CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Cori Araza serves as Senior Project Director for K12 STEM Outreach at Grand Canyon University, where she delivers professional development in STEM instruction and best practices in teaching and learning through technology. Through the GCU College of Engineering and Technology, she leverages university programs to enhance K12 technology education. She holds a Phd in psychology with an emphasis in technology and learning and has an extensive background in K12 Edtech and software project management.

Susana Barraza is the Program Manager for NICE at NIST. Susana received earned an Associates of Science in Business Administration and an Associates of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies- Social and Behavioral Sciences. Then transferred to California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) where she received bachelor’s in Economics with a minor in Business Administration.

Cathleen Barton consults on workforce and economic development, specializing in business/education partnerships and high tech apprenticeships. Current projects include developing and facilitating a youth apprenticeships in cyber security with The Center for the Future of Arizona’s Pathways to Prosperity early college and career high school initiative and supporting the ASU AZNEXT DOL grant to develop 1600 IT, Cyber and Data Analytics apprenticeships. Cathleen Chairs the Workforce Development and Education Committee for the Arizona Technology Council, serves on the Cybersecurity Committee and is on the Advisory Board for Opportunity for Youth.

Bobbie Bastian is a Computer Science teacher at FutureForward at Bollman in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, where she teaches AP Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Networking I & II, and Computer Science Projects. Bobbie holds a BS in Computer Information Systems, a MA in Education, and a Certificate in Cybersecurity. She has over 17 years of teaching experience. Bobbie received the 2023 Cyber.org Educator Award and the Colorado NCWIT Educator Award. She is the President-elect for the ETMA division of the CACTE. Bobbie is the chair of the Colorado Computer Science Review and Revisions Committee and was a member of the K-12 Cybersecurity Learning Standards Committee. Bobbie is passionate about Computer Science and Cybersecurity.

Fran Bromley-Norwood is honored to be the President of the Engineering and Technology Education Division (ETED) within the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). ETED has four areas of interest, Art, Media, and Entertainment, Esports, IT, and STEM. Fran has the privilege of sharing her knowledge of computer science and cybersecurity with students, teachers, administrators, and industry professionals.

Dwight Farris holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, a M.S. in Informational Technology, a M.S. in Educational Technology, and a Ph.D. in Psychology. He was employed as a systems engineer, programmer, systems analyst, database administrator (DBA), and engineering manager for almost 25 years. Dr. Farris has taught at GCU since 2016 and currently serves as the lead faculty for cybersecurity.

Amanda Fitzgerald serves as the Assistant Deputy Executive Director 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 earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University, a Master of Arts in School Counseling from The George Washington University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tim Freitas is an Instructional Technology Specialist with an interest in Cybersecurity. He currently coaches high school and middle school students on the school's Cyber Koa teams, who compete in CyberPatriots and the National Cyber League. He loves to see kids learn and explore opportunities in Cybersecurity. He looks forward to learning how other coaches/teachers integrate Cyber into non-traditional science, math, and business courses. He always enjoy attending the NICE K-12 conference to learn and make connections with other like-minded teachers.

Ashley Greeley is the K12 Project Lead in the Center for Education, Innovation, and Outreach at the National Cryptologic University at the NSA. Currently she serves as the team lead for the GenCyber program and secondary NCAE-C pathway programs.

Janet Hartkopf is with Chandler Unified School District in Arizona. She is currently the district Cybersecurity Outreach Coordinator and has been managing the four-year, dual enrollment cyber program since its inception in 2019. She has been in education for over 15 years, teaching 7 - 12 computer science and cybersecurity. She is one of the 2022 Passport to Cybersecurity award recipients from TeachCyber. Her passion is to see education and industry partner together to build the cybersecurity pipeline.

Willie Henderson is the Director of Outreach at CYBER.ORG in Bossier City, LA. A doctoral candidate at LSU-Shreveport, he holds a Master of Education from Texas A&M-Commerce and a bachelor’s in biology from Millsaps College. With over 25 years in public education at Title I schools, he has served as a STEM teacher, Master Teacher, and Campus Administrator. As a former Cyber Education Specialist, he led the Louisiana-based HBCU Project

Nikki Hendricks is a Senior Cybersecurity Education Specialist at The University of Texas at Austin's Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC). She taught high school Cybersecurity and Computer Science at Lake Travis ISD and holds a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. Nikki creates and delivers professional development for cybersecurity educators, designs curriculum for CompTIA Security+ certification, and collaborates with state and national entities to promote cybersecurity education. She holds several industry certifications including CompTIA CySA+, Security+, Network+, and the Project+ Nikki contributed to the national K12 cybersecurity standards, educated congressional members on K12 cybersecurity education through her position on the CompTIA National CTE Advisory committee, and developed cybersecurity pathways from secondary to postsecondary education as part o

Curiosity Building Confidence is my classroom motto! Giving students opportunities to find their passion is exciting. My students thrive on building their learning and skills through Cyber competitions and activities. I am a strong advocate, with much success getting high school seniors into our local business community doing Cybersecurity work. I lead Iowa CS PD week classes, present at numerous conferences, and currently serve as the Iowa CSTA Vice-President since 2018. I have been recognized locally as a 2022 Gold Star Teacher, statewide by Technology Association of Iowa as Iowa's Prometheus Educator Award in 2022, and CSTA's Infosys Foundations Regional Teaching Excellence Award in 2023. To learn more about my classroom follow me on LinkedIn, I am always ready to try new ideas.

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.

Melissa Milanak has been key in developing and writing the cybersecurity and Esports curriculum implemented in the course of programs at the River Valley STEAM Academy. ​

With 28 years of teaching experience, she is currently the school's lead cybersecurity instructor and apprenticeship leader. ​

She has taught various computer programming, information technology, cybersecurity, video productions, and business-related courses throughout her career. She is a certified Canvas Instructor, Google Certified, and a cybersecurity Project Lead the Way Instructor. ​

Dr. Davina Pruitt-Mentle serves as Lead for Academic Engagement of the NICE Program 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 over 20 years conducting research on student and educator cyberawareness, and developing programs to help increase the STEM and 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.

As Director and Operations and Programs for iKeepSafe, the host of the NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference, Felicia has been the primary organizer of the event for the past eight years. 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. 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, mom, partner, dog mom, and keyboard and vocalist in her band, the Habaneros.

David Raymond, Ph.D., is Director of the Virginia Cyber Range, a state-wide resource that provides resources for cybersecurity education in Virginia high schools and colleges. He also runs the U.S. Cyber Range, which provides similar services nationwide. David has taught undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity courses at West Point and Virginia Tech, and has been involved in K12 cybersecurity curriculum development for several years. He has led Virginia Tech’s GenCyber teacher camps each year since 2016.

Tamara’s current mission has been to address the critical shortage of specifically educated and trained Cyber Security professionals. She has become an evangelist for the CyberPatriot Program, and founded the Michigan CyberPatriot program to grow the number of teams participating across Michigan.

My name is Grant Stoebner. I teach Cybersecurity, which includes network design, programming, defense of a network, and attack of a network. I received my undergraduate from Washington State University, my first Master of Science in Information Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School, and my second and third Master of Science from the University of Advancing Technology in Software Engineering and Cybersecurity. I retired from the US Army in 2015, where I worked as a senior planner at US Army Cyber Command. I am married and have one phenomenal kiddo who plays hockey here in Clarksville.

Ben Syn is a cybersecurity enthusiast, seasoned educator, and astute IT professional at KnowBe4, noted for his technical prowess and educational impact. Starting as a CompTIA-certified A+ technician, he quickly gained Network+ and Security+ certifications, even achieving the CySA+ certification. At KnowBe4, he rapidly progressed from Core to Advanced Support Technician, driven by his passion for security awareness and culture. Now, as the Director of University and Career Education, Ben combines his IT expertise with his background as an award-winning English instructor and textbook author at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He's been recognized for pioneering online courses and mentoring student research featured in academic forums. Dedicated to blending education, technology, and innovation, Ben aims to enhance cybersecurity through storytelling and lifelong learning.

Dr. Thomas Trevethan is currently the Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy Academic Program Director. He is responsible for developing academic cybersecurity programs as well as educating faculty on global cybersecurity principles correlated to the cybersecurity workforce. Thomas also serves as Chair of the NIST/NICE K-12 Community of Interest or COI.

Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Thomas served as University Dean of Curriculum in Virginia and was a faculty member in the Computer and Information Sciences department teaching cybersecurity courses to undergraduate and graduate students.

Thomas is also a veteran who served in the U.S. Navy. 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.

Charles Wang is a Computer Science and Cybersecurity educator with a background in Biomedical Engineering (B.S.) and Computer Science (M.S., in progress). He grew his CS program to require hiring an additional full-time teacher, and his students have won multiple state and national competitions. Charles' personal educational interests are rooted in the applications of computer science to modern problems and he is committed to developing curricula that allow students to apply their knowledge in meaningful, personalized ways.

Amber C. Williamson is a passionate cybersecurity doctoral candidate and educator in Atlanta, Georgia. She advocates for exposure to minorities in cybersecurity and computer science education through secondary education and historically black colleges and universities. Amber is a valuable resource to the community to provide insight into cybersecurity resiliency.

Currently residing in Round Rock, TX, Sylvia has been a classroom teacher for more than 30 years. She serves as a AP CSA reader and is a Chapter Leader for the CSTA Central Texas Chapter. In addition to teaching the new AP Career Kickstart Cyber Courses, she also sponsors the CyberPatriot Teams, Computer Science Honor Society, Girls Who Code Club, and FIRST Robotics teams. In 2023, Sylvia was named the Cybersecurity Pathways Teacher of the Year by Teach Cyber.