Gregory Barbaccia serves as the United States Federal Chief Information Officer, overseeing the implementation of secure, reliable, and high-performing technology across the Federal government. Prior to joining the White House, Gregory served in multiple leadership positions in the commercial technology sector where he executed robust information security strategies and implemented advanced analytics and security solutions at scale. Gregory is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and is a US Army Intelligence Veteran, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Noah Brown is the Chief Information Security Officer at Knowledge Services, RAMPQuest, and RAMPxchange, where he leads enterprise security strategy and execution across SaaS products serving federal, state, and defense customers. He directs security architecture and cloud-native security operations, and manages audit relationships spanning FedRAMP, GovRAMP, MARS-E, and NIST 800-53. Under his leadership, Knowledge Services achieved FedRAMP Ready designation, becoming the second Indiana-based company to earn a federal status. As Founding PMO Director of GovRAMP (formerly StateRAMP), he built the program's operational and technical infrastructure from inception in 2020, including its NIST 800-53-based authorization baselines, security maturity ladder, continuous monitoring program, and vendor assessment frameworks. Mr. Brown also serves as a U.S. Army Cyber Warfare Warrant Officer, conducting offensive and defensive cyber operations that bring true operational expertise to his compliance and security leadership - a practitioner's perspective on the threats these frameworks are built to defend against.

Sean Flowers has a background in Cybersecurity, focusing on education and strategic leadership. These focuses include planning for future cybersecurity demands while securing the present and translating industry job descriptions to educational curriculums. He is a The Executive Director of Ready Force Cyber, Chief Information Security Officer for the government, and a Cyber Operations Officer in the Army Reserve. He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice, Graduate Certificate in Cyber Crime & Critical Infrastructure Protection, M.S in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation, M.A in Business Administration and pursing a doctorate in cybersecurity leadership at Capital Technology University. Sean is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Dr. Michaela Iorga is a Supervisory Computer Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). She serves as the Director of the Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL) program and as the Senior Security Technical Lead for cloud computing. She has chaired the NIST Cloud Security and Forensics Working Groups and currently oversees research activities for the Multicloud Security Public Working Group.

A recognized subject matter expert in cybersecurity, risk assessment, and information assurance, Dr. Iorga collaborates with industry, academia, and government stakeholders to develop and disseminate high-level, vendor-neutral cybersecurity and forensics guidance aligned with national priorities and designed to advance U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness.

Dr. Iorga received her last Ph.D. from the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University in North Carolina, USA.

Leah McGrath serves as Executive Director of GovRAMP, the organization formerly known as StateRAMP.  McGrath was instrumental in launching the initiative in 2020, working in close collaboration with government and industry leaders to establish its original governance structure and cybersecurity policy framework. She oversaw the organization as it evolved into GovRAMP—a nationally recognized, public-private partnership advancing standardized cybersecurity verification for cloud solutions across the broader government ecosystem. 

In recognition of her vision and leadership in strengthening cyber resilience across both the public and private sectors, McGrath was named to NextGov’s 2025 Federal 100 and to Government Technology’s 2023 Top Doers, Dreamers and Drivers list, honoring the individuals driving real impact in the modernization of government technology.  

With over two decades of experience at the intersection of government, policy, and innovation, McGrath brings a proven track record in strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration, and digital transformation. Prior to her role with GovRAMP, she served as the first Deputy Mayor of the City of Fishers, Indiana, where she helped lead the city's transformation into a nationally ranked smart city. Her efforts included spearheading Fishers’ first long-range comprehensive plan and launching city-wide modernization initiatives—efforts that contributed to the city being named Money magazine’s #1 Best Place to Live in America in 2017. 

Throughout her career, McGrath has remained committed to improving outcomes for citizens through secure, scalable, and forward-thinking technology solutions. Today, she continues to serve as a national voice for supplier assurance, cyber policy alignment, and innovation in the public sector. 

Nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate, The Honorable Kevin Rhodes serves as the 16th Administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. Also known as the Chief Acquisition Officer of the United States, Administrator Rhodes is responsible for setting policy on approximately ten percent of the annual US budget or nearly $1trillion dollars. He is responsible for the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) across the government by statue. He chairs the Chief Acquisition Officers Council and CAS board along with numerous other government-wide boards and councils. Administrator Rhodes leads the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul and CAS changes currently underway updating US procurement policies for the most significant updates in 40 and 50 years respectively.

Dr. Kevin Rhodes previously served as a senior advisor to the Director, Office of Management and Budget as part of the Executive Office of the President.
Before his OMB role, Dr. Rhodes was the Executive Vice President of Systecon North America. In this capacity, he led all aspects of Systecon North America, including strategy, senior government relations, and Congressional interface efforts. With direct profit and loss responsibility, he led Systecon North America to its best year ever in its existence.
Prior to joining Systecon, Dr. Rhodes served for 25 years of transformational senior leadership in the Air Force in various roles, including having direct interaction and influence with the last three sitting (and now the current for 4) U.S. Presidents as part of his White House position. Experiences include leading 100s of procurement professionals and managed budgets of more than $2 Billion annually in various roles such as the Director of Operations KC-46, Program Manager for Common Avionics and Materiel, and Director of Acquisition at the White House Military Office. Led the Department of Defense’s (DoD) best managed program two separate times from 1000s of programs. He served in combat and worked special programs for US Special Operations Command as well. Dr. Rhodes holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, a Masters Degree in Management, and a Doctorate of Business Administration with a project management focus. He is a distinguished graduate of the Air War College and served on the personal staffs of the Deputy Secretary of Defense and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff as an Air Force Fellow.

Dr. Rhodes previously served on the Board of Directors for the international non-profit Council of Logistics Engineers.

Charles Rote currently serves as the Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Maine that provides information security to all State of Maine agencies within the executive branch and maintains a cooperative partnership with other branches to provide information security improvements to the whole of government. He serves as the chair of the Government Risk and Authorization Management Program, Standards and Technical Committee (GovRAMP) and has security and contingency planning certifications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disaster Recovery Institute International, and the Computing Technology Industry Association.

Rep. James Walkinshaw represents Virginia's 11th Congressional District, covering most of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the towns of Vienna and Herndon.

He serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which oversees the federal workforce, government operations, and federal IT management—areas that are critical to Northern Virginia’s economy—and on the Committee on Homeland Security,  covering areas like border/port security, cybersecurity, transportation security, counterterrorism, emergency management (FEMA), and customs.

Congressman Walkinshaw is the founder and co-chair of the first-ever Congressional Federal Workforce Caucus, which works to protect federal employees and defend the merit-based civil service from political interference.

A member of the New Democrat Coalition, Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Walkinshaw prioritizes protecting Social Security and Medicare, expanding housing and infrastructure, combating the climate crisis, and defending reproductive freedom.

Before Congress, Walkinshaw served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and spent over a decade as Chief of Staff to Rep. Gerry Connolly. He earned a B.A. in Politics from New York University and lives in Fairfax with his wife, Yvette, and their son, Mateo.

Pete brings decades of experience in the development and adoption of technology services in both the private and public sector. He joined federal service in 2019 with the US Digital Service where he became deeply familiar with the complex web of laws, regulations, policies and standards that make deploying technology in government entirely different from the private sector. Prior to public service, he led engineering teams that delivered internet based services at various size software companies.

Thomas Weikle is an Assistant Director for Information Assurance at the U.S. Department of Justice. With experience advancing FedRAMP‑aligned cloud security evaluations, machine‑readable security documentation, and continuous monitoring practices, he leads compliance and cyber risk management modernization efforts within the Department.

Craig P. Abod is the President and CEO of Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted IT Solutions Provider® to the Federal, State and Local Government, Education, Healthcare and Private Sector markets.

With decades of experience supporting the public sector IT ecosystem, Craig has served for several years on the FCW Federal 100 judging committee, giving him a unique, firsthand perspective on the technologies, priorities and leaders shaping government missions. Under his leadership, Carahsoft has become a top revenue producer and master aggregator for more than 500 technology partners, delivering innovative solutions across cybersecurity, AI, multicloud, DevSecOps and emerging technologies.

A recipient of the prestigious FCW Fed 100 Eagle Award, Craig is widely recognized for his commitment to simplifying IT acquisition and helping Government perform better through collaboration, insight and innovation.

Hemant Baidwan is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Knox Systems, where he leads enterprise cybersecurity strategy and the development of AI-driven, cloud-native security platforms. Mr. Baidwan brings over 20 years of leadership experience across cybersecurity, cloud security, governance, and large-scale digital transformation in both the public and private sectors. Previously, he served as the CISO and Acting Deputy Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he was responsible for securing one of the largest and most complex civilian federal environments. He also served as Vice Chair of the Federal CISO Council and as a Board Member of the FedRAMP Board, helping shape government-wide cybersecurity and cloud security policy.

Mr. Baidwan holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems and has completed executive leadership programs at Cornell University and Johns Hopkins University.

Michael is a serial entrepreneur, having owned several companies both inside and outside of the technology industry; He is currently the CEO of HRTec, a cyber security and government contracting firm that provides a range of I.T. products and services to both private organizations and government clients. Michael attended George Mason University and is an expert in the fields of IT, Security, and Data analysis; and having worked in those areas for over 30 years, managing the increasing requirement for access, analysis and security around CUI and PII data, at the same time complying with the required DITSCAP, DIACAP, RMF, SRG, and FedRAMP frameworks. This experience plus the breadth of knowledge from multiple industry gives him a unique perspective on small and mid-sized  businesses and the issues that affect them.

In recent years, Michael has led HRTec to develop FedHIVE, one of the first Cloud Service Offerings created by a small business specifically as a Compliance as a Service company, providing an accelerator to authorizations at the FedRAMP High and IL4/5 level. Since then, Michael has moved HRTec to broaden its scope of business to ensure government contractors have accessibility to scalable, customer driven, cybersecurity and cloud services.  In today’s era of large tech firms and rampant cybercrime, prior preparation with a high touch personalized security approach, prevents poor performance when a cyber-attack happens.  FedHIVE’s Mission is no exfiltration of Government data.

Bob Carter is a senior technology sales and business leader with extensive experience helping federal and enterprise organizations modernize IT operations through Financial Operations (FinOps), IT Financial Management (ITFM), cloud optimization, and AI cost governance. At Apptio, an IBM Company, Bob works with organizations to improve financial transparency, reduce waste, and align technology investments with mission and business outcomes.
Over the course of his career, Bob has led high-performing teams and helped scale technology organizations across the public and private sectors. He is recognized for his expertise in cloud economics, enterprise business management, and helping customers build practical frameworks for cost accountability and operational efficiency.

A trusted advisor and frequent industry speaker, Bob is passionate about enabling organizations to modernize with confidence while maximizing ROI from cloud, AI, and digital transformation initiatives. Bob has a BSEE from Tufts University and plays 3rd base in a Men’s 48+ Wood Bat Baseball League.

Irina Denisenko is the CEO of Knox, a cybersecurity pioneer delivering FedRAMP as a Service” to help SaaS companies enter and scale in the government market. A seasoned operator, Irina previously co-founded and served as COO of Class Technologies, where she grew ARR to $50M, scaled the team to 200 employees, and raised over $350M in funding. Prior to that she built a leading US-based Drone Technology company, PrecisionHawk, into an industry leader ultimately acquired by Norway’s The Field Group. With deep expertise in technology, government, and enterprise Irina brings a track record of building trusted, scalable systems at the intersection of innovation and compliance.

Drenan Dudley is the Head of State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Partnerships and Senior Advisor for Global Cyber Policy at Zscaler. She brings over 25 years of experience from the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. Government as well as from non-federal governments. Drenan leads Zscaler’s engagement with state and local government partners and advises senior officials around the world on cyber policy.

Prior to joining Zscaler in 2025, Drenan held senior roles in the White House including Deputy Director for Strategy and Budget and Acting National Cyber Director in the Office of the National Cyber Director and Director for Long-term Community Recovery from all-hazards. She coordinated strategic planning for federal cybersecurity and community recovery programs and worked closely with federal and non-federal partners to address resource gaps. Drenan also worked as staff in the U.S. Senate for over two decades where she had appropriations and oversight responsibilities for $25 billion in annual Department of Homeland Security programs and for $196 billion in supplemental appropriations to respond to emergencies and disasters. Federal agencies in her portfolio included, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, the Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Intelligence and Analysis. She also served as Director of Projects and Grants for Senator Hollings of South Carolina ensuring Federal programs were responsive to non-Federal government issues and coordinated over $1 billion in funds to local governments, schools, hospitals, and police and fire departments.

Before working in Washington, D.C., Drenan worked at the Maricopa Association of Governments in Arizona and at the State of South Carolina. She earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in budget, finance, and local government from the University of Georgia and an undergraduate degree in English and Political Science from the University of South Carolina. Drenan was raised in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Mitch Herckis is Global Head of Government Affairs for Wiz, a cloud cybersecurity company. Prior to joining Wiz, Mitch served as Branch Director for Federal Cybersecurity at the White House Office of Management and Budget, where his team led implementation of the Executive Order on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity on behalf of the Federal CIO.

Before joining federal service, Mitch served as a Senior Advisor for New York City Cyber Command, driving cybersecurity implementations across 100+ agencies, and leading public initiatives to increase the digital security of City residents. Mitch also led federal technology policy and advocacy efforts for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and National League of Cities.

Matt Hungate serves as a Managing Principal within Schellman's Federal Practice, overseeing assessment services across FedRAMP, GovRAMP, and CMMC for organizations navigating federal compliance requirements. He brings deep experience helping cloud service providers build and maintain security programs at scale.

Before joining Schellman in 2019, Matt spent his career as a consultant advising the Department of Defense on strategy and assessment initiatives, giving him firsthand insight into both the regulator and practitioner sides of federal compliance.

Matt holds the CISSP, CISA, CCSK, and CPA credentials and is based in the Richmond, VA area.

Bhanu Jagasia, the Founding Samurai and Chief Executive Samurai of bladestack.io, brings nearly two decades of expertise in cybersecurity and IT systems management. His career spans transforming the Department of Justice's security posture, building a successful independent IT security practice, and revitalizing a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) in a way that materially expanded its client base and revenue. That arc reflects both strategic acumen and a deep, working command of the modern compliance landscape.

At bladestack.io, Mr. Jagasia leads the only advisory-only accredited FedRAMP 3PAO on the FedRAMP Marketplace, a deliberate model designed to eliminate the conflicts of interest that arise when a single firm both advises and assesses the same client. Since the company's founding in 2021, he has guided bladestack to surpass its revenue forecasts year after year, an achievement accomplished entirely without external funding. His remit covers the full spectrum of system security, from strategic planning through rigorous assessment and mitigation, across FedRAMP, CMMC, StateRAMP, and HITRUST.

Mr. Jagasia is an active voice in the FedRAMP 20x conversation. His team has built a FedRAMP 20x readiness platform that operationalizes Key Security Indicators (KSIs), mapping sixty KSIs across eleven categories and producing machine-readable OSCAL output, work that speaks directly to the question of how automated, continuous validation can serve as a trusted, scalable alternative to traditional control-based assessment. He contributes to industry whitepapers, speaks regularly on CMMC, DFARS, and FedRAMP authorization reuse, and is a member of the Forbes Technology Council.

True to bladestack.io's cyber-samurai ethos, Mr. Jagasia pairs technical mastery with community engagement and a commitment to societal impact. His academic foundation from George Mason University, combined with more than forty industry certifications, including the CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, CGEIT, CDPSE, PMP, and CEH, anchors his work mentoring the next generation of practitioners and advancing the frontiers of digital security.

Morgan Kaplan is the Head of Public Sector at Vanta, leading the delivery of AI and automation-based GRC solutions to Federal, SLED, and industry end-users. Working at the intersection of public policy and technology modernization, Morgan has a strong passion for how advanced software, AI systems, and emerging technology can have a positive impact on government, business, and societal outcomes at-large.

Prior to Vanta, Morgan was a Senior Policy & Communications Lead at Palantir Technologies, a Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Executive Editor of the quarterly journal "International Security" at the Harvard Kennedy School, and before that an academic focused on the foreign policies of rebel groups. Morgan holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from the University of Chicago, as well as a B.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University.

Drew Myklegard is the Executive Director of Government Programs at Carahsoft and a former Deputy Federal CIO at OMB. He works at the intersection of government and industry, helping technology companies navigate the federal market while supporting agencies' modernization, cloud, cybersecurity, and AI initiatives.

Ross Nodurft is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Digital Innovation (ADI), a coalition of technology companies focused on bringing commercial, cloud-based solutions to the public sector that can enable a modern, secure, digital government. ADI focuses on promoting polices that enable IT modernization, cybersecurity, smarter acquisition, and workforce development. Prior to joining ADI, Ross spent several years working with industry partners on technology and cybersecurity policy and spent several years in government, both in the executive and legislative branches. Having served as principal of Risk Management and Government Solutions at a digital identity and cybersecurity firm, and chief of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Cyber Team in the White House overseeing Federal government cybersecurity policy and federal agency incident response, Ross has significant experience on advising ADI member companies on how to navigate issues at the nexus of homeland security, technology, and cybersecurity policy.

In his role at OMB, Ross worked closely with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) on supply chain and acquisition policy, and with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) privacy office on technology policy and breach response. He also led efforts to modernize Federal IT systems and modernize risk management practices to ensure secure infrastructure across the Federal government.

Ross has served as a legislative director for a U.S. House of Representatives member, where he managed voting for all of the economic, defense, and homeland security policy; wrote, edited, and introduced legislation focused on information sharing liability protection and critical infrastructure development; and developed the strategy for the introduction, debate, and adoption of all legislative priorities. He was also a senior policy advisor for a U.S. senator, where he negotiated inclusion of legislative language in both appropriation and authorization bills focused on homeland security, technology, and economic policy; built strong relationships with the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security, while advocating on behalf of large and small ISPs for internet and data security reforms; and, in collaboration with Homeland Security Appropriations staff, helped to craft key policy decisions, including the inclusion of full funding for cyber education. Earlier in his career, Ross was a professional staff member with the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, where he started the cybersecurity/IT portfolio in the Small Business Committee, negotiated numerous budget and tax amendments, and drafted legislation authorizing Small Business Administration programs for disabled and minority veterans groups.

Stephen is a Distinguished Cybersecurity Architect with more than 20 years of experience helping government and enterprise organizations navigate the intersection of cybersecurity, cloud technologies, and federal policy, including evolving FedRAMP requirements. He advises customers, partners, and executive leadership on secure cloud adoption, cybersecurity strategy, enterprise architecture, and regulatory compliance, with a particular focus on enabling modernization across the public sector.

Throughout his career, Stephen has worked closely with CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, and technical leaders to address complex security and cloud challenges, translating evolving technical and regulatory requirements into practical, mission-focused strategies. His expertise spans cybersecurity architecture, cloud security, government IT policy, enterprise technology strategy, and secure digital transformation.

Stephen is an active contributor to the broader federal cybersecurity community through industry presentations, technical workshops, and panel discussions on topics including cloud security, cybersecurity risk management, and government compliance. He also serves as a participating member of the Cloud Service Provider Advisory Board (CSP-AB), where he contributes industry perspectives on government cloud and cybersecurity initiatives.

A frequent author of technical guidance and whitepapers, Stephen is passionate about helping government agencies adopt secure, resilient cloud technologies while balancing innovation, compliance, and mission outcomes. He holds CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), Certified Enterprise Architect (CEA), Salesforce Certified Administrator, and Registered DoD Risk Management Framework Practitioner (RDRP) certifications.

Bobby Tuohy is CPO at Cav, an AI-powered cyber compliance platform serving U.S. defense agencies and critical infrastructure, and founder of Blackthorn Strategies, an engineering and product firm focused on RF, electronic warfare, and AI-enabled systems.

He previously led product at Flashpoint, a global threat intelligence company, and founded the supply chain venture studio at 25madison. He is also a venture partner at First In capital.

A U.S. Navy veteran with tours across signals intelligence, maritime operations, and special operations, Bobby holds an MBA and Master of Science in Engineering from Harvard and a BS in Naval Architecture from the United States Naval Academy.