systems from the University of Colorado Denver.

amanda keammerer - Industry co-chair

Chief Executive Officer, Javilud LLC

Amanda is the Chief Executive Officer of Javilud, transforming innovation at the intersection of technology, people, politics, and art through creative collaborations, signature events, and consulting services.

Previously, Amanda was the vice president of cybersecurity and director of CyberSecurity San Antonio at the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.  Before returning to Texas, Amanda worked for the Federal Chief Information Officer at the White House, led digital marketing projects at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and managed community relations at the LULAC National Office.

Amanda earned her MA in Global Communication with a double concentration in national security policy and information technology policy from The George Washington University. Amanda earned her BA in Russian from Smith College.  A proud San Antonio ISD graduate, Amanda serves on the Board of Directors for Family Service, the SAISD Foundation, and the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys) San Antonio affiliate.  Amanda is an Honorary Commander with the 502d Air Base Wing, and a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project.  Amanda was recently and nationally recognized as one of 40 Latino Next Generation Leaders in National Security & Foreign Policy.

lemi-ola erinkitola - Elementary educator co-chair

Founder at The Critical Thinking Child

An author and award-winning educator, Erinkitola is deeply passionate about empowering parents and their children. Her tutoring and consulting practice, The Critical Thinking Child LLC, provides parent coaching and fosters students’ academic achievement through the advancement of cognitive brain development and critical thinking skills. Her brain training boot camp program was featured on ABC News. Erinkitola is also the founder and Executive Director of the Children’s Reading Foundation of Greater Chicago. There, she collaborates with community partners to provide literacy support and free books while sharing a love of reading. Additionally, she currently serves as an Ambassador for By Kids For Kids (BKFK), helping to improve educational technology and promote innovation among today’s youth.  Erinkitola is an invited conference speaker at the local, national and international levels on early literacy, gifted education, cyber safety and critical thinking. Holding a Master’s degree from Rush University in Chicago, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois and specialized training in critical thinking from the University of Edinburgh, she is also the proud mother of three gifted children. In her spare time, she enjoys creating puzzles and traveling.

JOHN QUINN - K12 Educator co-chair

IT/STEM Instructor at Chicago Public Schools

John Quinn is a 16 year veteran cybersecurity/computer science educator serving with the department of career and technical education for Chicago Public Schools. John has a passion for implementing new STEM programs throughout his entire curriculum. John is a proud member of CS4all and Code.org and is currently a Cyber Patriot mentor. John was an Exemplary Teacher Award recipient in 2019 for career and technical education. John is passionate about engaging his students in many diverse learning opportunities.

Patrick Brown - k12 educator co-chair

Executive Director of STEM and CTE at Fort Sumwalt School District, St. Charles, MO

Patrick Brown is executive director of STEM and CTE for Fort Zumwalt School District in St. Charles MO. Patrick is passionate about engaging students in STEM and has worked to develop career-oriented pathways to ensure students are success-ready in K-12 and beyond. He has been actively involved with CTE technical centers, STEM, and CTE programs in education and local industries to bridge student’s experiences with skills they will need for the 21st century. He is also active in scholarship and has published numerous articles, presented at national and international conferences, and author of five books on best practices in STEM education.     

davina pruitt-mentle - Government co-chair

Lead for Academic Engagement at National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)

Dr. Davina Pruitt-Mentle serves as Lead for Academic Engagement of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Prior to joining NICE, she was a senior researcher and policy analyst for Educational Technology Policy, Research and Outreach (ETPRO) and served as the Co-PI for the National Science Foundation (NSF) supported National Cyberwatch Center (NCC). Previous to NCC leadership, she served as faculty within the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, and served as Director of Educational Technology Outreach within the College of Education at UMCP from 2001-2008. She has spent the past 20 years conducting research on student and educator cyberawareness, and developing programs to help increase the cybersecurity workforce pipeline. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Technology Policy from the University of Maryland, her M.Ed from Lynchburg College, and her B.S. from Virginia Tech. 

Committee Members

OSCAR ALIAGA

Associate Professor, University of South Florida

Dr. Oscar A. Aliaga is Associate Professor in the Career and Technical/Workforce Education program at the College of Education, University of South Florida. Prior to this position, he was the Career Pathways Coordinator for the Agency of Education in Vermont, where his main role was to develop a career pathways system for the K-12 educational system in the state. His work included the creation of a career pathway in cybersecurity that started in the Fall of 2020. He has been a Program Director and Research Associate with the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, both at the University of Louisville and the University of Minnesota.  He is the author of different publications.

NINA AMEY

Department Chair of Computer Technology aArapahoe Community College, Littleton, CO

Nina Amey is the Department Chair of Computer Technology at Arapahoe Community College, which covers 9 degrees and certificates in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems and Computer Network Technology.  She teaches Networking and Cybersecurity and has been active in the adult learning environment for more than 20 years. Nina holds certifications in CCNA R&S and CCNA Security. ACC’s Computer Network Technology/Network Security degree was recently awarded the Center for Academic Excellence -2Y designation.  Nina is the PI on an ATE/NSF grant and has also collaborated with Colorado State University to create transfer agreements for Cybersecurity and Secure Software Development students, to further enhance Colorado’s Tech Talent Pipeline.  

Edwin “Leigh” Armistead

President of Peregrine Technical Solutions

Dr Edwin “Leigh” Armistead is the President of Peregrine Technical Solutions www.gbpts.com, an SBA 8(a) certified, Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC), small disadvantaged business (SDB), operating with a primary NAICS code of 541513, under the $30.0M size standard.  In March 2013, we were recognized for our innovative efforts through a grant from York County (VA), and as a robust small business, Peregrine is a quite capable of meeting any IA requirements for staffing services, plus as we are supported by a dedicated service center with a recruiter, HR and accounting staff. In addition to our expertise in providing support on Cyber Security efforts to a variety of Federal agencies, we also own the only double-blind, peer-reviewed academic journal http://www.gbpts.com/content/jiw, on Information Warfare in the United States.  Titled the “Journal of Information Warfare”, we have collaborated over the last four years with the National Security Agency on a special edition.  Peregrine is the first corporation to develop a registered Cyber Apprenticeship – http://www.gbpts.com/content/cyber-apprenticeship, in the US, and we are expanding this capability in 2018 to include a specialization on Facility Related Control Systems (FRCS) curriculum with the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) toward a GICSP certification.

Brenda Burmeister

Internship Coordinator for Design And Technology Academy, San Antonio, TX

Former Cyber Patriots coach and currently the Internship Coordinator for Design And Technology Academy, a public magnet school in San Antonio, Brenda L Burmeister holds MFA Experimental Documentary Arts and a Certificate of Information Science and Information Studies from Duke University. She is also an Ambassador for Computer Science for All Teachers, a project of American Institute of Research to maintain a virtual space which helps promote, train, and support computational thinking and computer science in schools nationwide.

Finn Burmeister-morton

BSD Education Intern at La Vernia High School, San Antonio Texas

Finn Burmeister-Morton will attend the University of Texas San Antonio's honor college to major in computer science. He has received state awards in Cyber Patriots, Speech and Debate, Model United Nations, and Business Professionals of America's network design competition. Finn is looking forward to building technology skills and increased community involvement in his college career. He was the 2019 NICE K12 student keynote and looks forward to staying involved in this amazing organization!

Deanne Cranford-Wesley

Associate Dean, Davis iTEC Center/Cyber Security Center at Forsyth Technical Community College

Dr. Deanne Wesley is currently Associate Dean in the Davis ITEC/Cybersecurity Center at Forsyth Technical Community College. As an instructor she teaches Information System Security, Computer Forensics and Cisco Networking courses in the Business Information Technology Department. Recently she led the initiative on behalf of Forsyth Technical Community College to the prestigious designation of Center for Academic Excellent (CAE) for Information System Security and Cyber Programs. Additionally, Dr. Wesley has assisted with the development of Cyber curriculum for K12 stem initiatives and previously worked with the Cyber Curriculum Taskforce. Currently she works with the Department of Public Instruction on Cybersecurity initiatives in the State of North Carolina. Dr. Wesley has vast experience in online education, curriculum mapping, grant writing, research and program evaluation. She is a published author of various technology related articles. She holds a PhD in Education Leadership with a focus in Instructional Technology. She holds the following certifications: IC3, Security +, Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Instructor (CCAI).

Rita DoerR

Cyber Instructor at NSA National Cryptologic School's College of Cyber

Dr. Rita Doerr has been employed as a Computer Scientist with the National Security Agency for over 35 years.  She is currently a Cyber Instructor within NSA's National Cryptologic School's College of Cyber.  As such, Dr. Doerr is currently in a 3-year technical development program focusing on cybersecurity education and training

Deann Donohue

Director of Community Relations, Operations & Technology at Mastercard

Deann Donohue is Director of Community Relations, Operations & Technology with Mastercard. She is responsible for leading Mastercard’s mission of ‘doing well by doing good’ in the St. Louis region, managing volunteer initiatives and spearheading employee engagement in the local community. Deann is passionate about STEM and supports Mastercard’s signature STEM program, Girls4Tech, globally to help encourage more girls to join the STEM field. Prior to joining Mastercard, Deann spent 10 years in the non-profit sector in various roles of program development and advancement. 

Dwight Farris

IT/Cyber Faculty at Grand Canyon University

Dwight Farris, PhD, has an extensive IT/Cyber career and is interested in giving back to the cyber community as an educator.

amanda fitzgerald

Director of Public Policy at American School Counselor Association

Amanda Fitzgerald serves as the Director of Public Policy for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). She has worked for the association since 2003 in various capacities. While she serves as a liaison for community partnerships, she primarily focuses on government relations efforts for the national office. Amanda serves as a liaison for both congressional offices and the US Department of Education. Amanda earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University, a Master’s of Arts in School Counseling from The George Washington University in Washington, DC and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed the DC Education Policy Fellowship Program in 2010 and is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Association for Women in Government Relations.

Naganat Guru

Director of Partnerships at Bits N Bytes Cybersecurity Education Corporation

Naganat is an entrepreneur, finance and computer systems and audit professional with passion for cybersecurity awareness and education goals. Naganat volunteers for nonprofits and for profit startups.

Janet Hartkopf

Cyber Program Director at Chandler Unified

A Midwestern born, Arizona transplant, Ms. Hartkopf has been in public education since 2009. She has taught junior high through high school computer science, most recently teaching PLTW cybersecurity and serving as a master teacher for PLTW this last summer. She is currently serving as the Cyber Program Director for Chandler Unified, where they are implementing a four-year, dual enrollment cyber program. Ms. Hartkopf has spent the last five years immersing herself in clubs, conferences and meetups in preparation for teaching cybersecurity. It is her desire to give every student the opportunity to learn about cybersecurity to meet the employment need and create a more secure population. Ms. Hartkopf believes that we should work together, sharing resources, collaborating and connecting to ensure diversity and a secure pipeline of future cyber employees.

amber lindsay

President and CEO at iKeepSafe

Amber has an extensive portfolio of strategic work with corporate partners, schools, and organizations to develop nationwide initiatives, launch national prevention programs, and design best practices for youth protection and privacy. With a strong background in organizational leadership, strategic planning and youth protection, her gift is the ability to bring together various stakeholders to successfully work toward a common goal.

Prior to working at iKeepSafe, Amber served as the Manager of Marketing and Outreach for the NetSmartz Workshop, a program for The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and at The Constitution Project. Amber holds a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.

Mark Loepker

Director of Education at Cyber Center for Education and Innovation

Mark S. Loepker is a master practitioner in Information Assurance (IA) and International Partnerships with over 39 years of government experience. He excels at orchestrating dissimilar groups aimed at fostering consensus to solve the toughest cybersecurity challenges. Mr. Loepker held many Executive level leadership positions throughout his military and NSA careers.

Mr. Loepker is the Director of Education, Cyber Center for Education and Innovation, Home of the National Cryptologic Museum. He focuses on K-12 Cybersecurity initiatives that are tightly aligned with national cyber curriculum standards and ensures that the CCEI becomes a national resource addressing cyber workforce development. Mr. Loepker’s educational degrees include a Master in Business Administration – Quantitative Analysis, University of Missouri; Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology, Purdue University; Associate in Aviation Electronic Technology, Purdue University and numerous NSA technical, executive and legislative development programs.

Marian Merritt

Lead for Industry Engagement at National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)

Marian Merritt is the Lead for Industry Engagement for the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Marian has over 18 years of experience working in the cybersecurity industry. She previously was with Symantec Corporation as their Director of Cyber Education and Online Safety Programs. In that role, she created a cybersecurity career program for underserved young adults which launched in 2014. The Symantec Cyber Career Connection continues in partnership with non-profit workforce development organizations in several US locations. Marian attended Boston University’s Questrom School of Business for her undergraduate degree and holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Brandon Milanovich

Computer Science Teacher at Ardsley High School, Ardsley New York

Brandon Milonovich teaches computer science at Ardsley High School in Ardsley, NY. Brandon holds master’s degrees from Syracuse University, The College of Saint Rose, Teachers College, Columbia University and is a PhD Candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University studying mathematics education. His research interests include the flipped classroom, active learning environments, and computer science education. Brandon was a 2017 LHRIC TELL Outstanding Innovative Teacher Award winner and has presented at numerous state and national conferences.

Collin Newberry

Cyber Security Leader and DevSecOps Specialist at Yahara Software LLCy

Collin Newberry is an accomplished information security professional with over a decade of experience in working with information technology. Collin's experience includes installation and maintenance of networking systems, satellite communications, configuration and security of international networks, and teaching security principles to students and professionals through volunteering across southern Wisconsin. 

Mr. Newberry’s current role as a DevSecOps Specialist and Cyber Security Leader includes policy writing and review, organizing and coordinating IT Security initiatives such as design and deployment of DevSecOps CI/CD pipelines, reviewing application security, managing security awareness programs and Cloud Migrations.

Kevin Nolten

Director of Academic Outreach for the National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center (NICERC)

Kevin Nolten serves as Director of Academic Outreach for the National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center (NICERC). With 13+ years of education management experience, six of which in K-12 education, Kevin is responsible for the operations of NICERC, an organization funded by a multi-million-dollar federal grant, charged with developing STEM, cyber, and computer science curricula, professional development, and other resources for K-12 educators, school districts, and state departments of education across the country. Kevin’s visionary passion and philosophy has led to the expansion of Cyber Innovation Center’s workforce programs to communities across the county – all with the goal of developing the next-generation cyber-literate workforce through community engagement. Kevin has been appointed to the Education and Workforce Development Committee of the Louisiana Cyber Commission, as well as the Louisiana Education and Technology Strategy Task Force. Outside of Louisiana, Kevin has been a pivotal part of state level Computer Science and Cybersecurity initiatives. Prior to joining the Cyber Innovation Center, Kevin served as an Assistant Principal of a K-8 school in Louisiana. Kevin is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master’s in Business Administration.

Michael Quaissaunee

Chair of the Engineering and Technology Department and Director of Brookdale’s Cyber Center at Brookdale Community College

Professor Mike Qaissaunee is Chair of the Engineering and Technology Department andDirector of Brookdale’s Cyber Center at Brookdale Community College. At Brookdale, Mike has written and been awarded multiple National Science Foundation (NSF) grants and Department of Education (DoE) grants. The National Security Agency (NSA) has also provided support for GenCyber Cybersecurity camps for high school students in Summer 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Professor Qaissaunee co-authored a 10th grade Engineering and Technology textbook, has been active at his own campus and around the country in promoting the adoption of new technologies in and approaches to teaching and learning and has conducted workshops and presented keynote addresses at more than 60 conferences nationwide.

Qaissaunee is the recipient of the People Who Made a Difference in Security award from the SANS Institute, two Educator of the Year awards, and Brookdale’s Barringer award, which recognizes career contributions to the college.

Mike received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware (Newark, DE).

Randy Ramos

President and CEO of Global Business Solutions, Inc. (GBSI)

Randy Ramos is founder, president and CEO of Global Business Solutions, Inc. (GBSI), a Pensacola, Florida company that provides Information Technology, Cybersecurity and Enterprise Training services to DoD, Government and Commercial companies. 

Randy’s advocacy for graduating qualified cybersecurity professionals through high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to fill regional job vacancies is evident of GBSI’s technology innovations and his community engagement.  Transforming how Industry, Government and Academia collaborate in workforce development to achieve cradle-to-career success is fundamental to the region’s strategic initiative. 

felicia rateliff

Director of Operations & Programs at iKeepSafe

Felicia Rateliff wears many hats at iKeepSafe: developing curriculum and trainings, organizing events, creating content, and managing all programs. She has extensive experience in marketing for education and education technology organizations. She is passionate about promoting digital citizenship, internet safety, and cybersecurity in education. She is also a proponent of developing trainings and resources for educators, leaders, and students that promote a healthy, safe and diversity inclusive organizational culture.

Prior to entering the marketing and non-profit fields, Felicia taught a career and technical education graphic arts program for 8 years. She trained new Missouri CTE educators, helped to write statewide curriculum, and served as a SkillsUSA National Judge.

Felicia holds an MBA in Marketing, an MSM in Organizational Leadership and Change, and Missouri Secondary and Post-secondary Teaching Certification in Graphic Design, Commercial Art and Illustration. She is also a Yoga Alliance YTT200 certified yoga instructor.

David Raymond

Director at Virginia Cyber Range

Dr. David Raymond is Director of the Virginia Cyber Range, which provides infrastructure and courseware for hands-on cyberseucirty education in Virginia. He is also Deputy Director of Virginia Tech’s IT Security Lab and adjunct faculty in VT’s Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering where he teaches courses in networking and cybersecurity.

David Reddick

Executive Director at Gateway Higher Education Cybersecurity Consortium

David Reddick is executive director of the Gateway Higher Education Cybersecurity Consortium, a group of seven universities in the St. Louis area working together to improve the quality of education they are providing their cybersecurity students and the quality of students they are providing industry.

Karen Ribble

Assistant Director, Cyber Institute at Augusta University 

Karen Ribble currently serves as the Assistant Director, Cyber Institute, Augusta University (AU). As Assistant Director, Ms. Ribble assumes overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the institute including academic support, faculty development, financial operations, faculty recruitment, marketing and outreach. Prior to her tenure at Augusta University, she worked as K-12 Outreach Manager for a small start-up communications company and co-authored a school publication entitled, Consistent Communication Equals Parent Involvement. In addition to her experience in K-12 and higher education, she also has over ten years of corporate experience as a Network Administrator managing the upwards of $6.8 million in capital to support network implementation plans with the Fortune 100 telecommunications company, Verizon.

Kristi Rice

CTE Instructor at Spotsylvania High School

Kristi Rice is a career switcher finishing up her fourth year of teaching at Spotsylvania High School. She is currently teaching Virginia’s DOE courses, Cybersecurity Fundamentals (6302), Cybersecurity Software Operations (6304) and Advanced Cybersecurity Software Operations (6306). She is a co-writer of the Cybersecurity Curriculum for Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Kristi is currently the Germanna Regional Representative for the Virginia Business Educators Association and is on the Virginia Cyber Range K12 Advisory Board for the Northern Neck Region. Advisor to FBLA, GirlsGo Cyber Team and Cyber Knights Cybersecurity Club. She is also a member of the American Cyber League with the Quantico Hub. 

Tamara Shoemaker

Director for the Center for Cyber Security & Intelligence Studies at the 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 12 th 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.

Melody Stahl

Computer Science and Cybersecurity Teacher at North Point High School, Charles County, MD

Melody Stahl is a computer science and cybersecurity teacher in Charles County, Maryland.  She currently teaches courses from CISCO, a blended cybersecurity course and AP Computer Science A.

Her prior experiences include teaching for the Department of Defense in Panama, a curriculum developer and interactive designer for a contractor in Washington, DC and a national AP CSP facilitator for Code.org.  She earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Technology Leadership from George Washington University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of South Florida.

Amanda Stoel

Department Specialist at Michigan Department of Education

Amanda Stoel is a Department Specialist at the MDE. She 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, and continues to support the sustainability and growth of the project beyond the grant cycle. Amanda currently administers the FIRST Robotics, Cybersecurity, and Minecraft: Education Edition grants. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Community Development from Central Michigan University. Amanda's favorite role is as a wife and mother of two amazing kids!

ALLEN STUBBLEFIELD

Troy High School Cybersecurity Teacher and Coach

Allen has coached CyberPatriot since 2010 and has seen the program grow to 330 high school and 100 middle school students this year. The Troy High School students are fearless and truly enjoy learning new cybersecurity skills. As coach of the 2018 All-Service CyberPatriot national champions and the 2019 Open CyberPatriot national champions, Allen believes the best teams work hard after practice becoming true experts in their areas of expertise. We need every possible student to try out cybersecurity before graduating from high school so we can start to fill the vacancies in this vital national security field.

Tim Taylor

Vice President, Security Outreach and Research Team at Mastercard 

Tim is responsible for the delivery of the Security Awareness and Education program inside Mastercard to ensure all staff are security aware and able to provide an effective “human line” of security defense. He is also responsible for the Cyber Range team who provide dynamic environments for education, research and cyber defense competitions.

Thomas Trevethan

Curriculum Manager at Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy

Dr. Thomas J. Trevethan is currently the Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy Curriculum Manager. He is responsible for developing curriculum as well as educating high school and college faculty on global cybersecurity principles correlated to the Palo Alto Networks Security Operating Platform.

Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Thomas served as the Dean of Curriculum at ECPI University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is a former faculty member of the Computer and Information Sciences department where he taught cybersecurity courses to undergraduate and graduate students. Thomas is also a veteran who served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years. His military career consisted of multiple Aircraft Carrier tours throughout the Atlantic and Pacific fleets before retiring from the Space and Naval Warfare Center (SPAWAR) in Norfolk Virginia.

Jay Welk

Director of Career and Technical Education at Davis School District, Utah

Jay has served as the CTE Director for Davis School District for the past four years. Prior to that, he was a district curriculum specialist for two years and a high school mathematics teacher for 27 years.

In his capacity as CTE director, Jay works with ten high schools and 17 junior high schools in the development of IT courses and programs in the district. This includes being a member of the Wasatch Front North IT Pathway Board of the Talent Ready Utah Initiative, coordinated through the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). 

The Davis School District is in the process of developing a robust Cybersecurity program which involves all 27 of the district’s secondary schools.

Kate Whitaker

Communications and Outreach Manager at Cyber Florida

Kate Whitaker oversees communications and outreach for Cyber Florida, a statewide organization hosted by the University of South Florida and dedicated to cybersecurity education, outreach, and research. She has nearly twenty years of experience in higher education communications, specializing in sharing complex technical and scientific ideas with a broader audience to promote awareness, understanding, and discussion.

Tania Williams

Research Scientist at University of Alabama in Huntsville

Tania Williams oversees curriculum development and instruction of cybersecurity education courses and camps for the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education. A former teacher at Lauderdale County High School where she taught for 19 years, she achieved 2016’s and 2018’s Teacher of the Year Award. She holds a  M.S. in Cybersecurity, is a CyberPatriot mentor, and teaches Security+ prep courses. Her qualifications include Security+ certification, a State of Alabama Certificate of Teaching, and an EdS degree in Teacher Leader. 

Bradley Wolfenden

Business Development and Marketing Strategy at EmberSec

Based out of Boulder, CO, Bradley M. Wolfenden oversees business development and marketing strategy for EmberSec, a wholly-owned subsidiary of By Light Professional IT Services, LLC. Brad’s experience spans academia, government, and private industry with a focus on delivering products, programs, and services designed to develop and strengthen a well-qualified cyber workforce. From K12 to professional practitioners, Brad’s efforts drive increased awareness of cyber best practices, create new learning opportunities for students at all levels of proficiency, expand the capabilities of cyber teams, and have led to dynamic industry-academic-government partnerships.

Brad currently serves on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education’s (NICE) Leadership Council as the acting Co-Chair of the Competitions Subgroup.  He is also member of Microsoft’s Education Partner Advisory Council and volunteers his time to support youth organizations, such as Hour of Code, Cyber Patriot, and Beyond the Bell.