Mr. Gaurang R. Dävé serves as Cyber Technology Officer for the Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC). In this role, he serves as the principal cyber advisor and technical expert to the Commander, Executive Director, Chief Engineer, and affiliated Program Executive offices (PEOs). Additionally, he serves as Acquisition Authorizing Official for the Marine Corps.

Mr. Dävé previously served as acting Executive Director of Marine Corps Systems Command. In this position, he served as the senior civilian official responsible for leading and directing daily business operations for the command. Mr. Dävé previously served as acting Dept of Navy Deputy Senior Information Security Officer (Marine Corps) and USMC Authorizing Official (AO). His responsibilities included ensuring Federal, DoD, and DON Cybersecurity requirements are addressed during the lifecycle of systems. In this role, he executed the authority and responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of the Marine Corps Cybersecurity Program.

Prior to that, Mr. Dävé served as acting Chief Engineer and Deputy to the Commander, Systems Engineering and Acquisition Logistics at MCSC. His responsibilities included: directing enterprise-level systems engineering in support of command product lines and lifecycles to ensure MCSC provides endto-end integrated, interoperable, and certified warfighting capabilities.

Prior to joining MCSC, Mr. Dävé served as Senior Cyber Technical Advisor and Cybersecurity Program Director for Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren. In this capacity, Mr. Dävé led the Navy’s combat systems cybersecurity portfolio across the Warfare Systems Program Office. Prior to that, Mr. Dävé served as Cybersecurity Risk Posture lead for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, OPNAV N2N6 Cybersecurity Division at the Pentagon. His contributions included synchronizing cyber strategy, standards and requirements, evaluating and prioritizing investments, providing oversight, and resource sponsorship.

Mr. Dävé began his career as a software engineer and served in technical, program management, and supervisory positions across the joint services. Mr. Dävé led the Chemical, Biological, Radiological (CBR) Analysis, Testing, and Systems Engineering Branch at NSWC, Dahlgren Division. Under his leadership, the branch provided SME in CBR modeling & simulation, threat analysis, and led several ACAT-3 efforts. Mr. Dävé served as CBR Thrust Area Manager for Major Defense Acquisition Program at JSTO/DTRA. Prior to joining government service, Mr. Dävé worked in private industry at International Business Machines (IBM) as a Security Software Engineer.

Mr. Dävé holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Biochemical Pharmacology from University at Buffalo. Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering with focus in Operational Research from George Mason University. Graduate degree in Cyber Engineering from University of Maryland at College Park. He is DAWIA Level III certified in Systems Engineering.

As Acting Director of the Technical Management and Analysis Directorate of the Deputy to the Commander for Systems Engineering and Acquisition Logistics, Mr. Mills serves as the technical leadership expert and principal advisor to the Commander, Executive Director, and Chief Engineer MCSC, including Program Executive Office Land Systems (PEO-LS) and subordinate activities, for cyberspace, cybersecurity, and information technology (IT) management. In this role, Mr. Mills is the MCSC lead for future engineering of the Service Information Environment (IE) and its primary construct the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN).

Prior to joining MCSC, Mr. Mills served as the Chief Information Officer for a DC based defense firm where he developed the company’s software engineering, network engineering, and cybersecurity competencies. Mr. Mills was an active participant with the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Information Sharing (DIB CS) partnership, and worked to encourage industry to share threat information. Before becoming CIO, Mr. Mills served as Director of IT and built the company’s technology infrastructure from its earliest iterations; developed custom business software; implemented advanced cyber defense, detection, and action methods; and pioneered network threat detection using data sonification.

Mr. Mills began his career as a video editor, software developer and network engineer in the media and advertising industry before moving to the defense sector.  As a contractor, Mr. Mills was a network engineer and software developer for NAVSEA and OPNAV before becoming a partner in the defense start-up firm he would help to build over the next 20 years.

Mr. Mills holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Technology from University of Maryland University College.

Scott Sautter leads Booz Allen’s West Coast work in network engineering, information technology (IT) infrastructure, cybersecurity, and systems engineering.  As a member of our San Diego cluster’s leadership team, he is focused on broadening the firm’s capabilities in the region with a specific focus on IT transformation, digital engineering, and cybersecurity service offerings.

Scott’s team delivers secure infrastructure solutions, enterprise network operations, capability assessments, IT strategy, and related services for a broad range of Department of Defense (DOD) clients including the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command; Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific; and Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.  He has over 20 years of experience in designing, building, and integrating command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions for DOD clients.  Prior to joining Booz Allen, Scott was a satellite communications engineer for Space Systems Loral, leading end-to-end integration and test activities for communications payloads on both commercial and DOD satellites.

Scott holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is a Certified Systems Engineering Professional through the International Council on Systems Engineering.

A native of Northern Virginia, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas received his commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1986 with a degree in Management Systems. He earned a Master’s of Science degree in Information Technology from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

A carrier aviator in the E-2C Hawkeye, he served at sea as a division officer in Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 114; as ship’s navigator aboard USS New Orleans (LPH 11) and USS Essex (LHD 2); as a department head in VAW 117; and as executive officer and commanding officer of VAW 117 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After graduating nuclear power school, Thomas served as executive officer for both USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS George Washington (CVN 73), delivering the first permanently forward-deployed nuclear aircraft carrier to Japan. He commanded the U.S. 6th Fleet Command Ship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20); USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during the ship’s refueling complex overhaul (RCOH); and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

On shore, Thomas served as a fleet replacement instructor in VAW 110; as flag aide for both commander, Fighter Airborne Early Warning Wing Pacific and the director of Naval Reactors; in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (OUSD AT&L) (Unmanned Warfare) coordinating the Unmanned Air Systems Task Force; and as executive assistant to the director, Air Warfare (N98).

As a flag officer, his tours include director, 21st Century Sailor Office (N17); Task Force 70/Commander, Carrier Strike Group 5, deploying on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) out of Yokosuka, Japan; and assistant deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy (N3/5B). Most recently, Thomas commanded forward deployed naval forces as commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, from July 2021 to February 2024.

He assumed duties as deputy chief of naval operations for Information Warfare (N2N6) and the 69th director of Naval Intelligence in February 2024.

George Jackson is the vice president of events at GovExec – the largest and most-influential media company in the public sector marketplace. George joined GovExec in October of 2020 to enhance the scale of their events and audience experiences.

He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in English. In 2006, he earned his master’s in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

George spent the first five years of his journalism career at WJHL-TV in Johnson City Tenn. – beginning as an overnight producer for the station’s 6 a.m. broadcast. He advanced to lead on-air reporter for WJHL’s 11 p.m. newscast.

As a reporter, George examined the earnings of two non-profit hospital systems, felony charges filed against a local sheriff, predatory paving companies, a health benefits backlog for local veterans, and a series of cold-case murder investigations. He received an honorable mention for Best TV Reporter in the 2011 Tennessee AP Broadcast awards and won a Best Investigative Reporting award from Media General in 2010.

George joined DC’s ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in 2012 to produce Capital Insider, which won him an Emmy award. One year later, he developed and recorded the pilot episode of Government Matters – a program about the business of government. It debuted as a weekly show on Sunday, August 4th of 2013. George led Government Matters through September of 2020, expanded its reach to a daily worldwide audience, and produced its first feature-length documentary “The Dawn of Generation AI.”

George is from Toledo, Ohio. He lives with his wife, twin daughters, and a pair of rescue dogs in Northern Virginia.

Lauren C. Williams is senior editor for Defense One. She previously covered defense technology and cybersecurity for FCW and Defense Systems. Before then, Williams has reported on several issues, including internet culture, national security, health care, politics and crime for various publications. She has a master's in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park and a bachelor's in dietetics from the University of Delaware.

A researcher by trade and a long-time military studies enthusiast, David specializes in analyzing military markets and combat systems research. With six years of military service and over seven years of research experience, David has devoted his professional career to studying the defense industry. Understanding how militaries operate, what tools they use, and how they use them is what inspires him. David works with clients to answer important industry questions and find pragmatic solutions to complex issues.

Before joining Forecast International, David spent six years in the United States Marine Corps where he specialized in infantry tactics and training. Following his military service, he spent seven years researching, writing, and analyzing content in the defense field. His previous roles include Global Conflict Data Analyst at Intelligence Fusion, Geopolitical Risk Analyst at Global Risk Intelligence, and Senior Industry Analyst at Government Business Council.

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