2025 AFCEA and INSA Intelligence & National Security Summit

On September 18 and 19, more than 2,100 intelligence, defense, and national security professionals gathered in National Harbor, MD, for the  AFCEA/INSA Intelligence & National Security Summit. The two day program included six breakout sessions, five plenaries, a jam-packed career fair, lightning round sessions, AND an exhibit floor packed with the latest technological services and innovations. 

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Opening Plenary: Fireside Chat

Speakers: 

• Rob Joyce, Principal, Joyce Cyber LLC
• Maj Gen Keith Phillips, USA
• Lewis Shephard, Chair, AFCEA Intelligence Committee (moderator)

Breakout Sessions

Evolving Alliances for a New Era

Speakers:

• COL John Mills, USA (Ret.), Deputy Assistant Secretary, Cyberspace and Digital Policy, Department of State
• Major General (Retired) John Howard, MNZM, Former Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration, DIA
• Brig Gen PhD Jarosław Stróżyk, Chief, Military Counterintelligence Service, Ministry of Defense, Republic of Poland
• RADM Michael Studeman, USN, (Ret.), Board of Advisors, National Bureau of Asian Research
• The Hon. Milancy Harris, Former Acting U/S I&S, Department of Defense (moderator)

CIO Insights: Advancing IT for Intelligence Community Advantage

• Ben Davis, Chief Information Officer, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Department of Treasury
• Kathryn Knerler, IC Chief Information Security Officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
• Marty Nachman, Chief Information Officer, Intelligence, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Ben Phelps, CISO and Chief Cybersecurity Group, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
• Doug Cossa, IC Chief Information Officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (moderator)

Plenary 2: Fireside Chat 

• VADM Frank Whitworth, USN, Director, NGA
• Francis Rose, Host, Co-Founder, Fed Gov Today (moderator)

Plenary 3: Fireside Chat

• Dr. Chris Scolese, Director, NRO
• The Hon. Kari Bingen, Director, Aerospace Security Project, CSIS (moderator)

Plenary 4: Service Intelligence Priorities

• LtGen Jerry Carter, Deputy Commandant for Information (DC I), U.S. Marine Corps
• Andrew Evans, Director, Strategy & Transformation Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, U.S. Army
• Steven Parode, Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, U.S. Navy
• Lt Gen Max Pearson, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, U.S. Air Force
• Maj Gen Brian Sidari, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence, U.S. Space Force
• LTG Scott Berrier, USA (Ret.), VP, Intelligence and National Security, Booz Allen Hamilton (moderator)

Breakout Sessions

Homeland Defense: Threats, Coordination, and Readiness

• Ronald Ocker, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Intelligence, Customs and Border Protection
• Matthew Tyson, Deputy Under Secretary for Analysis (Acting), Office of Intelligence & Analysis, DHS
• Joseph Jost, Director Critical Infrastructure Strategy, High Consequence Missions, Parsons Corporation
• Greg Myre, National Security Correspondent, NPR (moderator)

Redefining National Security

Speakers:

• Scott Bumgarner, IC Senior Procurement Executive, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
• Dr. Peter Highnam, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, Office of the Secretary of War for Research and Engineering
• Gilman Louie, Chief Executive Officer/Partner, America's Frontier Fund/Alsop Louie Partners
• Karen Warack, Founder and CEO, Techtonic Shift LLC (moderator)
  

• Sean Batir, Principal Tech Lead for Frontier AI, Quantum, and Robotics, Amazon Web Services
• Dr. Dennis Eger, Ed.D, Senior Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Advisor, U.S. Army
• Richard D. Smith, Workflow and GAI Integration Senior Champion, Central Intelligence Agency, Directorate of Digital Innovation, Open Source Enterprise
• Melisa Stivaletti, OSINT Director, Guidehouse
• Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg, President, INSA (moderator)

Cyber Threats to Operational Technology

• Kenneth McNeill, Chief Information Officer, National Guard Bureau
• Jermaine Roebuck, Associate Director for Threat Hunting, CISA
• Taushiana Bright, Section Chief, Cyber Division, FBI
• Ronald Bushar, Chief Information Security Office & Managing Director, Google Public Sector
• Matt Hayden, VP, Cyber Client Engagement, Intelligence and Homeland Security Division, GDIT (moderator)

Plenary 5:
Reimagining the Arsenal: A New Era for the DIB

Speakers:

• The Hon. Ellen Lord, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Department of Defense
• Susanne Hake, SVP & General Manager, U.S. Government, Maxar Intelligence
• Gilman Louie, Chief Executive Officer/Partner, America's Frontier Fund/Alsop Louie Partners
• Nick Thompson, Senior Director of Special Activities, Saronic Technologies
• A.J. Bertone, Managing Partner, IQT (moderator)