2023 Defense Conference Speakers

	The Honorable Frank Calvelli Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. He is responsible for all architecture and integration with respect to acquisition of space systems and programs in the armed forces, chairing the Space Acquisition Council, and overseeing and directing the space acquisition centers in the Department of the Air Force. He also serves as the DAF Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs. Mr. Calvelli has more than 34 years of experience in national security space acquisitions, operations, and leadership in the National Reconnaissance Office and the Central Intelligence Agency. He has held a variety of senior positions including satellite and ground system acquisitions, systems engineering, and mission operations.
	The Honorable Laura D. Taylor-Kale, PhD Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Dr. Laura D. Taylor-Kale was confirmed in March 2023 as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (ASD(IBP)). She advises the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and other senior defense leaders on all matters pertaining to industrial base resilience and innovation; small business programs; and industrial base development, industrial policy, and international engagement. She also leads teams dedicated to conducting geo-economic analysis and assessments; providing recommendations on budget matters related to the defense industrial base; anticipating and closing gaps in manufacturing capabilities for defense systems; assessing impacts related to mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; and, monitoring and assessing impact of foreign investments in the United States.
	The Honorable John F. Plumb, PhD Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Dr. John F. Plumb was confirmed in March 2022 as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. In this role he is responsible for the overall supervision of policy for the Department of Defense for space warfighting. His policy portfolio encompasses the Department's strategic capabilities for integrated deterrence: space, nuclear weapons, cyber, missile defense, electromagnetic warfare, and countering weapons of mass destruction. He also serves as the Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense. Dr. Plumb has served in various national security roles both in and out of uniform for nearly three decades. As an active duty US Navy submarine officer, he served on a fast attack Los Angeles class submarine and as an instructor at the Navy's nuclear power school. He then transitioned to the Navy reserves, commanding eight different reserve units over 20 years.
	Rich Aves Executive Vice President of Defense & Intelligence, Parsons Rich is an Executive Vice President and business development lead for Parsons’ Defense & Intelligence (D&I) business unit. D&I provides geospatial solutions, space capabilities, cybersecurity solutions, engineering services, rapid hardware prototyping, and electronic warfare capabilities to Commercial, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Community customers. Rich develops and leads execution of the company’s overall corporate growth strategy for this business unit. Prior to this role, he served as the business leader for two different business sectors within Parsons. Most recently he led Parsons’ Mission Solutions sector delivering engineering, integration, and technology solutions to a variety of DoD and IC clients. These solutions include Satellite Launch Integration, Space Situational Awareness, Electronic Warfare Capabilities, Hardware Integration, Cloud Application Development, Modeling & Simulation, Foreign Military Exploitation, DevSecOps Engineering, Satellite Ground Station Capabilities, and ISR Products. He also served as the leader for Parsons Space and Geospatial Solutions business sector where he led execution and growth for Parsons’ NGA, NRO, and Space portfolios.
	Kari Bingen Director, Aerospace Security Project and Senior Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS Kari A. Bingen is the director of the Aerospace Security Project and a senior fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She joined CSIS from HawkEye 360, an innovative space technology company creating a new class of radio frequency (RF) data and analytics, where she was the chief strategy officer. Prior to the private sector, Kari served as the deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, overseeing the defense intelligence and security enterprises, comprising more than 120,000 personnel and an annual budget of over $54 billion. Before that, Kari served as the policy director on the House Armed Services Committee and staff lead for its Strategic Forces Subcommittee, advising members of Congress on defense policy, program, and budget matters. Prior to entering government, Kari specialized in national security space issues, working with U.S. defense and intelligence community clients, first as a space systems analyst at SRA International’s Adroit C4ISR Center, and then as a senior space policy analyst at the Aerospace Corporation.
	Dr. Anthony Calomino Space Nuclear Technology Portfolio Manager, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Dr. Anthony M. Calomino is the program manager for NASA’s space nuclear fission technology product development. His expertise is in high temperature materials and structures and has worked with NASA on multiple high temperature materials and structures efforts, including the nuclear technology area for the past 8 years. Anthony works in the Space Technology Mission Directorate and leads its fission technology development efforts.
	Joe Cole Vice President, Aerospace & Government, Synopsys Joe serves as the Vice President of Aerospace, Defense and Government vertical for Synopsys. In this capacity, he leads the team that drives Synopsys' technical and business relationships with leading aerospace & defense contractors and government agencies. Joe’s 30-year career has been highlighted by driving success across multiple engineering and business organizations. He has led multiple R&D teams aimed at enhancing the capability of the defense industrial base by more effectively leveraging best in class commercial technologies. Prior to joining Synopsys, Joe was responsible for leading aerospace and defense verticals at Cadence and Ansys. He began his career at Bell Laboratories as an electrical engineer developing optical networking systems. He earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from Monmouth University and MS in Computer Science from Steven’s Institute of Technology.
	Dr. Jack Groppo Professor; Director of Undergraduate Studies, Mining Engineering Department, University of Kentucky Dr. Jack Groppo currently serves as Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Kentucky. He also serves as Faculty Associate at UK’s Center for Applied Energy Research. Over his 40-year career, his research has focused on urban mining and developing processes to recover value and critical materials from industrial waste streams, including coal-related byproducts (mining refuse, coal ash, gasification slag, and CO2), E-waste, and end-of-life solar modules. He has authored over 150 publications, holds 10 national and international patents, and has received multiple awards for his pioneering work in recycling. He has played an integral role in bringing numerous innovative processes to successful commercial operation. Jack holds a PhD from the University of Kentucky in Mining Engineering as well as BS and MS degrees in Mining and Mineral Engineering from Virginia Tech.
	Barry Ives Director Advanced Technology Programs, Lockheed Martin Barry Ives is Director of Technology with a background in commercial semiconductor device and materials development, at Lockheed Martin corporate headquarters in Washington, DC. His current role is to coordinate technical strategy and competitive pursuits across the science and engineering community corporation wide. This includes technical roadmapping, technology scouting and customer relationships to maximize relevance of research and development to warfighter outcomes. He was previously a private engineering consultant; an engineering director in multiple high tech startups building advanced electronics. He was a former Deputy Director, DARPA TTO. He was a front line combat-decorated Army Officer in Iraq where he was awarded the Bronze Star. He has a Masters degree in electrical engineering from Washington University, an MBA from West Virginia University and a BS in Physics from West Point. He lives in northern Virginia.
	Will Johnson Senior Vice President, Operations Manager, Logistics & Mission Support, Leidos Will Johnson has more than 30 years of progressively responsible experience directing as many as 2,100 employees in business units with revenues in excess of $700 million. The Logistics and Mission Support Operation within Leidos Defense Group concentrates on providing technical solutions to warfighters in the federal logistics sector. Prior to becoming a Leidos Operations Manager, Will was President and co-founder of Thom-John Strategies, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business providing Information Technology services to the Department of Veteran Affairs. He has successfully led companies through start-ups, turnarounds and growth modes.
	Dr. Nicholas Martin Director, Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) Dr. Nicholas T. Martin is the Director of the Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA). In this capacity he provides engineering expertise to solve Department of Defense (DoD) specific microelectronics issues facing the Warfighter, provides direct support to system program managers in the services, interfaces with special forces and intel community leadership to understand mission needs and to provide innovative and timely solutions, oversees and manages the DoD’s only organic semiconductor manufacturing laboratory, maintains a highly skilled civilian workforce, provides management direction and control over the Trusted Access Program Office (TAPO) that facilitates United States Government access to trusted state-of the-art (SOTA) and state-of-the-practice (SOTP) microelectronics design and manufacturing capabilities, and carries out Head of Contracting Activity (HCA) responsibilities. He assumed his current position in August 2021.
	William McHenry Senior Advisor to the Director, DIU Mac serves as the Director DIU’s Senior Advisor. He brings a combination of military and government service to his role with over 30 years of executive experience in strategy development, partner engagement, and operational execution. Mac is responsible to the Director DIU for leading Engagement with the Intelligence Community, non-uniformed USG Agencies and Activities, Commercial Partners in the mid-Atlantic region and provides expertise in International Relations assisting with development of DIU’s International Portfolio. Prior to his current role at DIU, Mac served as the DIU Director of Engagement responsible for building DIU relationships across the US government. Before joining DIU, Mac served as a CIA Operations Officer, State Department Foreign Service Officer and as a Special Project Officer for the Department of the Army with overseas assignments spanning multiple geographic areas.
	Michael Owens Executive Director, Project Management Division, RPS \| Australia, Asia, Pacific Michael Owens is RPS’s Defence Sector Leader for Australia Asia Pacific (AAP) and key panel representative. He has oversight across all Defence projects in AAP and is sought after for his expert advice. For over 20 years, he has delivered more than 100 estate and facilities projects around the world, predominantly in the AAP region, totaling more than $10B. He has spearheaded facilities programs in Special Operations, Maritime, Land, Air and Cyber Security. Michael leads RPS’s 500-person project and program management consultancy team, and as a former business owner, he brings an entrepreneurial mindset to get results. Currently, Michael has stepped into the role of Maritime Domain Program Director for Defence. As part of this position, he oversees the Navy Capability Infrastructure subprogram and the AUKUS submarine program, a critical and nationally significant program. This involves managing facilities needs to support the Royal Australian Navy and the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Rotation Force in Western Australia.
	Christopher Rose Counsellor Defence Acquisition Policy and Trade British Defence Staff, British Embassy Mr. Christopher (Chris) Rose is currently in post in the British Embassy in Washington as the defence acquisition and defence trade policy lead for the UK. Chris is the senior acquisition official for the Ministry of Defence in the USA and is responsible for the significant UK Foreign Military Sales portfolio, currently some $17.5bn of commitments for US equipment and services on a Government-to-Government basis. Chris is also responsible for bilateral defence trade policy issues with the US and is one of the leads for export control reform and other barriers to collaboration initiatives. Chris is one of the leads for UK/US cooperation on weapons supply to Ukraine.
	Malina Rumble Director Integrated Product Support, Australian Government Defence Ms Malina Rumble was appointed on 3 Jul 2023 as the Director Integrated Product Support for the Australian Government Defence, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. Malina is responsible for implementing IPS within the Australian Government Defence environment. She advises the Executive Director, Materiel Logistics Function and other senior Defence leaders on all matters pertaining to integrated product support policy, process and procedures, including opportunities for international engagement and partnering with industry. She also leads a team dedicated to conducting cross-business function integration to identify opportunities for efficiency across all lifecycle phases in support of the Australian Defence Strategic Review. Malina has more than 18years experience as a Logistician in the Australian Government Defence fulfilling roles within the Australian Army, Industry and the Australian Public Service for supply chain management, logistics compliance and assurance, information logistics systems training and development, logistics performance improvement, systems integration, leadership and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) management.
	Dr. Dev Shenoy Principal Director for Microelectronics, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Dr. Dev Shenoy joined the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, OUSD(R&E), as the Principal Director for Microelectronics in July 2021. In this role, Dr. Shenoy is responsible for leading the Department of Defense’s research and engineering efforts in Microelectronics. Prior to joining OUSD(R&E), Dr. Shenoy served as the Director of Microelectronics Innovation and as Director of Advanced Technologies at the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute. Prior to joining USC/ISI, Dr. Shenoy served as Chief Engineer in the Advanced Manufacturing Office at the Department of Energy (DOE) HQ. In that role, he co-authored DOE’s 2015 QTR (Quadrennial Technology Review) that served as a blueprint for DOE’s energy technology investments. Among other initiatives, Dr. Shenoy proposed and led a “Big Idea” for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness within the Office of EERE (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) on “Beyond Moore Computing” with participation from eight DOE National Labs.
	James "Lew" Sigmon III Director, J35 Plans and Exercises (PLEX), DLA A career US Marine and logistician, with 35 years of logistics and planning experience supporting Marine Air Ground Task Forces and the Joint Force during combat and in competition. He served as the logistics planner for Marine Forces Pacific, Marine Forces Central, J4 Future Operations and Planner for the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq, J4 Planner for US European Command and the Joint Staff J4 Operational Contract Support (OCS) lead planner. A combat veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He planned and supported the III Marine Expeditionary Force 2005 Tsunami relief operations in Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives. He led retail and operational supply units within the Marine Corps. Lew finished his career as a concept developer, in Marine Corps Concept Development and Integration Command. As a member of the Defense Logistics Agency, Lew deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and in support of the 2019 Defense Support to Civil Authorities Hurricane Maria response effort. He is the current Director of DLA Plans and Exercises Division within DLA J35. Lew has received multiple military and civilian awards and decorations. He is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Boston University and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

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.

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