Chris Tonn
Pelican Drones, Inc. - Owner and Founder
Chris Tonn is the owner and founder of Pelican Drones, Inc. established in 2014. Chris graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor's Degree in Business with a focus on Sales and Marketing. Pelican Drones is the culmination of a personal life dream to live on the beach and work where others vacation.
Pelican Drones was the first FAA-approved company on the gulf coast and operates with an incident-free flight record.
Chris came from the telecom industry working as the Director of Sales for Preway Sales, a southeastern based wholesale industry conglomerate and has extensive experience in the production of large consumer events as well.
https://www.pelicandrones.com
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Pelican Drones, Inc. - Owner and Founder
Alan Gray
Pelican Drones, Inc. - Director of Sales & Advancement
Alan Gray is the Director of Sales & Advancement for Pelican Drones is a licensed urban planner from Pensacola, Florida. He is a GIS specialist and also works in urban design, development programming, and transportation planning. He graduated from the University of Alabama with an undergrad and a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning.
Alan has worked on both sides of the table as a public sector regulator and private sector developer for hundreds of projects. His community connections have led to some very interesting projects for Pelican Drones.
https://www.pelicandrones.com
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Pelican Drones, Inc. - Director of Sales & Advancement
Thad Phillips
Baptist Health Care - Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Dr. Phillips is a seasoned healthcare IT information security professional, as well as an operational technical infrastructure service Director. He is a graduate of UAB's MSHA, MSHI, MBA programs. Thad began his PhD studies in Health Systems Management at Tulane in 2004 prior to Hurricane Katrina and evacuated to Mobile, AL hours before the storm, where he continued and completed his education over the next 7 years while working full time in Healthcare IT Security and Operations at the University of South Alabama Health System.
Dr. Phillips began his current position with Baptist Health Care in Pensacola, FL in 2018 as the enterprise Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Most recently, he has been given an additional role as the Interim IT Director of Technical Infrastructure Services. He brings 20+ years of applicable Administration/Information Technology operations experience to his teaching as an adjunct faculty member with both Tulane University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
https://www.ebaptisthealthcare.org
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Baptist Health Care - Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Lydia Rowland
Baptist Health Care - Healthcare Recruiter - Talent Acquisition
Lydia Fleming Rowland is an HR professional with more than 15 years of experience in all areas of Human Resources, including training and development, employee relations, and most recently talent acquisition. She has worked in several industries, including telecom, insurance and healthcare. Currently, as a member of the Baptist Health Care Talent Acquisition team, Lydia supports allied health departments, administrative positions for the physician enterprise group, and professional departments, including information technology. A graduate of the University of Montevallo, Lydia has a degree in Mass Communications and received her Professional in Human Resources certification in 2007.
https://www.ebaptisthealthcare.org
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Baptist Health Care - Healthcare Recruiter - Talent Acquisition
Christopher Williams
Hand Arendall, LLC - Attorney
Christopher Williams is a member in the firm’s commercial litigation section. Chris has a diverse litigation practice that includes construction, business and toxic tort, cybersecurity, privacy, environmental, and real property litigation. Chris has defended businesses in premises liability, transportation, personal injury, fraud, and other torts. Finally, Chris has experience defending municipalities and other governmental entities, as well as complex and class action litigation. He is licensed to practice law in Alabama and Florida.
Chris has a developing practice in the area of cybersecurity and privacy. Chris has worked with clients that have fallen victim to spear phishing attacks, ransomware, man-in-the-middle e-mail schemes, wire instruction fraud, and other computer security breaches. He has advised clients on policies and procedures to minimize cybersecurity vulnerability, has served as breach counsel for multiple clients following a breach, and has assisted clients in crafting notices for compromised personal information in accordance with state and federal laws. He has also been involved in litigation involving data breach.
He grew up in Mobile, attending McGill-Toolen Catholic High School and Spring Hill College. Chris was the SGA Senior Class President at Spring Hill, and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English. He received his J.D., magna cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where he was on Law Review and competed in two national trial advocacy competitions. He is a member of the Order of Barristers, and was named a Crowe Scholar upon graduation from Loyola.
Chris lives on the Eastern Shore with his wife, Creagh, who is a registered nurse, and sons Bennett and Cullen. He is an active participant in the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program, volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mobile, and is a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Fairhope.
http://www.handarendall.com/index.php
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Hand Arendall, LLC - Attorney
James L. Nielsen, M.D., FACS
Baptist Health Care - Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO)
Dr. Nielsen serves as Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO) for all of Baptist Health Care. He serves four major capacities regarding health information technology (HIT) 1) physician training and EHR adoption, 2) registry and data analytics support, 3) governance and leadership, 4) planning and system design. He serves as the key contact for employed and affiliated practice providers associated with BHC in hospital, ambulatory and physician practice settings of care. He also coordinates and collaborates with the Chief Nursing Officer and the Associate Chief Nursing Officers, and works with the Vice President and Chief Information Officer with support from the SVP Chief Transformation Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs.
Dr. Nielsen obtained his medical degree at the University of Iowa and completed his General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He is Board Certified in Thoracic Surgery and General Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He holds licenses in Florida, Alabama and Texas.
https://www.ebaptisthealthcare.org
About James L. Nielsen, M.D., FACS
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Baptist Health Care - Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO)
Lakisha Hall
IBM - Director, Data and AI Expert Labs & Learning, North America
Lakisha R. S. Hall is Director of Delivery in North America for the newly formed Data and AI Expert Labs and Learning organization. Her team is responsible for the execution and implementation of solutions and services for a combined Data and AI portfolio.
https://www.ibm.com/us-en/?ar=1
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IBM - Director, Data and AI Expert Labs & Learning, North America
Rob Wilson
Wilson Digital Health Consulting - Founder and CEO
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Wilson Digital Health Consulting - Founder and CEO
Will Ussher
Navy Federal Credit Union - Campus Recruiting Program Manager, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition
Will has over 10 years of experience in recruiting. He joined Navy Federal Credit Union in May 2011 as a Recruiter on the Talent Acquisition team. He has supported a variety of business units with hiring over the years. In July 2014, Will transferred from our headquarters campus in Vienna, VA to Pensacola. FL.
Currently, Will manages our campus recruiting/outreach programs in developing strategies to identify candidates for opportunities at the credit union and promoting Navy Federal as an employer of choice. He serves as a trusted advisor to our business partners and brand ambassador in helping individuals secure a career at the world’s largest credit union.
Prior to Navy Federal, Will worked at a Nonprofit HR, a human resources consulting firm in Washington, DC which specializes in staffing services.
He earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Old Dominion University in August 2007.
During his spare time, he enjoys relaxing with family and friends, traveling, and is passionate about sports.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamussherii/
https://www.navyfederal.org/
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Navy Federal Credit Union - Campus Recruiting Program Manager, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition
Tara Blakley
Navy Federal Credit Union - Recruiter III, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition
Tara has over four years of experience in recruiting. She joined Navy Federal Credit Union in January 2009 as a Delinquency Control Counselor under the Collections Division, and worked in various roles before transitioning over to Talent Acquisition in 2014. She has supported a variety of business units with hiring over the years, ranging from Branch, Real Estate Lending, Human Resources, Administrative Services, and Consumer Lending.
Currently, Tara recruits for our Information Services Division. She serves as a trusted advisor to our business partners and brand ambassador in helping individuals secure a career at the world’s largest credit union.
During her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé and son, being on the water, and cheering for the Florida Gators!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-blakley-cir-506628b2/
https://www.navyfederal.org/
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Navy Federal Credit Union - Recruiter III, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition
Patrick Houghton
ActiGraph - Senior Vice President of Operations
Patrick Houghton is the Senior Vice President of Operations for ActiGraph in Pensacola, FL.
ActiGraph is a leading provider of wearable physical activity and sleep monitoring solutions for the global pharmaceutical and scientific community. ActiGraph’s medical-grade accelerometry monitors are the most widely used and extensively validated devices of their kind and their CentrePoint software technology platform provides the most comprehensive data monitoring, analysis, and management in the pharmaceutical clinical trials industry.
Patrick has 12 years of experience working with software systems and cloud technology in the Pensacola area. Over the course of his career, he has transitioned from working as a software developer to directing software and electrical engineering teams to working as an executive leading day to day operations and future planning. He has a Bachelor's in Computer Science and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of West Florida.
https://www.actigraphcorp.com/
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ActiGraph - Senior Vice President of Operations
John Myers
Navy Federal Credit Union - Vice President of Cybersecurity
John Myers was born in Ft. Wayne, IN and raised in Niles, MI. He is a 1990 graduate from Purdue University. Upon graduation, John was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy in 1991. Prior to coming onboard NFCU, John served on active duty for 20+ years and as a civilian employee for the National Security Agency for five years. During his 25+ years of government service, John led award winning teams ranging in size from five team members to 2000 Sailors. Currently, John is NFCU’s Vice President of Cybersecurity leading a 70+ team ensuring potential security incidents are identified, analyzed, defended, investigated and reported. He is married with two awesome children. John and his family currently live in Leesburg, VA.
https://www.navyfederal.org/
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Navy Federal Credit Union - Vice President of Cybersecurity
Ali Sontag, SHRM-CP
Zix/AppRiver - Recruiting Specialist
Ali is an experienced Recruiting Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. She has been on the Zix/AppRiver Human Resources team for three and a half years. After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Florida, she moved back to the Pensacola are to join the Zix/AppRiver team.
Currently, she recruits global talent for Zix/AppRiver departments, working with teams and leaders from across the organization. She loves connecting people to careers, and has enjoyed being a part of the growth and expansion of the company over the years.
She’s been involved with ITEN Wired for the last three years as a volunteer and a recruiter and loves the community and learning opportunities the conference provides each year to local and regional tech professionals.
https://www.appriver.com/
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Zix/AppRiver - Recruiting Specialist
Brent Hutfless
Wind Creek Hospitality - IT Security Director
Brent leads the information security program for Wind Creek Hospitality, the gaming and hospitality enterprise of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Wind Creek employs 7000 team members at a variety of hotel, casino, dining, shopping, and entertainment venues located throughout Alabama, Pennsylvania, Florida, Nevada, Aruba, and Curacao. His security experience spans 25 years, and includes leadership roles at a Top 100 US Federal contractor and US Navy headquarters-level commands. A graduate of Troy University and UWF, he holds degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering and certificate in Medical Informatics. Passionate about security and technology, he enjoys research, presenting, writing, mentoring, and collaborating with others on innovative business solutions.
https://windcreekhospitality.com/
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Wind Creek Hospitality - IT Security Director
Thkisha (DeDe) Sanogo
MyTAASK - Founder & CEO
Thkisha (DeDe) is the Founder & CEO of MyTAASK a social media platform for personal planning productivity. She has been featured in many publication but notable selected to be in a documentary called Funded the Movie which will be released in 2020. She is the host of the Panoptic-PM podcast which tells the backstories of how people plan. Last year, she was selected to participate in a week look exchange by Google for Startup to help launch a sustainable tech business and is a most recently a graduate of Founder Gym.
DeDe is a project management practitioner and currently works as a consultant in the Project Management Office at AMNS . She has a variety of experience managing projects in education, aerospace, workforce development and healthcare management. DeDe is a member of the Project Management Institute, holds a Masters Degree's in Project Management, Public Administration, Health Administration, and a BBA in Marketing. She loves to support women who wish to start their own technology company one day. She is married to her college sweetheart of 15 years and they have 3 brilliant children 11, 9, and 8. She loves tinkering with tech, archiving family history, and taking random photos.
https://mytaask.com
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MyTAASK - Founder & CEO
Steve Sarros
Baptist Health Care - Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Steve Sarros is a vice president and the chief information officer (CIO) at
Baptist Health Care in Pensacola, Florida. Baptist Health Care recently implemented a complete Allscripts enterprise electronic health records (EHR) system that includes information technology (IT) solutions for patient engagement, population health, physician practices and hospital operations. The new system also manages the clinical and revenue cycle systems. As CIO, Steve, with the enterprise IT team, engaged the entire organization and built the case for Allscripts adoption that changed the tools every caregiver uses to care for patients.
Steve possesses extensive knowledge and substantial experience in healthcare IT. He has spent the last 25 years in roles of progressive responsibility. Steve served as an IT executive at Catholic Health Partners and Spectrum Health System prior to joining Baptist in2012. Steve earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Purdue University.
Baptist includes three hospitals, four medical parks, Andrews Institute for Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine, Lakeview Center, Baptist Medical Group and Cardiology Consultants. The organization employs more than 6,500 team members and is the largest non-governmental employer in northwest Florida.
http://www.ebaptisthealthcare.org/
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Baptist Health Care - Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Tommi Lyter
Pensacola Police Department - Chief of Police
Tommi Lyter was appointed Chief of Police by Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward III on May 11, 2017. He was named Acting Chief of the Pensacola Police Department on May 6, 2017, one day after the previous Chief of Police - David Alexander III - retired. Chief Lyter began his career with the Pensacola Police Department when he was hired as a police officer in August 1990. He was promoted to sergeant in 2003, promoted to lieutenant in 2006, to captain in 2014, and to Assistant Chief on July 16, 2015. Among his assignments have been Uniform Patrol, Investigations, Neighborhood Services, TAC, SWAT, K-9, Dive Team, and Field Training Officer. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. Chief Lyter has received three bronze crosses, one unit citation, two Chief’s Awards, and one meritorious service award. His department responsibilities have included project manager for body cameras and a citywide surveillance system. He is on the Board of Directors for the Esca-Rosa Coalition on the Homeless and is a former board member of the Community Drug and Alcohol Coalition, volunteers with the Make a Wish Foundation, is a past president and current member of the First Judicial Law Enforcement Association, volunteers with Fiesta Forces, is a committee member of the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, and works closely with neighborhood associations and Crime Watch groups.
https://www.cityofpensacola.com/733/Pensacola-Police-Department
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Pensacola Police Department - Chief of Police
Bill Hills
Retired EVP/CIO Financial Industry
Bill Hills’ more than 40 year career in industry and consulting has focused on leading and supporting sustainability, growth and transformation for industry-leading companies including Chase Econometrics, Johnson & Johnson, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Xansa, PLC, and, most recently, Navy Federal Credit Union. Bill retired retired in 2019 after being with the credit union for 10 years and serving as its Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for the last 5 years.
Mr. Hills’ is a consummate leader with a proven track record of blending effective business processes with practical information technology solutions to improve corporate performance. His multidisciplinary background includes extensive experience in developing applications on a wide-range of platforms, driving innovation for competitive advantage, and affecting large-scale organizational transformation to improve operational and business efficiency and effectiveness.
Mr. Hills was named a ComputerWorld Premier 100 IT Leader in 2016 and a Constellation 150 Business Transformation Leader in 2018. Under Mr. Hills’ leadership, Navy Federal was named a ComputerWorld Best Places to Work in IT organization in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In addition, the project management office that Mr. Hills formally created in 2013 was named PMO of the year by The Project Management Institute in 2015.
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Retired EVP/CIO Financial Industry
Lloyd Reshard
Cognitive Big Data - CEO
Lloyd Reshard serves as both the CEO for Cognitive Big Data Systems Inc. an award-winning AI computer vision technology startup. In April of 2012, Mr. Reshard retired after 26 years with the Air Force Research Laboratory, where he spent his last six years as the Chief of the Munitions Aerodynamics Sciences Branch. There, Mr. Reshard managed one of the largest branches with 34 employees, and executed $250M in programs in six years, averaging over $40M annually. He initiated and collaborated in over $10M in research to investigate alternative ways to process data in real-time and found that AI using artificial neural networks was the number one way, followed by reconfigurable computing. His passion and drive lead to the founding of one of NSF most successful centers, the Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing.
He currently serves on the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Committee at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is a national award-winning engineer, his recognitions include Black Engineer of the Year Award for Career Achievement Government (2009), the DoD Civilian Meritorious Service Award for the Global War on Terrorism (2009), the General Lester L. Lyles Award for employee mentoring (2010), the National Science Foundation’s Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing Vision Award (2008) and the Air Force Material Command NAACP Award (2007) for promoting diversity in the workplace.
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Cognitive Big Data - CEO
Christian Garman
Innovation Institute University of West Florida - Director, Innovative Program Development
Christian Garman is the director of Innovative Program Development at the University of West Florida Innovation Institute. He specializes in design thinking, using the Institute's trademarked IDEA method to bring transformative, innovative change to any challenge. Christian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts/Telecommunications and Film from the University of West Florida and is currently earning his Master's degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership from UWF. He's projected to graduate from the program in the spring of 2020. Prior to his work at UWF, Christian was the morning meteorologist at WEAR TV in Pensacola for 20 years.
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Innovation Institute University of West Florida - Director, Innovative Program Development
Dr. Dallas Snider
University of West Florida - Associate Professor and Chair of the Information Technology Department
Dr. Dallas Snider is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Information Technology Department at the University of West Florida. Dr. Snider teaches data mining and a variety of database courses. He is currently involved in research projects with the U.S. Navy Medicine Operational Training Center - Pensacola, the Andrews Institute, and the Florida Department of Health. Prior to working at UWF, Dr. Snider worked as a database application developer for Northrop Grumman and Acxiom Corporation.
www.uwf.edu
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University of West Florida - Associate Professor and Chair of the Information Technology Department
Sean O'Brien
GDIT - MPTE TSS Program Director
I am a graduate of the University of Rochester in N.Y., and was designated a Naval Flight Officer and a bombardier/navigator in the A-6E Intruder in 1992.
After I retired from active duty in 2013, I decided to settle my family in Pensacola and started my own business; Sean O'Brien Consulting, LLC. The firm provided IT Business Integration, Solution Architect, Business Capture and Development, Strategic Planning, Business Process Reengineering, Information Systems and IT Operations services. In 2015 a contract evolved into a full time executive position with GDIT. I am currently the Program Director for the MPT&E TSS Program.
My Military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with “V” device, Arial Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation and Achievement Medals, Army Commendation and Achievement Medals. (www.linkedin.com/in/spobrien/)
I am married to the former Jennifer A. Schulz of New York and Mobile, Alabama. We have five sons Connor, Dillon, Abner, Colin and Danann.
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GDIT - MPTE TSS Program Director
Lakisha Hall
Director, Data and AI Expert Labs & Learning
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Director, Data and AI Expert Labs & Learning
DeDe Sanogo
Founder & CEO
About DeDe Sanogo
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Founder & CEO
About Stephen Bauer
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Lieutenant
Rachael Gillette
Studer Community Institute - Chief Leadership Development Officer
Passionate about leadership development, organization growth and making a difference, Rachael is Chief Leadership Development Office for Studer Community Institute, responsible for the Training and Development program including creation of curriculum, and the implementation of leadership training programs, workshops, customized business solutions and EntreCon®.
Rachael Gillette’s unique background combines over 20 years experience in leadership, coaching, training and speaking. Former Executive Director of Pensacola Young Professionals, she holds the Bar of England and Wales and a Bachelors in Law and American Studies from Keele University, England.
She practiced as a Barrister-at-Law for 9 years in England and as a Family Mediator on the First Judicial Circuit in Pensacola, FL. Rachael is a John Maxwell certified Coach, Trainer and Speaker. Gillette is a member of the American Business Women’s Association and Impact 100.
An avid sailor, Rachael competes in local, national, and international regattas and is the winner of the British Virgin Islands Interline Regatta, Regata-al-Sol and four-time winner of the Women’s Gulf Yachting Association champion, Race for the Roses and Pensacola Yacht Club’s Offshore Sailor of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year.
https://www.studeri.org/
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Studer Community Institute - Chief Leadership Development Officer
Dr. Eman El-Sheikh
University of West Florida - Director and Professor, Center for Cybersecurity
Dr. Eman El-Sheikh is Director of the Center for Cybersecurity and Professor of
Computer Science at the University of West Florida. Eman has extensive expertise
in cybersecurity education, research and workforce development and received
several awards related to cybersecurity education and diversity. She leads UWF’s
efforts as the NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence Regional
Resource Center for the Southeast U.S. and received several grants to enhance
cybersecurity education and training. She teaches and conducts research related
to the development and evaluation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
for cybersecurity. She has published several books, including most recently,
Computer and Network Security Essentials by Springer Publishing, over 70 peerreviewed articles and given over 100 presentations and invited talks. Eman holds
a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Michigan State University.
https://uwf.edu/
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University of West Florida - Director and Professor, Center for Cybersecurity
Jonathan Arneault
IBM - Director - North America SaaS, Center of Excellence & GTM Transformation
Jonathan Arneault is the Director of North America SaaS, Center of Excellence, and Go To Market transformation at IBM. Nicknamed “the Wizard of Oz” by his teams, Jonathan thrives on making “almost magic”; creating great change and growth.
Jonathan’s prior IBM roles include serving as the SaaS Executive for Watson Customer Engagement division, the IBM Industry Solutions World Wide M&A Executive, and as the North America Sales Executive for WebSphere SOA Integration. He has also served as the Business Unit Executive for the IBM CEEMEA region (Central Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and as the Worldwide Business Unit Executive for WebSphere Business Process Management and Integration. During these roles Jonathan has been a key leader for IBM’s Payment Initiatives, including solutions for ACH, SEPA, FedWire, CHIPs, and IBM Payment Solutions offerings. Throughout them, he’s served on IBM’s global product council, a key executive on the Worldwide Cloud Leadership team, and as the executive sponsor or leader in multiple strategic initiatives.
Mr. Arneault also serves as a Director of the Lucas Scholarship Foundation, aiding youth in Sub-Saharan Africa to pursue education as Medical Doctors in their native countries. He also is a Director of the Barnabas Trust, a charitable foundation providing assistance and direct-aid to non-political NGOs. He is also an advisor to multiple emerging technology companies. Jonathan was a Presidential Appointee to the US Selective Service System board and served as Vice-President of the Board for a regional utility company, as well as several other non-profit organizations.
https://www.ibm.com/us-en/
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IBM - Director - North America SaaS, Center of Excellence & GTM Transformation
JoAnna Dunn
Networks of Florida - President
JoAnna Dunn is the President of Networks of Florida, a Florida based Information Technology firm that has been providing commercial Information Technology services to the Gulf Coast Region since 1986. Prior to joining Networks of Florida, she served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy where she gained experience in staff leadership, operations management, mission planning and execution, project management, and public relations. After serving in the Navy, JoAnna joined JP Morgan Chase and Co. as part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Location Leadership team responsible for high-profile initiatives and firmwide business strategy for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. JoAnna is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics.
https://www.nof.com
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Networks of Florida - President
Kristen Summers
IBM - Technical Delivery Leader - Data and AI Expert Labs and Learning in North American Government
Kristen Summers is the Technical Delivery Leader for Data and AI Expert Labs and Learning in North American Government at IBM. She has been working in Artificial Intelligence and Human Language Technologies, with a primary focus on applied research, for the past 20 years. Her experience in this area includes leading projects on question answering, entity recognition, entity co-reference, machine translation, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and other related topics. Before joining IBM, she was the Technical Director in the Knowledge and Information Management Division Group at CACI. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University and a BA in Computer Science and English from Amherst College.
https://www.ibm.com/us-en/?lnk=m
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IBM - Technical Delivery Leader - Data and AI Expert Labs and Learning in North American Government
Zachary Mingus
University of West Florida - Student & President of Cybersecurity Club
Zachary Mingus is a senior at the University of West Florida pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity. He is currently employed a Navy Federal Credit Union as a Cyber Security Engineering Intern, where he assists in deploying and maintaining tools for use by information security analysts. He is also currently serving as the President of the UWF Cyber Security Club, where he manages all club activities, competitions, and conferences that they participate in.
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University of West Florida - Student & President of Cybersecurity Club
Christian Kaman
University of West Florida - Student, Founder of 2enovate LLC
Christian is the founder of 2enovate LLC, co-founder of ESAP (Enhances situational Awareness Process), and a volunteer for the Business Operation section of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum whose mission is to inspire, connect and empower people by convening events, forging partnerships and delivering tangible solutions, in order to promote a culture of innovation in the national security community. Christian also Co-founded Where in Annapolis a modern mobile engagement for local businesses in Annapolis and Eastport Maryland. Christian has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Bowie State University and currently pursuing his Master’s in Data Science at the University of West Florida. He is an experienced user interface/user experience designer, and soon to be a father of two beautiful twins.
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University of West Florida - Student, Founder of 2enovate LLC
Dean Davis
Gulf Winds Credit Union - Chief Information Officer
Dean Davis is the Chief Information Officer for Gulf Winds Credit Union, a local financial institution serving the banking needs of Gulf Coast residents. Relatively new to the Pensacola area, Dean and his family relocated from the Bay Area California after working in technology leadership roles in a Silicon Valley based Credit Union for over 14 years. Originally from Hawaii, he graduated with his Bachelors in Information Systems at Brigham Young University Hawaii and his Masters in Information Systems at Hawaii Pacific University.
Dean resides in Gulf Breeze with his wife Jin and three kids (12, 14, and 16). Being new to the area, he was looking for an opportunity to volunteer in the community and to connect with like minded technology professionals and was introduced to ITEN Wired and enjoys helping out in the Logistics/Registration committee. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family at the beach, home projects, and riding his motorcycle.
https://www.gogulfwinds.com/
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Gulf Winds Credit Union - Chief Information Officer
Steve Millaway
TechFarms Capital Management, LLC. - Co-Founder and Managing Director
Steve Millaway is a co-founder and Managing Director of TechFarms Capital Management, LLC. He is a successful entrepreneur and inventor with 40 years of experience in technology sectors including semiconductors, Internet products and services, medical devices and telecommunications. Among his inventions are the USB 2.0 chip and the first two-way wireless broadband Internet service, the precursor to WiFi. Millaway has founded and grown six businesses, one of which was sold to a NASDAQ-listed company. He is an active angel investor and the founder of TechFarms, LLC, a technology incubator in Panama City Beach. Graduating tenant companies since 2014 have produced new products with applications in aviation safety, rescue technology, transportation, entertainment and other fields.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/techfarms-capital
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TechFarms Capital Management, LLC. - Co-Founder and Managing Director
Kelly Reeser
TechFarms Capital, LLC - Co-Founder and Managing Director
Kelly Reeser is a co-founder and Managing Director of TechFarms Capital, LLC. Her career has focused on building the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Northwest Florida by supporting the region’s high-growth entrepreneurs with both startup and growth strategies. She is the past Director of Entrepreneurial Development for the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance and the Greater Pensacola Chamber and was the director of Co:Lab, a center for innovation and entrepreneurship in Pensacola, Florida. She has worked with dozens of early-stage, innovation-oriented companies that have graduated with applications in medical technology, transportation, entertainment and more. She helped initiate and run programs including 1 Million Cups Pensacola, Co:Lab, Northwest Florida Forward, Techstars Startup Weekend Pensacola, Greater Pensacola EEG and the ITEN WIRED Summit.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/techfarms-capital
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TechFarms Capital, LLC - Co-Founder and Managing Director
Dr. Matthew McFadden
Cyber Center of Excellence - General Dynamics Information Technology - Sr. Director, Cyber
Dr. Matthew McFadden is the Senior Director of Cyber and leads the Cyber Center of Excellence for General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). GDIT offers a comprehensive portfolio of next generation cyber solutions and professional services to solve complex cyber mission challenges.
As GDIT’s Cyber Director and chief of GDIT’s Cyber Center of Excellence, Dr. Matthew McFadden spearheads cyber strategy for the Federal/Civilian, Defense, and the Intelligence & Homeland Security divisions and develops advanced cyber capabilities and offerings to solve cyber missions. He represents a cyber workforce of over 3000+ professionals, 30+ Cyber Alliances, and programs supporting the largest cyber operations and unique cyber missions in government.
Dr. McFadden received his Doctor of Computer Science in Information Assurance from Colorado Technical University, Master of Science in Information Security and a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering & Network Security from UAT. He is also a published author, presented at over 30+ conferences, researcher, and holds numerous industry IT certifications (including CISSP) and has developed and instructed over 15+ cyber courses. Dr. McFadden was the team captain of GDIT’s winning Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition Pro teams (2016, 2017, and 2018).
https://www.gdit.com/
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Cyber Center of Excellence - General Dynamics Information Technology - Sr. Director, Cyber
Adam Ely
Walmart - VP & Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Adam Ely is an entrepreneur and operations executive having founded a security product company and held leadership roles with several Fortune 100 companies. Ely is currently Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer with Walmart. Prior to this role he co-founded Bluebox Security, acquired in 2016, was the CISO of Salesforce's Heroku business unit, and led security and compliance at TiVo and within The Walt Disney Company.
In addition to his current role, he has served as an advisor to companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 on technology, cyber security, operations and serves as an advisor to Florida State University.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamely/
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Walmart - VP & Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Don McMillan
Technically Funny, Inc. - Owner
https://www.technicallyfunny.com
About Don McMillan
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Technically Funny, Inc. - Owner
Quint Studer
Studer Community Institute - Founder
Quint Studer is founder of Pensacola’s Studer Community Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the community’s quality of life and moving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties forward. He is a businessman, a visionary, an entrepreneur, and a mentor to many. He currently serves as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of West Florida.
Quint has given his life to designing the building blocks for people and organizations that guide them to achieving and sustaining high performance. In 2000 he founded a consulting firm that implemented leadership systems and practices to help organizations attain and sustain outstanding results and create cultures of excellence. Over the years, it won multiple awards, including the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. By the time the firm was sold in 2015, it had 250 employees.
Inc. magazine named Studer its Master of Business, making him the only healthcare leader to have ever won this award. Twice Modern Healthcare has chosen him as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare for his work on institutional healthcare improvement. He has served as a guest lecturer at institutions of higher learning, spoken to a wide range of audiences across the U.S., and is a nationally recognized expert regarding leadership. He is often interviewed by radio and TV shows, as well as magazines and newspapers across the country.
In addition to Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America, Quint has authored seven books, including Results That Last, which reached number seven on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. He writes a weekly employee development column that runs every Sunday in the Pensacola News Journal.
His newest venture is Vibrant Community Partners, a company that coaches communities in building out a blue print for achieving growth and excellence. The firm focuses on education, downtown development, economic development, including training for small businesses and civic engagement. The Center for Entrepreneurship and the Center for Civic Engagement are two training organizations created to help communities reach their potential.
Studer and his wife, Rishy, are residents of Pensacola, Florida. Passionate about giving back to the community, they share their time and resources with local and national non-profit organizations.
https://www.studeri.org
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Studer Community Institute - Founder
Dave Wagner
Zix/AppRiver - President & CEO
David J. Wagner joined Zix as President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2016 and also serves as a member of Zix's Board of Directors. Prior to joining Zix, Dave held leadership roles at Entrust for 20 years. Most recently he served as President of Entrust from 2013 through 2015, where he led the successful integration of Entrust after its acquisition by Datacard. Dave delivered revenue growth and led the re-investment strategy to move Entrust solutions to the cloud. He also served as Chief Financial Officer of Entrust from 2003 to 2013. Before joining Entrust, Dave held various finance and accounting positions at Nortel Networks and at Raytheon Systems. He is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University where he received both an undergraduate degree in accounting and a master of business administration (MBA) degree.
https://www.appriver.com
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Zix/AppRiver - President & CEO
Jim Nitterauer
AppRiver - Senior Security Specialist
Currently a Senior Security Specialist at AppRiver, LLC. – part of Zix , his team is responsible for global network deployments and manages the SecureSurf global DNS infrastructure and SecureTide global spam & virus filtering infrastructure as well as all internal applications. They also manage security operations for the entire company. He holds a CISSP certification in addition to a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biology from Ursinus College and a Master of Science degree with a major in microbiology and biochemistry from the University of Alabama. He is a 2000 graduate of Leadership Santa Rosa and a 2001 graduate of Leadership Pensacola. He is also well-versed in ethical hacking and penetration testing techniques and has been involved in technology for more than 20 years.
Jim has presented at NolaCon, ITEN WIRED, BSides Las Vegas, BSides Atlanta, BSides San Francisco, CircleCityCon, DEF CON, DerbyCon, CypherCon and several smaller conferences. He is a regular contributor to the Tripwire Blog and Peerlyst. He regularly attends national security conferences and is passionate about conveying the importance of developing, implementing and maintaining security policies for organizations. His talks convey unique and practical techniques that help attendees harden their security in practical and easy-to-deploy ways.
Jim is a senior staff member with BSides Las Vegas, a member of the ITEN WIRED Planning Committee and the President of the Florida Panhandle (ISC)2 Chapter. He served as President and CEO of GridSouth Networks, LLC, a joint venture between Creative Data Concepts Limited Inc. and AppRiver, LLC., and founded Creative Data Concepts Limited, Inc.
He stays connected with the InfoSec and ethical hacker community and is well-known by his peers. In addition to his work at AppRiver, he devotes his time to advancing IT security awareness and investigating novel ways to implement affordable security controls.
When not at the computer, Jim can be found working out, playing guitar, traveling or just relaxing with an adult beverage.
https://www.appriver.com
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AppRiver - Senior Security Specialist
Greg McMenimen
Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS) - Director of Software Engineering
Greg McMenimen proudly served in and retired from the US Coast Guard and has over 30 years of experience leading development teams that have created software solutions for the DoD, government, Healthcare, and automotive industries. Throughout his career he has traveled the world building his skills in international relations and gaining a fondness for cultural immersion.
Greg empowers his team by creating a culture that encourages free communication, autonomy, and efficiency. He believes in having a freedom and responsibility approach that allows his team to grow and feel ownership in the products they are developing.
Greg lives in Pensacola and he is currently the Director of Software Engineering at Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems. IRIS is the industry leader in early detection systems for diabetic retinopathy and other retinal pathologies. IRIS’s end-to-end diagnostic solution is designed to work within a primary care setting and helps to increase access and create better outcomes for patients with sight-threatening disease.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregmcmenimen/
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Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS) - Director of Software Engineering
Samir Behara
EBSCO Industries, Inc. and Microsoft - Solution Architect
Samir Behara is a Solution Architect with EBSCO Industries and builds software solutions using cutting edge technologies. He is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP with over 12 years of IT experience working on large-scale enterprise applications involving complex business functions, web integration, and data management in various domains like Insurance, Manufacturing and Publishing.
Samir is a frequent speaker at local, regional and national conferences and is the Co-Chapter Lead of the Steel City SQL Server UserGroup, Birmingham, AL. He is the author of www.dotnetvibes.com
https://www.ebscoind.com
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EBSCO Industries, Inc. and Microsoft - Solution Architect
Galen Counselman
Pen Air Federal Credit Union - VP of Information Technology
Galen Counselman grew up in Pensacola and he is a proud University of West Florida alumni. He has 20 years of experience in the IT industry. Galen spent a large part of his career in healthcare where he developed his passion and expertise for information security and privacy. In 2015 he transitioned to the financial industry as the AVP/Information Security Officer at Pen Air Credit Union and today he serves as the VP of Information Technology. Pen Air is a not-for-profit, member owned financial institution, serving Northwest Florida and Southeast Alabama since 1936.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gcounselman/
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Pen Air Federal Credit Union - VP of Information Technology
Robert L. Jones III
Beggs & Lane - Partner/Tax Attorney
Robert L. Jones, III is a partner in the firm’s Pensacola office. Robert is a board certified tax attorney. He serves as Practice Group Manager for the firm’s Corporate and Tax practices and is a member of the firm’s Wills, Trust and Estates practice group. Robert practices in the areas of tax law, corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, including high-net worth estate tax planning, probate, not-for profit and charitable organizations, and business planning, from the creation of a business to succession planning.
Robert is a sixth generation Florida resident. Robert received a B.A. from the University of Florida. He was a member of Florida Blue Key and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity while at the University of Florida. Robert received his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, College of Law, where he was an Editor of the UALR Law Review. Robert then received a Master of Laws degree in Taxation, from the University of Florida, College of Law, where he was the Managing Editor of the Florida Tax Review.
Robert is the President (2017-2018) and member of the Estate Planning Council of Northwest Florida, the Board of Directors for Baptist Health Care Foundation, a graduate of Leadership Pensacola (2018), and a past member of the Board of Directors for the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation. Robert is admitted to practice to the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and all Florida state courts. Robert is an AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, Mr. Jones was recognized as a Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine in the field of Tax Law. Robert also has previously served as an Adjunct Professor of Federal Income Taxation at the Florida Coastal School of Law. He is also involved with his church and many other community activities.
https://beggslane.com
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Beggs & Lane - Partner/Tax Attorney
Jack Zoesch
Beggs & Lane - Partner
Jack Zoesch is a partner in the firm’s litigation group. His has litigated and served as trial counsel in cases involving complex business disputes, government contracting, breach of contract, intellectual property, business torts (including fraud and breach of fiduciary duty), shareholder disputes, non-competition and non-solicitation, products liability, and medical malpractice. He has authored numerous motions for summary judgment and appellate briefs in both state and federal courts.
Jack serves as manager of the firm’s government contracts practice group. He counsels and advises government contractors throughout northwest Florida and the Southeast. His work in this sector includes such matters as negotiation of teaming agreements and subcontracts, litigation between contractors, disputes with the government, and intellectual property issues. Jack has also defended against federal white collar criminal prosecutions of alleged defense contracting fraud and procurement violations. He frequently speaks and presents to local industry groups on pertinent issues to government contractors.
Jack also maintains an active intellectual property practice. He has litigated a variety of intellectual property claims, including trade secret misappropriation, trademark infringement, copyright infringement, patent infringement, and cybersquatting. He files trademark applications, helps businesses guard their confidential and proprietary information, and assists with the intellectual property aspects of transactions. During law school, Jack published a Comment in the Catholic University Law Review on the relationship between jazz arrangements and copyright law and worked as a summer associate and law clerk at Finnegan, a large intellectual property law firm in Washington, D.C.
Jack is AV peer-review rated for high ethical standards and preeminent legal ability in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. For the last six years he has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Florida Super Lawyers magazine, a designation awarded to no more than 2.5% of lawyers statewide.
https://beggslane.com
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Beggs & Lane - Partner
Rodney Landrum
DBA/BI Consultant for Hosting/Ntirety
I spend 82.25 percent of my time thinking about, proving concepts, writing about, talking about and implementing solutions for SQL Server technologies. I have an affinity for HADR, Reporting, BI, data analysis, SQL internals, capacity planning, architecture, virtualization, performance tuning and optimization and aggregations. The other 22 percent of my time I spend working on how to make accurate percentages. I work from home out of my Office Del Castillo. I am an author, sometimes-blogger and presenter on SQL technologies. I am happily back in Pensacola from Orlando, where the traffic was miserable.
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DBA/BI Consultant for Hosting/Ntirety
Carson Wilber
Wilber Tech LLC - Owner
Carson has worked across the Emerald Coast in robotics, software design, IT and web management, and education, in all of nonprofit, government, higher education, and private sectors. He co-founded and serves as Director of Education for a Pensacola nonprofit, INERTIA Education Programs, Inc., as well as three technology companies touching quantum computing, artificial intelligence, distributed systems, cybersecurity, and general technology services. He co-presented “Digital Media & Social Engineering: Using Your Data Against You” at ITEN WIRED 2018 and has spoken on ITEN WIRED Radio. At the University of West Florida, Carson focuses on research and academic programs to develop artificial intelligence, pursue certifications in cybersecurity, and earn Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Mathematics, and Software Design & Development. He works with K-12 schools as an Ambassador for the UWF Center for Cybersecurity to encourage young students to pursue the industry in Florida and the NWFL region.
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Wilber Tech LLC - Owner
Glenda R. Snodgrass
The Net Effect, LLC - President
Glenda R. Snodgrass has been President, lead consultant and project manager at The Net Effect since the company's inception in 1996. Ms. Snodgrass is primarily engaged in cyber security training, threat analysis and mitigation for commercial, nonprofit and governmental organizations. In addition to conducting securityrelated workshops, corporate training and delivering cyber security defense presentations at professional conferences and conventions, she spends time drafting network security procedures and developing employee security awareness training programs for clients. A frequent contributor to Tripwire's The State of Security blog and Business View magazine, she also provides expert witness testimony in technologyrelated court cases. Her dynamic personality and effective teaching style have made her a soughtafter public speaker and corporate trainer for more than twenty years. Currently President of Gulf Coast Industrial Security Awareness Council, Vice Chair of Mobile Chapter 117 of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS International), member of the steering committee for Gulf Coast Technology Council, and serving on the Board of Directors of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Snodgrass is also an active member of InfraGard and recently graduated from the FBI Citizens' Academy. She holds a B.A. from the University of South Alabama (1986) and a maîtrise from Université de Paris I PanthéonSorbonne in Paris, France (1989).
https://theneteffect.com
About Glenda R. Snodgrass
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The Net Effect, LLC - President
Nino Vidovic
bluFON Corp - Founder
Nino Vidovic, Ph.D. is former Chief Technologist, AI Enabled IT, Service Assurance
and Cloud Application Services at Digital Workplace, Konica Minolta
Business Solutions. He oversaw technology direction, leading design
of AI Enabled Cloud Management and Service Assurance Platforms and
various cloud-based SaaS management solutions, directing a global team
spanning multiple research and development sites on three continents,
and collaboration with strategic partners and customers.
Before Konica Minolta, Dr. Vidovic was CTO Centre for Innovations,
Corporate Research at Huawei. Prior to Huawei Nino was Vice President
and Chief Technology Officer, Cisco Network Management Technology
Group, Cisco Systems. Prior to Cisco, Nino held the positions of Vice
President of Internet Platform Technology Organisation at AT&T. Nino was
founder and CEO of a couple Silicon Valley startups, holds a doctorate in
Computer Science from the University of Zagreb and a masters in Computer
Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
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bluFON Corp - Founder
William E. Pearson III
Island Technologies Inc. - Business Intelligence Architect
Bill Pearson, SQL Server Analysis Services Maestro, SQL Server MVP, CPA, CITP, CGMA, CMA, CIA, MCDBA, MCSE, is a consultant, author, mentor and business intelligence architect who has been working with business intelligence for over 20 years, and with the integrated Microsoft Business Intelligence solution since its inception. Bill has been awarded the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional multiple times for his technical experience implementing Microsoft BI, as well as his contributions to the community as an author and speaker. Bill’s recent series’ include the Stairway to MDX and Stairway to PowerPivot and DAX columns at SQLServerCentral.com, and he presents regularly at SQL Saturdays and other diverse events worldwide. Bill is a member of the Boulder BI Brain Trust.
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Island Technologies Inc. - Business Intelligence Architect
Hannah Becker
Becker Digital - Creative Director
Hannah Becker is the Creative Director at Becker Digital, a veteran-owned marketing and public relations agency headquartered in NW Florida. Becker has a B.S. degree from Mississippi State University, an MBA from Florida Institute of Technology, and certifications in cybersecurity, education and nonprofit management. Before moving back to the Sunshine State, Becker taught business, computer science, and economics at multiple Midwestern universities. Today, she focuses her work on supporting mission-driven organizations in achieving their community goals.
Becker’s been active in the realm of influencer marketing since 2012 and has collaborated on national campaigns with AARP, BB&T, Forté Foundation, Heifer International, Intuit Quickbooks, Lincoln Military Housing, Reward Volunteers, TYLENOL®, and others. She is passionate about relationship-focused digital strategies that cultivate brand loyalty and improve communities. Becker volunteers as a career mentor with Hiring Our Heroes, Society of Military Spouses in STEM, and Military Officers Association of America’s Pensacola Chapter.
https://becker-digital.com
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Becker Digital - Creative Director
Patrick Hilgendorf
Austal USA - Cybersecurity Leader
Patrick Hilgendorf is the IT Security Manager for Austal USA where he is responsible for securing business systems and industrial equipment for the world’s largest aluminum ship manufacturer. Patrick previously served at the Pentagon where he developed policy for securing Air Force weapon systems to mitigate against increasing threat of cyber attacks. He also developed autonomous satellite antenna steering solutions used to deliver aircraft surveillance video for Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. Patrick holds the “Certified Ethical Hacker” and “Certified Incident Handler” certifications. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering.
https://usa.austal.com
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Austal USA - Cybersecurity Leader
Richard Shaw
ActiGraph - Director of IT and DevOps
Richard Shaw is a Director of IT and DevOps for ActiGraph, LLC, where Richard leads ActiGraph’s IT and software product development efforts by providing effective leadership, technology supervision, and positive administration while implementing best practices in information technology and development operations.
Richard has worked as a software developer for ActiGraph. He has created and maintained various desktop and web applications covering various programming languages. He has also worked as an IT administrator in his earlier career for ActiGraph where he designed, installed, configured and optimized enterprise computer systems and networks in a cross-platform environment.
Richard was born in Jacksonville, NC on August 21, 1985. He grew up most of his younger years in Virginia, graduating high school in 2003, before joining the United States Marine Corps in 2004 at the age of nineteen. He graduated from USMC Aviation Electronics before honorably leaving the military in 2007. He continued his education and graduated with a A.S. in Computer Programming, Analysis, and Web Development from Pensacola State College in 2017 and further continues his education into Cybersecurity as PSC.
Richard is married to Kelly Shaw, a future veterinarian currently advancing her career at Pensacola’s Safe Harbor Animal Hospital. He lives in Pensacola, FL. He enjoys playing tennis, swimming, and running. His favorite hobbies are video games, custom PC building, and freelance software programming.
https://www.actigraphcorp.com
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ActiGraph - Director of IT and DevOps
George Rey Sr.
COTS Technology, LLC - President
Lieutenant Commander Rey retired from the U.S. Navy after completing 33 years of active duty in the United States Navy’s Submarine Service. During that period he served on 5 submarines, 3 major staffs, and two tours in the Pentagon. He started COTS Technology, a consulting company, supporting
industry, academic, and government entities in operational and research
endeavors with a focus on robotic systems. Commander Rey was a key member that development and implemented Tulane University’s Long-term Estuary Assessment Group (LEAG) developing biosensors for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. Commander Rey’s most recent activities established the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program at Nicholls State University’s Geomatics’ program. This program was the first in Louisiana to receive an
FAA approved Certificate Of waiver Authorization (COA) to fly in the National Air Space (NAS). Commander Rey established the Louisiana Pelican Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Leads this statewide organization as the founding president. Commander Rey Continues to work with companies to develop their UAS programs that meet the FAA’s
Part 107 requirements. He is the Transportation Sector Chief and serves as a Board Member of the InfraGard’s Louisiana Member's Alliance with a focus on aviation and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
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COTS Technology, LLC - President
Learn more aboutDeidre Melton, CFE,CIA,CISA,CISM,CRISC
Deidre Melton, CFE,CIA,CISA,CISM,CRISC
Deidre Melton, CFE,CIA,CISA,CISM,CRISC
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University - Internal Auditor & Investigator
Deidre Melton serves as an assurance, risk management, investigator, and advisory professional specializing in information technology/cybersecurity at her alma mater, Florida A&M University. Deidre began her career working in educational and local/state government audits for the State of Florida Auditor General's Office.
Deidre is the current President of the ISACA Tallahassee Chapter and Leadership Development Chair for SheLeadsTech Tallahassee. She earned her B.S. of Management and Master of Business Administration at Florida A&M University. Additionally, Deidre is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Controls (CRISC).
https://www.famu.edu
About Deidre Melton, CFE,CIA,CISA,CISM,CRISC
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Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University - Internal Auditor & Investigator
Shana Penna
Inmogeia Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Founder
Shana is an internationally focused entrepreneur creating technology that makes an impact. Her passion is stimulated by developments in global health technology trends that use emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and blockchain. She has dedicated her career to finding the intersection between technology and transformational outcomes. Prior to founding Inmogeia Technologies, Shana was the cofounder of an assistive technology company, Puffin Innovations, which used AI and internet of things connectivity to empower those with severe disabilities. She received an MBA from the prestigious MIT Sloan dual degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing China.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanapenna1/
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Inmogeia Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Founder
Michael Sengbusch
Eletype - CEO & Founder
Michael is the CEO and founder of Eletype, Inc. and also serves as the CTO-In-Residence at ATDC. He works as a mentor and advisor to many of Atlanta's hottest startup ventures. Previously Michael was CTO at BrightWhistle/InfluenceHealth where he helped produce the latest generation of healthcare digital marketing technology, landing BrightWhistle as a Facebook Innovation Competition Award winner.
He also volunteers with Teens Living With Cancer, a local support group for teens and young adult cancer patients.
An active presenter at conferences, Michael has held speaking engagements on social media, digital marketing, and healthcare at TechCrunch, CallRail, HIMSS, HMPS, HCIC, SHSMD, Health 2.0, HealthBox, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Tech.
https://www.eletype.com
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Eletype - CEO & Founder
Molly Akin, CFCE, EnCE, MSDF
Florida Department of Law Enforcement - Special Agent Supervisor
Special Agent Supervisor (SAS) Molly Akin has been employed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for over twenty years. SAS Akin has served approximately fifteen years of her career specializing in cybercrime investigations and digital forensics. SAS Akin currently supervises the FDLE Pensacola Regional Operations Center (PROC) Cyber High Tech Crime Unit. Her squad conducts criminal investigations which includes Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), business email compromise scams, and network intrusions. SAS Akin is the current State Chair over the Regional Domestic Security Task Force (RDSTF), Cyber Terrorism Focus Group. SAS Akin also coordinates the RDSTF Region 1 Cyber Group, which meets quarterly to discuss cyber trends and other cyber-related matters impacting Northwest Florida.
SAS Akin holds a bachelors degree in criminology from The Florida State University and a masters of digital forensics from the University of Central Florida. Her certifications include: CompTia A+, Seized Computer Evidence Recovery Specialist (SCERS), EnCase Certified Examiner, International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS) Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE), Berla Vehicle Forensics, Cellebrite CCLO/CCPA, and MSAB XRY. SAS Akin is also a certified instructor for the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, specializing in defensive tactics.
https://www.fdle.state.fl.us
About Molly Akin, CFCE, EnCE, MSDF
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement - Special Agent Supervisor
Mike Simmons
Sharpen - Chairman and CEO
Mike co-founded T2 Systems in 1994 and led the company in the role of president, CEO, and Chairman through 2016 when the company was acquired by Thoma Bravo. T2 is a leader in providing mission-critical software, hardware and infrastructure to the parking industry, and has been one of the fastest growing companies in the US. Customers include some of the largest cities and most prestigious universities in the US and Canada, as well as the largest parking operators in North America.
Under his leadership, T2 has been recognized in the Inc. 500, Software 500, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year, Indiana Growth 100, and as an Indiana Company to Watch. Prior to founding T2, Mike’s career included marketing, sales and project management at IBM, PepsiCo and General Motors. He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering.
Mike remains an advisor to the board of T2 Systems, and now manages Jupiter Peak, LLC, a family investment company that invests capital in early stage technology companies, venture capital, private equity, real estate, and other business ventures. He serves on the boards of BP3 Global, Sharpen Technologies, Techpoint, the Indiana Repertory Theater, and the Central Indiana Community Foundation, as well as serving in an advisory capacity to Petra Capital in Nashville. He is the former board chair of Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, and the Techpoint Foundation. He also served on the board of the International Parking Institute for eight years.
Mike currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Sharpen Technologies, a progressive Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) technology company based in downtown Indy. Starting as one of the company’s primary investors, he is now focused on growing and scaling the company, building out the team, and positioning the company for success.
His latest project – SILO Auto Club and Conservancy — centers around his love of collectible and performance cars in downtown Indy, where he lives with his wife, Liz. They both enjoy golf, skiing, and good wine, as well as visits from their busy adult children: Savannah and Sean, who both attend the University of Utah, and Christopher, who also lives in Indy.
http://sharpencx.com
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Sharpen - Chairman and CEO
Ebe Randeree
Florida State University - Associate Dean
Ebe Randeree's background spans the fields of technology, healthcare, leadership and higher education. His specific interests are in outreach and creating pipelines from k-12 to higher education to industry. As part of a National Science Foundation project started in 2005, he has focused his service role on recruiting more women and minorities to the STEM fields. He is the Associate Dean of Finance & Administration at the College of Communication & Information at Florida State University where he teaches courses in leadership, career prep, health informatics, and technology. He focuses his efforts on community outreach, employer partnerships, and supporting k-12 programs. Ebe has a master's degree in computer science from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Buffalo. He started at Florida State University in 2006.
https://www.fsu.edu
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Florida State University - Associate Dean
Jack Motley
YakMotley - CEO
Captain US ARMY Retired
375,000 social media followers: 228,000 Facebook, 100,000 YouTube, 14,000 Instagram, 5000+ linkedIn
YouTube Silver Play button awardee- (YakMotley YouTube Channel)- 100,000 subscribers and 33 million video views
Created a 6 figure income on YouTube and social Media
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YakMotley - CEO
Danielle Alvarez
Hayes e-Government Resources, Inc. - Cyber Security Strategist
Danielle Alvarez has over 18 years of IT experience in business and government sectors. She has provided IT expertise in numerous market sectors, including education, healthcare, banking and finance, agriculture and natural resources, retail, and law enforcement.
Danielle is currently the Cyber Security Strategist for Hayes e-Government Resources, Inc. She formerly served as the Floridas Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Other roles have included the Manager of IT Security and Compliance and the Information Security Manager & Compliance Officer for the Florida Department of Financial Services. In addition, she worked for the Florida Auditor General, private sector firms, and a college.
http://www.hcs.net
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Hayes e-Government Resources, Inc. - Cyber Security Strategist
