2023 Defense Conference Speakers coming soon!

Checkout the 2022 speakers below...

	The Honorable Carlos Del Toro Secretary of the Navy The Honorable Carlos Del Toro was sworn in as the 78th Secretary of the Navy August 9, 2021. As Secretary, he is responsible for over 900,000 Sailors, Marines, reservists, and civilian personnel and an annual budget exceeding $210 Billion. His priorities include securing the training and equipment successful naval operations demand and addressing the most pressing challenges confronting the US Navy and Marine Corps – China’s naval ambitions, climate instability, Covid’s ongoing impact, and strengthening a naval culture of inclusiveness and respect. Read more.
	The Honorable Christopher J. Lowman Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment (ASD(S)) Senate-confirmed in May 2022, the Honorable Christopher Lowman, the former senior official performing the duties of Under Secretary of the Army, took office as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment (ASD(S)) in June 2022. As ASD(S), Mr. Lowman is the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (USD(A&S)), Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of Defense on DoD logistics, materiel readiness, and product support. On behalf of the USD(A&S), Mr. Lowman oversees the Defense Logistics Agency and Defense Microelectronics Activity, and is the principal logistics official within senior DoD management. He has served across the U.S. Army and the Joint Force for more than three decades. Read more.
	Kristen Baldwin Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Science, Technology, & Engineering) Kristen J. Baldwin, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Ms. Baldwin provides guidance, advocacy, and policy for the Air Force's annual $2.6 billion science and technology program and $1 billion developmental prototyping and experimentation program, conducted at 40 research sites worldwide. She provides engineering and technical management direction on digital engineering, cyber resilient weapons, corrosion control, capability development planning, and the functional management of more than 14,000 military and civilian scientists and engineers. In addition, she is responsible for providing technical advice and counsel to the Air Force Acquisition Executive on a broad range of engineering and technical management areas. As part of this role, she oversees the Air Force’s international science and technology outreach via various bi-lateral and multi-lateral engagement fora, including the NATO Science and Technology Organization and the NATO Air Force Armaments Group.
	Young J. Bang Principal Deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics & Technology Mr. Young Bang was appointed as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology) on 8 March 2022. As the Principal Deputy, Mr. Bang advises the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology and Army leadership on all matters relating to Army acquisition. Read more.
	Kristin French Deputy Director, Logistics Operations (J3), Defense Logistics Agency Kristin K. French is the Deputy Director of Logistics Operations (J3) at the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), a $42B combat logistics support agency. She is responsible for the end-to-end supply chain management of DLA’s nine supply chains, providing logistics and materiel process management policy, guidance, oversight and monitoring of supply chain performance. She assumed this position in March 2021. Prior to her current position, Ms French served as DLA’s Chief of Staff. As CoS, she led all HQs operations and directly supported six Major Subordinate Commands’ actions in strategic planning, enterprise integration, organizational governance, strategic communications, legislative affairs, small business programs, equal opportunity and installation management. She supported eleven major DLA installations world
	John Gass Deputy Director, US Space Force, Space Delta 18, National Space Intelligence Center Mr. John L. Gass is the Deputy Director of the recently established Space Delta 18, the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC). NSIC is responsible for providing foundational and scientific and technical intelligence on the increasing threats to US and allied space systems and the threats from foreign space systems. While primarily the Service Intelligence Center for the US Space Force, NSIC’s pioneering and predictive analyses supports sister services, Combatant Commands, National decision makers, and allies and partners in space.
	Emily Harding Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS Emily Harding is deputy director and senior fellow with the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She joined CSIS from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), where she was deputy staff director. In her nearly 20 years of government service, she has served in a series of high-profile national security positions at critical moments. While working for SSCI, she led the Committee’s multiyear investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The five-volume, 1,300-page report reshaped the way the United States defends itself against foreign adversaries seeking to manipulate elections, and it was lauded for its rigor, its thoroughness, and as the only bipartisan effort on election interference. During her tenure on the Committee, she also served as the subject matter expert on election security, counterintelligence and associated cybersecurity issues, and the Middle East. She oversaw the activities of 18 intelligence agencies and led SSCI staff in drafting legislation, conducting oversight of the intelligence community, and developing their expertise in intelligence community matters.
	Vince Holloway Vice President for Defense Information Technology Services, Tetra Tech Vincent Holloway is Vice President for Defense Information Technology Services at Tetra Tech where he is responsible for strategic investment, business growth, and capability development in the Federal IT Group. Vince has 38 years of experience working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in various technical, management, and leadership positions. Prior to joining Tetra Tech, Vince was a program manager, strategic consultant, and subject matter expert across multiple markets in Booz Allen Hamilton. Over 15 years, his clients included US Strategic Command, Defense Information Systems Agency, Missile Defense Agency, and several US Army organizations including Training and Doctrine Command, Program Executive Office Command Control Communications Tactical, Network Enterprise Technology Command, Human Resources Command, Recruiting Command, and Cadet Command.
	Ryan Kaldahl Minority Budget & Policy Director, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Prior to taking this position in March 2021, he served as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs and shepherded passage of the Sudan Claims Resolution Act days before Sudan formally signed the Abraham Accords. He also led the effort to secure legislative authorities and resources to support the Department’s operations to bring home more than 100,000 Americans when COVID-19 closed international travel routes. Ryan served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs from 2018-2019. He led the effort in the Senate to advance legislation establishing the U.S. Space Force and make permanent additional health care choices for veterans. He also assisted in the confirmation processes for CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo. Ryan previously served as Senator Susan Collins’ (R-ME) national security advisor and designee on SSCI from 2013-2018. His portfolio included Europe, financial intelligence, and intelligence activities of the Departments of Treasury, State, & Homeland Security. He staffed Senator Collins’ national security work on the Senate Armed Services and Senate Appropriations Committees from 2010-2012. From 2007-2010, Ryan served as an aide and Legislative Director to Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. A former Air Force officer, Ryan was assigned to a B-52 maintenance unit in Minot AFB, ND.
	Mara Motherway Senior Vice President of Government and Customer Relations, Peraton As Senior Vice President of Government and Customer Relations, Mara is responsible for developing and executing Peraton’s public policy and government affairs strategies in alignment with corporate and sector strategic priorities and leading Peraton’s interactions with the legislative branch, the executive branch, state and local officials, think tanks, and trade associations. Mara joins Peraton from Booz Allen, where she served as Vice President for Government Relations and Military Affairs. In this role, she established and led the firm’s first government affairs capability, guiding strategic government customer relationships and advancing the firm’s business interests with policymakers, including creating the firm’s first Political Action Committee. She also oversaw the firm’s military partnership strategy, integrating philanthropic activities with recruiting, diversity, and business strategies to sustain a strong veteran workforce foundation. During her tenure at Booz Allen, she also held roles as the business development executive for defense and military intelligence and led the firm’s business supporting U.S. government classified missions. Prior to Booz Allen, Mara was a strategy executive for BAE Systems.
	LTG Michael Nagata (USA, ret) Senior Vice President and Strategic Advisor, CACI International Michael K. Nagata is a Senior Vice President and Strategic Advisor for CACI International; joining the company in December 2019. Retiring from the US Army in 2019 after 38 years of Active Duty, with 34 years in US Special Operations, his final assignment was Director of Strategic Operational Planning for the National Counterterrorism Center. From 1999 to 2000, he commanded the Army's Special Forces Qualification Course. In 2000, he returned to a Special Mission Unit as a Squadron Commander and was involved in the initial combat deployments after the 9/11 attacks. After graduating from the National War College in 2003, he served in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. From 2005 to 2008, as a Special Mission Unit commander, he led multiple Joint SOF task forces across more than a dozen countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He then served within the US Intelligence Community in Washington D.C. as a Military Deputy for Counterterrorism until 2009. He then deployed again until late 2011 to Pakistan as the Deputy Chief, Office of the Defense Representative at the US Embassy. Upon returning to the US, he served on the Joint Staff as the Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counterterrorism until 2013. From 2013 to 2015 he commanded US Special Operations Command-Central, was responsible for Special Operations across the Central Command, and was heavily involved in the first two years of combat against the Islamic State.
	Christopher C. O'Donnell DASD, Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management, OUSD, A&S Chris O’Donnell was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in August 2015. He has been involved in all phases of Department of Defense acquisition, sustainment, research and engineering since joining the defense acquisition workforce in 1984. As the DASD, PWPM he is responsible for managing and analyzing major platform and weapons capability portfolios across the Department. He served as the Executive Director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell (JRAC) until March 2019. He was the Staff Specialist for the Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise prior to coming to the JRAC. He started in the Pentagon as a Staff Specialist in the JRAC providing rapid responses to warfighter needs and assisting in providing equipment to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. He has a Mechanical Engineering BS from Clarkson University.
	Jon Rosenwasser Budget Director, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Jon Rosenwasser is the budget and policy director for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he has served since 2013. He also oversees the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Mr. Rosenwasser previously served in the ODNI, National Intelligence Center, and Center for the Study of Intelligence. Of note, he spent two years as an Associate at Booz Allen and Hamilton.
	Michael J. Vaccaro Performing the Duties of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Mr. Vaccaro is currently Performing the Duties of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. In this role, Mr. Vaccaro leads and supports the Department of Defense’s efforts to develop and maintain the U.S. defense industrial base to ensure a secure supply of materials critical to national security. Prior to this new position, Mr. Vaccaro served as the Acting Executive Director, International Cooperation. In this capacity, he advised the Under Secretary of Defense (A&S) and other A&S Principals in managing the Department of Defense’s cooperative relationships with foreign countries. Mr. Vaccaro co-chaired bilateral forums with key European, Indo-Pacific, and Western Hemisphere allies and partners to further international research, development, production, and acquisition armaments cooperation.

Neil Albert
President and CEO, NFA Consulting
Albert provides advice and support to the US government and industry service partners. With over 40 years of experience he has worked, managed and led multiple government related industry service support organizations in the areas of strategic planning, program management, cost/schedule/technical analysis, project performance measurement, acquisition management, and risk assessment. Read more.