Speakers

Jennifer R. Franks directs the Center for Enhanced Cybersecurity within GAO’s Information Technology and Cybersecurity team. She oversees reviews that primarily focus on emerging cybersecurity issues and assessing an agency’s ability to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its sensitive data and computing infrastructure. Her multi-disciplinary teams actively review agencies’ computer security vulnerabilities across their enterprise-wide computing environment by assessing program management compliance and technical controls recommended for the agencies to follow in accordance with federal guidance and leading practices.

In addition, Ms. Franks leads reviews in the areas of IT management and operations, financial management, data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms. Franks earned a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in information security policy and management, and a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University in computer information systems.

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 logistics combat 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.

Param Soni is the Chief Information Officer and Chief AI Officer for the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the Department of Commerce. Mr. Soni plans and directs the full range of information technology functions to support and improve the quality and timeliness of BEA's statistical products and bring innovation to collect, analyze, and provide services.

Before joining BEA in September 2021, he served in executive roles in the public and private sectors, developing and implementing strategies to improve IT processes, architecture, design, and services.

Beginning in 2016, Mr. Soni served as deputy director in the Department of Labor, leading IT services for the Employment and Training Administration and serving as the Labor Department’s cloud program manager. In 2020, he was on detail as acting chief engineer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mr. Soni joined the federal government in 2010 as the EPA’s chief architect. His private sector roles included President of an IT consulting company and Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mr. Soni holds a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Science from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Melissa S. Vice, Director of the Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) at the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Crime Center (DC3), Linthicum, MD.

The DOD VDP, located at the DoD Cyber Crime Center (DC3) an Air Force Field Operating Agency (FOA), was established in 2016 by the Secretary of Defense to strengthen the security of the DoD Information Network (DoDIN) by providing an additional layer to the defense-in-depth cybersecurity strategy. The DOD VDP mission is to function as the single focal point for receiving vulnerability reports and interacting with crowd-sourced cybersecurity researchers supporting the Joint Forces Headquarters DODIN (JFHQ-DODIN) and U.S. Cyber Command (USCC).

Ms. Vice has more than 35 years experience working in the Information Technology and Cybersecurity fields, 15 years serving the DOD / AF. Prior to DC3, Vice served at the Pentagon as the Chief Technology Officer of the Business Mission Area (BMA) for The Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, Management (SAF/MG) / Deputy Chief Management Office (DCMO) tasked with road-mapping 400+ information systems to the cloud with a portfolio value of $938M. In the private sector, Ms. Vice worked for General Electric (GE) Aviation Division, as a global database developer and administrator for all commercial and military aircraft engine repairs worldwide protecting export control. While at GE among the world’s most talented aeronautical engineers, Vice had the thrill of a lifetime piloting her first 360 in a restored 1957 Stearman

Omid Ghaffari-Tabrizi is Head of U.S. Federal Civilian Policy at Google, focused on bringing innovative technologies into the government. Prior to Google, he worked for the U.S. government and was a litigator.

Omid received his B.B.A. and J.D. from the University of Miami and will receive his LL.M. in Government Procurement from the George Washington University Law School. He currently lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife.

Bart Larango is a seasoned technology and cybersecurity leader who has spent his career advancing national defense through the strategic application of digital capabilities. As Federal Government Industry Advisor at Splunk, he draws on more than 30 years of experience in military cyber operations and public sector transformation to inform and guide executive decision-making across government.
 
A retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major, Bart led global cyber and IT operations, concluding his military service as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to Army Cyber Command. There, he partnered with senior defense leaders and the National Security Agency to shape joint cyberspace operations and safeguard critical infrastructure.
 
At Splunk, Bart supports federal agencies in strengthening operational resilience, situational awareness, and cybersecurity posture. He helps leaders leverage data as a strategic asset—applying real-time analytics, threat detection, and observability to modernize systems, accelerate zero trust adoption, and improve mission assurance.

Through executive engagement and strategic insight, Bart enables government organizations to navigate complexity and lead with confidence in an increasingly data-driven world.

Bill Roberts is the Federal Chief Technology Officer at Riverbed, where he advises government clients on optimizing their IT investments. A dedicated customer advocate, he works closely with Riverbed’s product, sales, and engineering teams to deliver tailored solutions that meet evolving mission requirements. He has over 20 years of IT expertise supporting public and private sector organizations spanning networking, integration, automation, and service management.

Lauren leads the charge against healthcare fraud as the Technical Program Director for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Fraud Prevention System (FPS). With over a decade of IT experience across state and federal government, she specializes in the application of cutting-edge analytics infrastructure and AI/ML to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. As the analytics hub of CMS Program Integrity, the FPS program employs machine learning models that have safeguarded billions of CMS Trust Fund dollars.

Holding a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and certifications in project management (PMP®) and systems engineering (INCOSE®), Lauren applies a simplicity-first strategy to protect the integrity of our nation’s healthcare system.