New Hartford, New York, United States
Senior Program Manager with a recognized talent for leading and managing the execution of a diverse portfolio of cyber security research and development projects across the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC). 23+ years' of fostering R&D efforts into nationally recognized programs that challenge current science, technology and acquisition paradigms. Builds complex, rapid acquisition strategies and coordinates the delivery of cybersecurity capabilities across multiple performers to ensure national security program requirements for operations and resiliency are achieved on time and on budget. Understands visions, develops plans, builds consensus and leads teams into the future.
Builds a broad professional network and cultivates opportunities for external customer agencies to understand AFRL’s Core Technical Competencies (CTCs) and corpus of capabilities. Builds and maintains strategic relationships with premiere world-class white-hat hackers, industry leading commercial cyber companies, academic and research organizations and serves as AFRL’s primary liaison to the DEF CON community. Advanced the state of the art between the cyber and space domains by marshalling senior AF leadership and capabilities to solve complex security challenges on the globally recognized Hack-A-Sat (HAS) challenge held at DEF CON 28 to facilitate SAF/AQ’s strategic vision against key tenants of the National Defense Strategy (NDS). Authored and enacted action plans, contest rules, processes, and procedures to achieve a successful international satellite hacking event. Effectively managed ~300 participants across 35+ organizations, 2,000 teams – including 6,000 individuals competing globally. Flawlessly managed and advised on: technology implementation, acquisition, legal, finance, and logistics to deliver a world-class immersive experience. Led programmatic execution as the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) for DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge which advanced the state of the art of autonomous cyber vulnerability research technology. This diverse portfolio of research enabled advanced automated bug-hunting and cyber reasoning systems for the world’s first fully automated Capture the Flag event. Leveraged automation techniques to scale into programmatic delivery and streamlined the receipt of over two hundred software contract deliverables. Managed a diverse team of traditional and non-traditional performers to develop challenge binaries, deliver computing infrastructure, develop cyber reasoning systems, and event execution.
Direct oversight and program management responsibility for a broad portfolio of 60+ Government contracts valued at $724M in collaboration with numerous research and development partners. Recognized internally by Senior Leadership across AFRL and externally by many customer organizations as a subject matter expert on intricate Research and Development (R&D) and Advisory and Assisted Services (A&AS) acquisitions. Ensures that each program in the portfolio is in alignment with the goals of AFRL/RI’s strategic vision. Awarded DARPA’s prestigious Agent of the Year in 2016 for flawlessly managing the acquisition of a compendium of work including the Information Innovations Office’s Cyber Grand Challenge (CGC), Cyber Fast Track (CFT), Cyber Fault-tolerance Attack Recovery (CFAR) and LOGAN programs. Developed and led the AFRL/RI Directorate’s Cyber Vulnerability Assessment Team (DCVAT) pilot program. Channel strategic vision and produce concrete plans of actions to build a first of its kind laboratory environment for assessing and mitigating the vulnerabilities in our software and hardware products at three different points in the acquisition lifecycle. Led the creation of new assessment processes during the requirements, architecture/design, & implementation phases. Produced acquisition guide for empower PMs to incorporate cyber vulnerability assessments into acquisitions.
Developed and implemented innovative business practices to advance the state of Government procurement of cyber capabilities through a new rapid acquisition strategy for DARPA’s Cyber Fast Track (CFT) program. Rapidly awarded contracts to non-traditional performers in niche cyber-security and maker-space communities. Architected contract strategy and supported negotiations with small business performers ensuring transition partners’ needs were met and subcontractor awards issued within 6 days of receiving a technical proposal. CFT has opened the doors to many of the world’s foremost computer security experts and served as an incubation catalyst for over 120 individual small businesses. Delivered unique rapid cyber acquisition strategies for development efforts. Leveraged numerous DoD investments, thereby decreasing research & procurement costs and duplication of effort to Government, while advising key stakeholders with recommended courses of action on critical decisions that led to the development of innovative solutions to meet Science and Technology goals and objectives for advancing the state of the art in cybersecurity. Identifies technical gaps and builds mechanisms to institute rapid solutions into operations by building new programmatic processes alongside acquisition campaigns that challenge conventional paradigms. Methodically researches FAR regulations, best practices, and risks to ensure programs are successful, on schedule and on budget.