Speakers

Michelle Bartoli is the Budget Officer and Chief of Budget and Finance for the United States Department of Justice, National Security Division. She currently oversees the entirety of the Division's budget formulation and execution processes, including developing annual performance budgets, managing program level budget execution, tracking personnel resources, identifying areas for modernization and business process improvement, and providing financial analysis and review. She has more than 19 years of experience in the field of government financial and resource management, budget formulation, program evaluation, and policy analysis.

Mr. Borka joined DHS in June 2022 as the Deputy Executive Director of the DHS Office of Program Accountability and Risk Management (PARM). Mr. Borka also serves as the Component Acquisition Executive for the DHS Management portfolio. Mr. Borka provides oversight of 88 active programs whose total life cycle costs are valued at over $60 Billion, including ships and aircraft to secure the maritime and land borders; mobile surveillance; identity credentialing; assets to protect the President; cybersecurity; airport screening; and biodefense.

Prior to joining PARM, Mr. Borka worked for the Department of the Navy as the Director for Naval Acquisition Policy within the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition (OASN RD&A), providing acquisition oversight of over 180 Navy and Marine Corps Acquisition Programs. Mr. Borka served as the Navy’s Acquisition Policy liaison to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and had oversight of Earned Value Management and Cost Estimating for acquisition programs.

Mr. Borka began his engineering career with Anteon Corporation, supporting the Navy’s Program Executive Office Ships in the integration of the Joint Strike Fighter, MV-22 Osprey, and MH-60R/S Sea Hawk aircraft onto numerous ship classes. Mr. Borka began his government career in 2006 as a Fleet Support Engineer for the Navy. Mr. Borka has worked in Naval Shipyards, as a Business Financial Manager, Requirements Officer at the Pentagon, and supported the Anti-Terrorism Afloat Program Office. Mr. Borka was responsible for the modernization of all LHA 1/LHD 1, and LPD 4 Class ships home ported in San Diego, California and Japan. Additionally, Mr. Borka created and led the LCC 19 Class Extended Service Life Program, taking these unique ships to an extended service life of 70 years. Mr. Borka was selected as a NAVSEA Commander’s Executive Fellows in 2014, serving in senior leadership positions across the Pentagon. From March 2016 through June 2017 Mr. Borka served as the Assistant Program Manager for the CVN74 Nuclear Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH), responsible for the planning and execution of the $5 Billion overhaul of one of the world's largest warships.

Mr. Borka is a graduate of NC State, where he earned his BS in Aerospace Engineering. He also has a Masters in Administration from Central Michigan University. Mr. Borka has received a Distinguished Certificate in Management from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Mr. Borka is a certified DAWIA/FAC PM Level 3 and a Systems Engineering Level 3. Mr. Borka is also a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps.

Michael O. Cannon currently serves as Director, DLA Disposition Services. Since 2014, he has led nearly 1,500 military and civilian personnel stationed at 73 sites in 15 countries, 41 states and three U.S. territories. His organization supports the Department of Defense by disposing of material no longer needed for national security, protects the public from dangerous defense items through responsible property reuse, hazardous property disposal, demilitarization, precious metals recovery and recycling initiatives, and complies with all legislative and regulatory requirements.

Cannon joined the Senior Executive Service in November 2014. He previously served on active duty with the United States Air Force for more than 33 years, retiring with the rank of colonel. He entered the Air Force in 1981 as an enlisted aircrew life support specialist, later earning a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1988 and accepting a commission in 1989.

He commanded the 43d Supply Squadron and 43d Logistics Readiness Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, and the 62d Aerial Port Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Washington. He also commanded three deployed squadrons, one group, and a DLA Support Team in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, as well as the 727th Air Mobility Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, U.K. He held several staff positions at Air Mobility Command, to include Chief of Supply Analysis; Executive Officer, Logistics Directorate; and Deputy Chief, Materiel Readiness Division.

Prior to his final military assignment with DLA, Cannon was the deputy commander for the 521st Air Mobility Operations Group, Naval Station Rota, Spain. Before taking charge of DLA Disposition Services, he was business manager for Energy Convergence with DLA J6 and Deputy Director of Materiel Policy, Process and Assessment with DLA J3.

Cannon holds master’s degrees in both logistics management and military operational arts and sciences, as well as a bachelor’s degree, two associate’s degrees and a certificate in supply chain management. Select military awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters.

James Caseja is one of three children and had a unique upbringing as a military brat. Growing up, he was exposed to a lifestyle of constant change and new experiences, thanks to his father's service in the United States Army. The ability to adapt to new situations and challenges has been a defining characteristic of Mr. Caseja's life, enabling him to navigate the ever-changing landscape of technology and innovation.

Mr. Caseja earned his Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Business Administration from Towson University in 2017. He then went on to receive a Master's degree in Applied Information Technology, along with a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Information Security and Assurance in 2019.

Mr. Caseja began his professional journey in 2016 as a Pathways Intern in the U.S Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineering Center (SEC). After his successful internship, he transitioned into a full-time role in 2017, where he served as an associate member of the Technical Management Group. During this time, he laid the groundwork for the Electronic Patching Initiative and other strategic efforts.

In 2018, Mr. Caseja took on a new role as a Vulnerability Assessment Analyst within the SEC Enterprise Cybersecurity group and was also nominated as the Chair of the CECOM Junior Advisory Council. The following year, he served as an IT Specialist for the SEC Cybersecurity Engineering Branch, where he executed strategic initiatives within the Risk Management Framework and established the Army's Software Assurance strategy.

Mr. Caseja currently holds the position of Software Modernization Team Lead for the ASA(ALT) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Data, Engineering, and Software. In this capacity, he is leading the implementation of software modernization through various strategic initiatives, such as the development of Digital Transformation Playbooks, implementation of Software Bill of Materials, and advancement of Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment practices.

Colin Crosby is a distinguished leader with over 24 years of military and business experience. In his current roles as Marine Corps Service Data Officer and Deputy DON Chief Data Officer, he is responsible for strategic development and implementation of comprehensive approaches and governance for enterprise data, content management, information and knowledge management, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Crosby's military career began as a Communications Officer in the Marine Corps, after immigrating from Kingston, Jamaica to the United States in 1983. He graduated from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1994 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1996 after completing Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia.

Dr. Crosby transitioned to the Inactive Ready Reserves in 2004 to pursue higher education, earning an MBA in 2006 and a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialization in Information Security. He excelled as the Business Development Lead for M.E.R.I.T., Inc., where he developed and executed strategic initiatives that significantly shaped the company's future.

In 2008, Dr. Crosby rejoined the Marine Corps’ Reserve IMA Detachment and was mobilized in support of Operations Enduring Freedom as the II MEF Information Technology Officer/Information Assurance Manager. He later supported the United Nations Mission to Haiti (MINUSTAH) and held various roles within the Marine Corps, including Information and Knowledge Manager at HQMC DC Information.

Mr. Brian DeFelice is the Director, Financial Systems Transformation within the Department of Navy Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), Financial Management Systems (FMS). In this capacity, he is responsible for the transformation and modernization of financial management IT systems across the Department of Navy to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s warfighter.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. DeFelice served as a Highly Qualified Expert (HQE) reporting to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for FMS. In this role, he was responsible for supporting the delivery and resourcing of financial management functional requirements and systems, and the portfolio management of those systems. In addition, he managed the consolidation of the Navy’s remaining legacy financial accounting systems into Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). He also provided advice and guidance on dependent systems transformation efforts to senior members across the Navy and Marine Corps.

Before joining the Department of the Navy, Mr. DeFelice supported the Federal Government as a consultant with both IBM and Throughline. At IBM, Mr. DeFelice held a variety of leadership roles in Navy ERP production operations and project teams through the implementation of the Financial and Single Supply solution from 2006-2017. In addition, he served as a subject matter expert (SME) for ERP financial management support at the Department of the Treasury. While at

Throughline as a Senior Accounts Manager, Mr. DeFelice led multiple analysis and strategic initiatives including NAVAIR’s Aviation Logistics Environment (ALE) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), DISA’s Global Command and Control System – Joint (GCCS-J) modernization, and various system modernization impacts reviews of the Navy supply chain and other DoD ecosystems.

Mr. DeFelice received his Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering from Rutgers University. He also holds a PMP certification.

Traci DiMartini is the Human Capital Officer for the Internal Revenue Service which is part of the Department of the Treasury. In her role as HCO, Traci oversees all IRS recruitment, hiring, benefits and training for the Service’s 90,000 employees.   She is a passionate advocate for federal workers and is proud to partner with the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) which represents the IRS bargaining unit workforce.  Traci is an experienced Senior Executive and previously served as the Chief Human Capital Officer for GSA, Peace Corps and the EEOC before joining the IRS in June 2023.   She has over 20 years of federal service and is an alumna of USDA’s SES Candidate Development program and American University’s Key Executive Leadership program.   Traci received her Masters degree from Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Public Policy with a concentration in Labor Policy and is a proud native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
 

Dr. Aaron J. Drew is the Senior Enterprise Solutions Architect in the Office of Information & Technology (OI&T), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

 Dr. Drew is concurrently serving as the Technical Director for the Supply Chain Product Line (Health) within the Office of Information & Technology.  Previously, Dr. Drew simultaneously served as the Chief Engineer & Chief Architect for the Financial Management Business Transformation Special Program Office (FMBT-SPO) and the Chief Engineer & Chief Architect for the Supply Chain Modernization Program.  Prior to joining the SCM Product Line and the FMBT Program, Dr. Drew served multiple roles in support of the Chief Information Officer and the Secretary of the VA. As a Senior IT Advisor, Dr. Drew previously supported three of the SECVA’s 12 Breakthrough Priorities (Reducing Veterans Homelessness, Increase Access to Healthcare, and Improve Community Care). Dr. Drew also supported the CIO’s Enterprise Cyber Security Team as the Program Manager for the Security Architecture, Engineering & Design Domain (SAED) Team.  Finally, Dr. Drew also served as the Chief Engineer and Technical Product Manager for the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) Evolution Program.  As Chief Engineer and Technical Product Manager, Dr. Drew was responsible for designing a robust, scalable, open, and interoperable technical architecture and infrastructure that will both support and enable VistA 4’s clinical functional capabilities.  These capabilities would allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to meet the modern and future needs of our clinicians and external medical stakeholders who have a vested interested in accessing the Veteran’s electronic medical record information as part of a coordinated care endeavor. 

As the Director, Health IT Product Engineering for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Drew was responsible for the Multi-Year Fiscal Budget Management, Budget Operation Planning, Budget Execution Year Monitoring, Program Management and the Product Management (which includes Concept Refinement, Requirements Gathering, Requirements Analysis, and System Design) for all Health Information Systems. These information systems support the mission of the Veterans Health Administration (to include their interoperability with the Department of Defense, Health and Human Services and the Department of the Interior).  Dr. Drew was also responsible for the upstream customer service relationship building between the Veterans Health Administration and my Office (Product & Platform Management: Health) as well as his downstream customers: the VA’s Office of Information & Technology/Product Development and the White House’s Digital Services Team. 

During his tenure as the Director of Enterprise Architecture, Dr. Drew was responsible for standing up a useful, business-driven, and data-centric Enterprise Architecture for the entire U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (OneVA Enterprise Architecture). Dr. Drew pushed the development of the Consolidated Reference Models (BRM, PRM, DRM, SRM, and TRM), to include the provisioning of the Doman Architecture artifacts such as the Business Architecture, Data Architecture, Applications Architecture, Infrastructure Architecture, Security Architecture, and the Strategy Architecture. Internally to VA, Dr. Drew currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Architecture & Engineering Review Board. As a representative of VA in the joint Department of Defense (DoD)/VA environment, Dr. Drew has served as the Co-Chair for the Health Architecture Review Board. Finally, Dr. Drew is committed to bringing better coordination/collaboration among the VHA, VBA and NCA Segment Architectures in addition to the Solutions Architectures underlying VA Major Initiatives. This internal coordination is done in conjunction with his work to better sync the Health architecture and infrastructure initiatives between VA and DoD. 

Dr. Drew holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Delaware, Masters’ degrees in Human Resources Management and Management Information System from Marymount University and finally a Doctorate degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Maryland University College. Dr. Drew is concurrently serving as an Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of Maryland University College in their Graduate School of Management & Technology and New York University in their Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Dr. Drew also periodically guest lectures at George Mason University in their Graduate School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs.  Dr. Drew previously served as an Adjunct Professor with Marymount University in their Graduate School of Business Administration. 

Aaron Kirkham is the Program Manager of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Warehouse Management System (WMS). He has extensive experience with transformational initiatives with over a decade of leading modernization efforts for DLA. During his time with DLA, Aaron has worked with Business and IT organizations to modernize applications that facilitate cataloging, provisioning, and supply chain business processes. In his current role, Aaron is leading the DLA Warehouse Management System modernization effort that has deployed an SAP solution to fifty-four distribution and disposition centers globally.

Dr. Jay Lewis is the Director of the National Semiconductor Technology Center, or NSTC, Program, for the CHIPS R&D Office at the Department of Commerce. In this role he is working to establish the NSTC program, a public-private consortium that will serve as a cornerstone of semiconductor research for the country. He previously worked at Microsoft, at DARPA, where he was a program manager and the Deputy Director of the Microsystems Technology Office, and had an early career in semiconductor research.

A one-of-a-kind commander with a new perspective on organizational dynamics, General Stan McChrystal is known for helping elite teams tap into the potential of their people to better compete in a complex and interconnected world. Few can speak about leadership, teamwork, and international affairs with as much insight as he can.

Offering A Four-Star Perspective The son and grandson of Army officers, McChrystal has a legacy of service. He graduated from West Point in 1976 and was commissioned as an infantry officer. He later trained at the Special Forces School in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and spent much of his career commanding special operations and airborne infantry units. During the Persian Gulf War, McChrystal served in a Joint Special Operations Task Force and later commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment. 

In 2002, he was appointed chief of staff of military operations in Afghanistan. Two years later, McChrystal was selected to deliver the nationally televised Pentagon briefings about military operations in Iraq. From 2003–2008, he commanded JSOC and was responsible for leading the nation’s deployed military counter-terrorism efforts around the globe, assuming command of all international forces in Afghanistan in June 2009. President Obama’s order for an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan was based on McChrystal’s assessment of the war.

Rethinking how elite teams function. After retiring from the U.S. Army, General McChrystal turned his expertise to the business world. As the author of best-selling management books, General McChrystal offers a battle-tested system for detecting and responding to risk. He is also the Founder and CEO of the McChrystal Group, which helps Fortune 500 Companies strike the right balance between hierarchical and decentralized team mindsets and structures. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, McChrystal, a former Green Beret, is known for his candor, innovative leadership, and going the distance. Called “one of America’s greatest warriors” by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, few can speak about leadership, teamwork, and international affairs/geopolitics with as much insight.

For more than ten years, the McChrystal Group has advised companies on how to thrive as the world changes. General McChrystal and his firm design custom business solutions and leader development programs to cultivate trust, empowerment, common purpose, and shared knowledge across your organization. With these skills, General McChrystal will explain how your organization can operate as a nimble “team of teams,” which is essential in today’s competitive and rapidly-changing business landscape.

Leading in Uncertain Times. A dynamic, powerful speaker, McChrystal impresses audiences with field-tested leadership lessons, stressing a uniquely inclusive model that focuses on building teams capable of relentlessly pursuing results. When old systems fall short, he believes true leaders must look for ways to innovate and change. Citing stories from his career, McChrystal reminds us that in a world where things are moving at a speed we’ve never experienced, we need leaders more than ever—and he teaches us how to rise to the occasion.
 

Joshua Mueller is a Policy, Ethics, & Governance Specialist at the National Artificial Intelligence Institute (NAII) within the VHA Digital Health Office. He joined the NAII as a 2022-2023 AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, during which time he served as a lead author on VA’s Trustworthy AI Framework. Previously, he was Deputy Director and a Health & Mental Health Policy Fellow at MOST Policy Initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that performs research for the Missouri state legislature. He earned a Ph.D. in Dynamical Neuroscience from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2020, where he published a dissertation on computational methods for analyzing fruit fly behavior and human functional brain network organization. He earned a B.A. in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, where he conducted research on human herpesviruses-related forms of cancer.
 

Mr. Michael Nixon serves as the Branch Chief and Program Manager for the Financial Systems Modernization (FSM) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The FSM Branch includes the FSM Program Management Office (PMO) that is currently undertaking the Change Management, Data Management, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Generative AI, PPBE, Future Travel System, OCFO-wide projects workstreams. The FEMA FSM PMO is responsible for identifying the business requirements for FEMA’s new core financial and procurement system, establishing overall financial and procurement Data Management practices, and addressing interfaces/integrations issues between the new system and other FEMA systems.

Prior to his position with the FEMA, Mr. Nixon served as the Branch Head for Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Migrations in the ASN(FM&C) Financial Management Systems Organization.  Mr. Nixon’s role was providing program management and technical expertise to a staff of up to 14 government employees and over 100 contractor staff with a goal of migrating from 9 General Ledgers to 1 General Ledger for the Department of the Navy to include both Working Capital Fund and General Fund operations.  

Additional experience includes, served as the Deputy Director for Expeditionary Maneuver Support Directorate (EMSD) with the US Army where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Directorate, strategic planning, budget planning, execution, review, and oversight, and a senior advisor and Directorate representative for the EMSD Director.  Mr. Nixon began his career in the US Armed Forces in 2000 serving in the US Marine Corps where he attained the rank of Corporal.  

Mr. Nixon’s professional awards include the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Department of the Army Commanders Award for Civilian Service.
 

Ms. Jessica S. Palatka is the Director of Human Resource Management and Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) and a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), responsible for providing leadership, developing policies, and directing programs in all aspects of human resources and human capital management and administration for all bureaus of the Department of Commerce (DOC), covering nearly 58,000 employees located in all 50 states, every U.S. territory, and more than 88 countries. Ms. Palatka is a member of the Office of Personnel Management Chief Human Capital Officer Council Executive Steering Committee.

Concurrently, Ms. Palatka is an Adjunct Associate Professor for the University of Maryland, Global Campus, where she teaches undergraduate courses in Human Resources and Business. 

Ms. Palatka earned a Bachelor of Science cum laude in Management Science and Statistics, Decision and Information Technology in 2000 and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management in 2006 from the University of Maryland. Additionally, she earned a post graduate certificate from Cornell University in Human Resources in 2007. 

Previously, Ms. Palatka served as the Chief of the Human Resources Operations Center (HROC) for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Ms. Palatka also served as a Senior Leader (SL) while working as the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) and Director, Human Resources Directorate (HRD) for the National Defense University (NDU). She also served as the Director of Human Capital Strategy for Sustainment for the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). 

Ms. Palatka holds the Human Resources Certification Institutes’ (HRCI) certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) license. Ms. Palatka also holds a Level III certification in Life Cycle Logistics, a Level II certification in Program Management, a Level I certification in International Acquisition, and a Green Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification. 
 

Sandy J. Radesky serves as the Associate Director for Vulnerability Management at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). In this role, she leads CISA’s Vulnerability Management mission providing cyber risk reduction to proactively strengthen national infrastructure resilience.

Prior to this, Sandy served as the Deputy Command Information Officer (CIO) for US Fleet Cyber Command and US TENTH Fleet from December 2020 to February 2023. She oversaw the cyber portfolio, policy, and design to enable full spectrum Cyberspace Operations. Her efforts improved, integrated, and directly supported joint warfighters, national-level leaders, and other mission and coalition partners across global cyberspace operations. Notably, Sandy was selected by the Joint Staff for a Senior Executive assignment as the Director of Information and Technology and Analytics supporting the National COVID-19 response effort in the Countermeasures Acceleration Group (CAG) formerly known as Operation Warp Speed. She led a team of data scientists, logisticians and technologists who developed capabilities to streamline the distribution of over 400M vaccines and therapeutics to the American people during the rise of omicron variant.

Previous experience includes an operational assignment at Joint Force Headquarters  Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN), as the Deputy Director of Operations and several years at DISA in various roles, but foundationally critical to her  operational experience, her time as the Chief of Defensive Cyber Operations Security Operations at DISA Global Operations Command (DGOC) located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Sandy is also a veteran of the United States Air Force, in total, dedicating 25 years of service to the Nation.

Mr. Adarryl M. Roberts was appointed to serve as the Director, DLA Information Operations (J6), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) on August 2, 2023.

As the Director, J6, Mr. Roberts is the DLA Chief Information Officer (CIO), responsible for coordinating and integrating policies, guidelines, procedures, and activities to ensure effective, efficient, and economical information technology (IT) planning, acquisition, and management in support of DLA and the Department of Defense (DOD) missions and objectives. He is responsible for the management and supervision of all DLA IT policies and planning, and investment management to include cyber resilience, technical architecture and infrastructure, emerging technology, research and development, data management, and IT acquisition program management throughout the Agency and DOD.

DLA is the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)’s combat logistics support agency, providing worldwide logistics support for the material and personnel readiness and sustainment of the Military Departments and the Unified Combatant Commands under conditions of peace and war. It also provides logistics support to other DOD components and certain Federal agencies, foreign governments, international organizations, and others as authorized.

Prior to his selection as CIO, Mr. Roberts was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and selected as the Program Executive Officer (PEO) DLA on November 4, 2019.

As the PEO, Mr. Roberts was instrumental in leading DLA’s Digital Business Transformation efforts to modernize, transform, and fundamentally change the way DLA provides value to our customers. He was the corporate provider of acquisition management services and provided overall direction and guidance for the development, acquisition, testing, systems integration, product improvement, and fielding for assigned DLA programs on behalf of DOD wide sponsors.

Before being appointed as the PEO, Mr. Roberts served as the Portfolio Manager, Enterprise Sourcing, Medical, and Contingency (ESMC), DLA Information Operations, Program Executive Office responsible for oversight and acquisition expertise across the life cycle in support of the DOD and DLA user communities for 16 programs and 35 applications. Prior to his tenure as the ESMC Portfolio Manager, Mr. Roberts held a variety of increasingly responsible positions at DLA, including Director of the Business Systems Center of Excellence (BSCoE) working with Industry IT Business System partners within DOD to look at innovative ways to develop and sustain business systems, and Program Manager of Wide Area Workflow (WAWF).

After graduating from Fayetteville State University, Mr. Roberts enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as the equivalent to a civilian Contracting Officer for the 81st Contracting Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base. Upon separation from the Air Force, Mr. Roberts worked as a Functional Analyst Lead for contract writing at CACI, Inc. He then entered Federal service as a Procurement Analyst with Army Business Center for Acquisition Systems before transferring to the Business Transformation Agency in 2008 serving as DOD agency lead for Federal Procurement Data System Next Generation, and Deputy Program Manager of Federal Business Opportunities, and later Program Manager of WAWF.

Mr. Roberts holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Management from Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, NC and he is DAU certified at level three in Contracting. Mr. Roberts awards include the Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Ribbon, Outstanding Unit Ribbon, and Air Force Squadron/Group Company Grade Officer of the Year.

Candace Williams is the Chief, Contracting Division, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Air Force Research Laboratory, Arlington, Va. Ms. Williams is a dedicated government operations professional with over 18 years of exemplary experience in crafting and executing acquisition strategies for federal and local government constituents. Ms. Williams has been recognized for fostering intergovernmental relations, implementing effective business process re-engineering, and orchestrating strategic program and project management initiatives. She has expertise in corporate restructuring, and policy development; she is adept at interpreting intricate regulations and policies to support executive staff in aligning agency missions with visionary planning.

In Ms. Williams’ current role at AFOSR her responsibilities include steering the Contracting Division, driving transformational changes that enhance organizational effectiveness. She orchestrates the daily functions of 45 staff, facilitating $500M+ contract and grant actions annually supporting 200 scientists, engineers and administrators in Arlington, Va. and international offices in the United Kingdom, Japan, Chile, Brazil, and Australia. She has pioneered a culture of efficient and effective acquisition lifecycle practices, ensuring successful multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract and grant awards. 

Commander Williams, a native of Seattle, Washington, was commissioned in 2001.  Following commissioning, he attended flight school in Corpus Christi, TX and Whiting, FL earning his wings of gold in January of 2003.  Medically retired from the Navy in 2004, CDR Williams was found Fit for Duty in 2009 and returned to Active Duty as an Engineering Duty Officer.

CDR Williams’ professional experience includes HSL-40, Warehouse Supervisor for Ecolab, Supply Chain Associate for Sieger Engineering, Inventory Manager for Sieger Engineering, Financial Planning and Accounting for Sieger Engineering, Senior Cost Accountant for Ultra Clean Technology, Founder and Chairman of the Board for NPSSA, SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific, SPAWAR HQ APM-E, SPAWAR FRD 100 Readiness Engineering Team Military Deputy, NAVSEA PMS 408 DAPM, PEO Carriers PMS 312 PAPM, and OPNAV N2N6 Deputy Brach Head and Tactical Resource Officer.

Professionally, he simultaneously managed three departments while reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer at Sieger Engineering, was one of a three member team (along with the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer) working on and successfully completing the merger and acquisition of Sieger Engineering and Ultra Clean Technology, acted as the financial representative for the implementation of a new ERP system for the combined entity of Sieger Engineering and Ultra Clean Technology, and ran multiple special projects for the C-Level executives to include production cost reduction.

In his past role at SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific, CDR Williams served as the Engineering Process Office Director, Deputy Chief Engineer for GCCS-M and MTC2, PMW-150 G-TSCMIS APM, MTC2 Deputy APM, and C2P APM.  He was utilized by the Commanding Officer and Executive Director of SSC Pacific for his private sector experience to perform an independent financial analysis on the Enterprise Software Licensing as well as the Navy Data Center Rate Card.  CDR Williams also worked for SPAWAR HQ as an APM-E assigned to PMW-160 focusing on ADNS and Application Integration, and for FRD 100 Readiness Engineering Team focusing on bringing urgently needed new capabilities to the Fleet.  

At PMS 408, CDR Williams led the efforts for Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), redefining the use of the JCREW C-IED system to become the preferred solution of US Fleet Forces for carriers, ships, and submarines for countering small unmanned aerial systems.  In PMS 312, CDR Williams served as the Principal Assistant Program Manager, responsible for all In-Service aircraft carriers from both a ship platform and Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E) product perspective.  He additionally brought CVN 78 GERALD R. FORD from new ship construction into in-service, the first transition of a new class of aircraft carrier in over 50 years.

At OPNAV, CDR Williams directed efforts to collect and consolidate SATCOM requirements from Army, Navy, USMC, and Air Force in order to provide the consolidated list to Space Force- the first time a single service has been responsible for providing capabilities to the other Services.  He also led efforts to modernize High Frequency (HF) capabilities, a need that had been disregarded for years, but has regained interest as a result of changing geopolitical status.

CDR Williams is a fully qualified Engineering Duty Officer and Navy Pilot.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.  He holds DAWIA certifications of Engineering Level 3, Program Management Level 3, and is an Acquisition Corps Member. He is also a commercial pilot for both single engine airplane (land) and helicopters as well as being instrument certified in both.  He is an avid sailor, having competed in many offshore races on both the east and west coast as well as having established a non-profit to support community sailing while he was in graduate school.

CDR Williams’ decorations include Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Commander Williams has two boys ages 5 and 7. 
 

Maria Barcarse is an accomplished executive in the SAP ecosystem, currently serving as the North America Center of Excellence for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass. With over a decade of experience in driving procurement and external workforce innovations, Maria is a key thought leader in digital transformation within both public and private sectors. She is recognized for her expertise in integrating AI-driven solutions and orchestrating platforms across ERP landscapes, empowering organizations to streamline their procurement processes and optimize workforce management.

In her role, Maria collaborates closely with industry stakeholders, including federal agencies, to enable the adoption of cutting-edge technologies that address the unique challenges of the public sector. Her leadership in shaping the future of procurement and workforce management has made her a trusted advisor to governmental and SLED (State, Local, and Education) organizations.

At Federal Forum 2024, Maria will moderate critical discussions on the evolving landscape of technology in government, ensuring a dynamic and insightful exchange of ideas.

Jared Coyle is an AI technologist, creative leader, garlic enthusiast and family man. He is Chief AI Officer North America, responsible for helping leaders understand and adopt the latest in traditional and generative AI in their business processes. Jared has held leadership roles in global escalations, support, consulting and sales at SAP since 2013. Prior to SAP, he was a university professor and lead researcher in the field of Quantum Organic Optoelectronics. Jared has been recognized as one of 15 rising star employees at SAP by Business Insider and was given SAP’s highest award, the Hasso Plattner award. He holds multiple patents in intelligent software debugging and organic interferometric thin films.

Mae is an executive consultant, helping public and private organizations improve their business strategies, business development practices and operational effectiveness through her company, Maxwell Associates, LLC. Since 2012, Maxwell has provided services to over 40 government and commercial clients. A former senior DoD Executive, she is a recognized expert in the operations and management of business organizations, with specific expertise in information technology, cyber security, logistics and supply chain management, as well as federal and defense acquisition and contracting.

She served in multiple C-level executive positions for the Defense Logistics Agency, including Vice Director, Director of Logistics, Chief Information Officer, and Program Executive Officer. She pioneered logistics reforms that saved DOD billions of dollars across multiple supply chains by cutting layers of management and physical inventory.

Mae received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degrees in business administration from Temple University. She currently serves as the Chair of the DLA Foundation, a charity aimed at providing scholarships to family members of DLA employees.

Joe Ditchett is an Industry Executive Advisor and technology strategist for SAP Regulated Industries (RI), focusing on Federal Civilian government.  SAP provides a broad range of enterprise IT technologies and services for the diverse business operations and missions of the US Federal Government, DoD, and Public Sector.  

Before joining SAP, he worked as a federal civilian employee for the Department of Navy (DON).  He served in the Acquisition Workforce (AWF) as a LVL III certified program manager and action officer.  While with the DON, he led multimillion dollar programs and projects supporting the transformation of financial operations, supply chain, and workforce.   He designed strategic roadmaps and lead multi-year program management activities for the Navy’s ERP program including the cloud migration for the ERP application.  He also supported requirements and change management activities the AWF while working for ASN Research, Development, and Acquisition (ASN (RDA)).

He also worked as a senior consultant for Deloitte Consulting, LLC, supporting federal customers in IT program management, data strategy, federal services, and requirements management.  He received his Project Management Professional (PMP) qualification while delivering IT and change management projects for multiple DoD and Federal clients. 

Joe was a Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy before joining the public sector.  He served aboard a guided missile cruiser and destroyer in both engineering and combat systems.  Additionally, he served as a company officer with the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard which provided ceremonial support for Naval District Washington, DC, and Arlington National Cemetery (ANC).

Joe is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and holds a B. S. in History.  

Rich Gustafson is a Managing Director in the Government and Public Services industry focused on SAP Enterprise Performance. Rich is an enterprise solutions executive with a robust portfolio of successes in driving growth within technology services consultancies and powering customer transformation through cloud solutions. He has built a legacy of practice and customer success, balancing the needs of both through a win-win approach at top technology companies and firms. 

Mike boasts an impressive tenure of 27 years in the dynamic world of Human Resources. During this journey, he has functioned in various capacities, including as a customer, an implementation consultant, and the Director of Customer Success. Most notably, Mike upheld the role of a Senior Director, Executive Engagement at SAP SuccessFactors - a global leader in cloud-based human capital management and organizational management solutions.
 
Currently, he serves as an Executive HR Value Advisor for SAP SuccessFactors Regulated Industries. Under this responsibility, Mike guides customers and prospects on their HR transformation journey, particularly focusing on helping highly regulated customers innovate and adapt to their ever-changing environment.
 
Before his illustrious journey at SAP SuccessFactors, Mike occupied several leadership roles, a testament to his accumulated wealth of knowledge and diverse experience. Prior to stepping into the corporate scene, Mike proudly served in the US Navy, further honing his leadership and cooperation expertise.
 
Away from professional commitments, Mike is a devoted family man who resides in Kansas City with his loving wife of 26 years, two daughters, and an exceptional son who has Autism. Mike is a passionate advocate for the Autism at Work community, dedicating his time to volunteering and supporting individuals with disabilities.
 

Will is a senior director and currently lead the Global SAP organization for Northrop Grumman

Will has been with Northrop Grumman for 17 years where he recently led a successful go live of the S/4 transformation project that include business process transformation, data transformation and the technical upgrade from ECC to S/4.  Prior to his current role, Will led the SAP Manufacturing and Supply Chain Service Line. 

Before joining Northrop Grumman, Will was a consultant for 11 years with both Accenture and Deloitte. 

Will holds a master of science degree from University of Minnesota at Twin Cities and a bachelor of science degree from Iowa State University. Both are in Industrial Engineering.

Amy leads SAP’s US Regulated Industries practice, which encompasses federal, state, and local government, as well as the higher education, aerospace and defense, healthcare, and utilities industries. She is responsible for leading strategy, business operations, revenue performance, customer relationships, and overall customer satisfaction throughout the United States.

She returned to SAP in 2014 and has since held various leadership roles to include Regional Vice President for the Southeast region, Client Partner for Insurance & Capital Markets and Vice President, Media & Professional Services, for the East region. Prior to that, Amy held positions at Accenture, Oracle, and Siebel, giving her broad knowledge across government, financial services, and commercial industries. 

Amy is a results-driven leader with a focus on customers, innovation, operational efficiency, and sales execution. She is passionate about building a strong sales culture and helping her team to develop strategic and tactical plans that exceed revenue goals. Amy is recognized by customers as a trusted partner and has a proven track record of helping clients digitally transform their businesses.    

Since immersing into the Atlanta business arena, Amy is currently a Member of the Board of Directors with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (MAC).  A graduate of George Mason University, Amy lives in Atlanta with her husband Randy, their two daughters, Abbey & Annabelle, and their two Vizslas.

As Senior Vice President of Customer Success for SAP NS2, Jennifer Stafford is responsible for identifying the business needs of clients, visualizing opportunities through the use secure cloud solutions, and effectively communicating these ideas to sales teams and potential customers. Jenn leads the SAP NS2 secure cloud sales & renewals team and presales team to ensure customer retention, generate revenue, and uphold the SAP NS2 reputation of a secure cloud service provider. She has industry-specific expertise across various regulated sectors including Aerospace & Defense, Public Sector, Healthcare, Utilities, Oil & Gas, Logistics, and Transportation.

With a 15+ tenure at SAP and continuous work within regulated industries, Jennifer has become a trusted partner and thought leader to her customers. She brings a deep wealth of knowledge and expertise around the SAP ecosystem and industry-specific cloud regulations. Jennifer’s background across sales, consulting, and account management helps her understand the risks and opportunities involved with a cloud-first business strategy, especially concerning the complexity of cloud security. Her leadership and involvement with some of the largest highly regulated customers in the world allows her to understand the security parameters required to support even the most security-conscious customers in the cloud.

Jennifer is a graduate of Miami University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business. She is passionate about bringing teams together, building partner networks, and driving revenue opportunities that accelerate business growth. With deep expertise across regulated industries, Jennifer has co-established transformational programs that support secure cloud adoption.

LaTasha Stewart is the Vice President of Digital Transformation & Integration at V2X. Tasha is an experienced strategic c-suite advisor guiding multibillion global organizations through an array of transformative deliveries in Operations, Finance and IT Transformation journeys. In Tasha’s current role with V2X, she is responsible for end2end oversight of all V2X’s 200+ enterprise applications enabling worldclass delivery to a 40+ country global mission. Tasha has deep subject matter expertise and a proven track record in spearheading advancement in operational execution, enhancing financial performance and delivering integrated information technology solutions. Tasha’s demonstrated experience is unique in that she has comfortably engaged across both a business’s value chain and technology teams making marked differences in both the Public Sector and Commercial sectors at scale for almost 25 years. 

Tasha has performed in various operational and financial roles over the years. Prior to joining V2X, she was the Civil Identity Executive at IDEMIA a worldwide, a digital identity corporation where she drove multiple transformation efforts to support Euro IPO transition.  A good portion of her prior experiences was spent in various roles at General Dynamics, a $40B global Aerospace and Defense.  There she supported in numerous capacities from being responsible for end-to end financial execution of a large portfolio comprised of several $500M+ programs as well as leading multiple Financial & HCM systems implementations and conversions.  At the culmination of her GD experience, was a key lead in multi-application transformation of CSRA ($7B) into the GD ecosystem in record time. General Dynamics is where Tasha found her passion for process improvements.  In fact, she’s received multiple awards and recognitions for those efforts to include becoming a National STEM recipient.  

Tasha holds an MBA in Finance and multiple certifications; PMP, CCMP and ITILv3. 
 

Ryan Swyers is a Senior Government Budget Specialist at cBEYONData where he assists customers modernize their legacy planning processes.  Ryan spent 14 years as a federal budget analyst across various U.S. Army Organizations, including the Army Budget Office and U.S. Army Europe.  Ryan holds an MBA with a specialization in Business Analytics, an Executive Master of Public Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, and is a Certified Defense Financial Manager.

Rich is the Chief Customer Officer for SAP NS2 responsible for customer success across the SAP NS2 Secure Cloud portfolio. Rich has been with SAP for 19 years, 10 years with SAP supporting Supply Chain transformation globally with SCM/APO and the last 9 years in SAP NS2 supporting our US Regulated Customers in various leadership positions including as the Vice President of Customer Success and Head of Premium Engagements.

John leads Accenture Federal Services’ Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Digital Platform business across the Defense and Intelligence sectors. Prior to this role, he served as Accenture Federal Services’ Defense Agencies Sector Lead and Client Account Lead for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

John's journey at Accenture began in 2000, following his graduation from Purdue University. He initially honed his skills on large-scale ERP system integration projects for commercial clients across various industries. Transitioning to the Defense sector, John established a strong track record of successfully managing and delivering extensive ERP programs for DLA. His expertise led him to oversee a broader portfolio of IT and business modernization initiatives.

Subsequently, John assumed client account leadership roles, where he was instrumental in ensuring customer success and managing Accenture’s operations within the Fourth Estate. His career, spanning over two decades, is marked by a commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of both commercial and defense sectors.