Speakers & Moderators

Shawn P. Baerlocher
MILSATCOM Product Line Director, Defense Communications Systems
Harris Government Communication Systems Division

Shawn P. Baerlocher is the Director of the MILSATCOM Product Line, reporting to the Defense Communications Systems business area within the Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD). The MILSATCOM Product Line provides military and commercial satellite communications terminals, systems, and products for military aerospace, terrestrial, and maritime applications.

Prior to being named to his current position, Mr. Baerlocher held a number of key leadership positions in program management and business development in the MILSATCOM product area, playing a key role in successfully achieving financial and business objectives during each assignment and positioning Harris for future SATCOM opportunities.

Before joining Harris, Mr. Baerlocher spent nine years in the USAF where he held key leadership positions in both engineering and program management on a wide ranging group of ACAT acquisition programs to include program manager on the ACAT I Guidance Replacement Program.

Mr. Baerlocher has a B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Portland and an M.S. in Systems Engineering and Architecting from the University of Southern California. In addition, he is a graduate of the Harris Management Development Program and the Harris Leadership Directions program at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business.

Mr. Baerlocher is a member of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) and the Air Force Association (AFA).

Anthony Bardo
Assistant VP, Government Markets
North American Division
HUGHES

Anthony "Tony" Bardo has 20+ years of experience with strategic communication technologies that serve the complex needs of government. Since joining Hughes Network Systems in January 2006, Bardo has served as assistant vice president of Government Solutions, where he is focused on providing Hughes satellite broadband applications solutions to Federal, State, and Local governments. Bardo also recently served as Chair of the Networks and Telecommunications Shared Interest Group (SIG) for the Industry Advisory Council, an advisory body to the American Council for Technology (ACT).

Before joining Hughes, Bardo was with Qwest Government Services for nearly five years where he served as senior director of civilian agencies sales and marketing, senior director of marketing, and senior director of business development. Prior to Qwest, Bardo spent 14 years with the government markets group at MCI where he held the position of executive director for civilian agencies. During his tenure, his teams managed programs with the Federal Aviation Administration's national air traffic control network, the Social Security Administration's toll-free network, the U.S. Postal Service Managed Service Network, and the U.S. General Services Administration's FTS2001.

Mr. Bardo is a 1974 graduate of Virginia Tech where he majored in economics with a minor in public communications.

Dipak Basu
Chairman, India
NetHope

Dipak Basu has spent much of his life employing technology in humanitarian missions worldwide.

In 2001 Dipak founded and served for three years as Executive Director of NetHope, a technology alliance of the world's largest aid agencies, applying innovative IT solutions to humanitarian operations in poor, disaster-affected and war-torn regions. He was heavily involved in applying VSAT technologies to help victims of the Iran and Kashmir earthquakes and the south Asian tsunami. Dipak currently leads strategic programs at NetHope.

From 1995 to 2006, Dipak held senior management positions in Product Management and Professional Services at Cisco Systems where his last position was Director, Global Center of Expertise. Dipak is considered a pioneer in IP Telephony and Metro Ethernet technologies.

In 2006 Dipak set up the Anudip Foundation to improve the livelihood of the rural poor of India by creating entrepreneurial and employment opportunities through training in information technology. He is currently Chairman of Anudip's Board of Directors.

Between 1985 and 1991, Dipak served as consultant to the Government of India. During this time he set up INDONET, India's first public computer network, and data communication systems for India's steel, energy and banking sectors.

Earlier, Dipak worked in R&D and systems engineering at Verizon, then called GTE, during the early years of packet switching technology and network protocol standards.

Dipak holds a B.Tech. from IIT Kharagpur and a MSEE from the University of Southern California. He has been a guest lecturer at IIT Delhi and has won the Tech Laureate award for IT in Humanity for NetHope and the President's Award from Save the Children. Dipak is a Cisco Leadership Fellow, a Reuters Fellow at Stanford University, and a Fellow of the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers.

Andrew Beegan
Vice President of Engineering and Operations
Segovia

Mr. Beegan serves as Vice President of Engineering and Operations with commercial and government experience in engineering management, strategy, business development, satellite RF and IP network design, and program management. He is responsible for Segovia Core Engineering, Network Operations, and Solutions Delivery. Mr. Beegan joined Segovia in its infancy and has played an integral role in the company's network design, product development, and government contracting activities.

Mr. Beegan returned to the Segovia team from Booz Allen Hamilton where he supported multiple projects for various US government agencies. On each of these fronts, Mr. Beegan provided technical and strategy consulting introducing new concepts and processes to implement, support, and manage global satellite networks based on IP technology. Prior to Segovia, Mr. Beegan served as a Senior Satellite Applications Engineer for PanAmSat (now Intelsat).

Mr. Beegan has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science degree, also in electrical engineering, from Virginia Tech. In addition, Mr. Beegan has an MBA from the University of Maryland Smith School of Business.

Robert Bell
Executive Director
Society of Satellite Professionals International and World Teleport Association

Robert Bell serves as the Executive Director of both the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) and World Teleport Association (WTA), where he is responsible for the programs, finances and operations of the organizations. Mr. Bell has led business development missions to cities in Asia and the US; authored articles in Asia-Pacific Satellite, The Municipal Journal of Telecommunications Policy, Telecommunications and Asian Communications; and appeared in segments of ABC World News and The Discovery Channel. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at industry conferences including Satellite, NAB, SATCON and Sportel.

Matthew Bettenhausen
Director of the California Office of Homeland Security and Acting Secretary, California Emergency Management Agency

Matthew R. Bettenhausen was appointed in March 2005 to serve as the Homeland Security Advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Director of the California Office of Homeland Security. As the Director of the California Office of Homeland Security, Matt serves on Governor Schwarzenegger's Cabinet and is responsible for the implementation of the state's strategy to prevent terrorism and the investment of federal and state homeland security funds to protect against, and prepare for, catastrophic emergencies.

Matt also serves as the elected Chairman of the National Governors Association's Homeland Security Advisors Council and is a board member of the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security. He currently is a member of the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute's Task Force on radicalization and extremism.

Prior to his appointment in California, Matt served as the first Director of State and Territorial Coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There, Matt was responsible for coordinating the efforts of the Department as they relate to state, territorial and tribal governments and was the Department's representative to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. While with DHS, he was a member of the Department's Emergency Response Group and its Interagency Incident Management Group.

From January 2000 to January 2003, Matt served as the Deputy Governor of Illinois and its Homeland Security Director. As Deputy Governor, Matt was responsible for coordinating the law enforcement and public safety functions and agencies of the State of Illinois. The agencies reporting to him included, among others: the Illinois State Police, the Department of Corrections, Fire Marshal's Office, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Department of Nuclear Safety and the Department of Military Affairs.

For over twelve years Matt was a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice. He investigated and prosecuted all manner of federal offenses from drug cases to complex financial fraud matters and long-term undercover investigations. He also worked on a number of terrorism cases and civil rights investigations. For most of his prosecutorial career he held supervisory positions with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, including Chief of Appeals and Associate Chief of the entire Criminal Division. Matt graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Accountancy and continued his education at the University's Law School where he earned his J.D. degree with honors. He was recently privileged to receive the Patrick Henry Award from the National Guard Association of the United States.

Matt's family has a long and extensive history in the fire service and law enforcement. His father has spent more than 50 years in the fire service and currently is the Fire Marshal for Tinley Park, Illinois. His brother is an officer with the Lemont Fire Protection District.

VADM Lyle Bien USN (Ret.)
Former Deputy Commander-in-Chief
U.S. Space Command

Lyle G. Bien, a native of South Dakota, is currently a defense industry consultant. He is a 1967 graduate of Augustana College with a degree in Biology, and the National War College in 1992.

A Naval Flight Officer, he served aboard multiple aircraft carriers over 11 major deployments to the Pacific flying the F-4 Phantom and the F-14 Tomcat. He is a graduate of and former instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).

He commanded an F-14 Fighter Squadron, 2 Carrier Airwings, a Carrier Battle Group and the Naval Space Command, Dahlgren, VA. From October 1990 to March 1991 he was the senior Navy striker planner for Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. He was in command of the Nimitz Battle Group throughout her response to the Taiwan Missile Crisis in 1996.

He served on the Joint Staff, and was the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, United States Space Command, where he chaired the Senior Warfighter Forum (SWarF) that rendered the design that became the Wideband Gapfiller satellite program.

He has 5,500 flight hours in Navy fighter aircraft, 1300 carrier landings, and 225 combat missions. He is an Augustana College Distinguished Alumnus (1995) and was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1997. He is a member of the Augustana College Board of Regents.

Admiral Bien was with Teledesic LLC from March 1999 to October 2002 where he was responsible for all matters involving the Government customer, including incorporating DoD requirements into the Teledesic and ICO satellite system designs, and products and services.

Admiral Bien has been a member of the MDA Graybeard Panel on National Missile Defense since its inception. He serves in a senior leadership position at all service Title X Wargames, Schriever Series Space Wargames, as well as the MDA Wargames and Simulations at the Joint National Integration Center at Schriever AFB. He works extensively on the related issues of Space-based Communications, C4ISR, and Global Missile Defense to include senior mentoring in these areas at several Combatant Commands and with Industrial Partners. He is a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, National Security Space Architect Board where he worked on the Transformational Communications Architecture (TCA), and the U.S. Naval Space Panel on FORCEnet and naval space and communications.

Admiral Bien is currently a consultant in the related fields of Space and Communications. He and his wife of 32 years, Cathy, live on their cattle ranch in South Dakota, and in Encinitas, California when the temperature drops below zero.

Don Brown
Vice President, Hosted Payloads
Intelsat General

Don Brown, an executive with more than 20 years of experience in satellite communications and digital distribution systems, is the Vice President of Business Development and Hosted Payload Programs for Intelsat General Corporation. Mr. Brown is responsible for all business development activities within IGC as well as multi-million dollar hosted payload program.

Mr. Brown was the Vice President of Military Systems with PanAmSat's G2 Satellite Solutions before transitioning with the merger into Intelsat General. Prior to G2, Mr. Brown was the Co-Founder of USA TODAY Sky Radio where he created multi-year exclusive partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, to install Sky Radio satellite receivers on their fleets. Mr. Brown has held senior positions with Space.com, American Mobile Satellite Corp., and in the Satellite Systems Division of Federal Express Corporation.

Mr. Brown has served on the Satellite Task Force of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee to the President of the United States and also served as Co-Chair of the Government Services Working Group of the Satellite Industry Association. He is a graduate of Princeton University and is a frequent speaker on commercial satellite operations and national security.

RDML Kendall L. Card, USN
Commander
Expeditionary Strike Group 3

Rear Admiral Kendall L. Card assumed his current assignment as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, San Diego, on May 22, 2008. The command element is currently deployed to Naval Station Activity Bahrain.

Rear Adm. Card is native of Fort Stockton, Texas, and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in December 1977. He was then commissioned an ensign, reported for flight training, and was designated a Naval Aviator in July 1979.

From 1979 to 1996, Rear Adm. Card served in various aviation squadrons at sea, flying from the decks of USS Forrestal (CV 59), USS America (CV 66), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS Saratoga (CV 60) and USS Enterprise (CVN 65). During this period, he accumulated more than 3,900 flight hours in the SH-3H Sea King, SH-60F Seahawk and the S-3A Viking aircraft. He made four deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf; served in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Provide Comfort; and commanded the HS-15 Red Lions.

In between assignments at sea, Rear Adm. Card attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School where he subsequently served as a test pilot and instructor pilot. He also earned a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from U.S. Naval War College and worked as an aviation commander detailer. In 1997, Rear Adm. Card attended Navy Nuclear Power School, after which he served as executive officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) until December 1999. He then assumed command of USS Rainier (AOE 7), where he served until August 2001. In 2002, Rear Adm. Card returned to USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as the commanding officer, where he served until March 2005. During his tour, "Abe" participated in Operations Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom as part of a record setting 9.5 month deployment. "Abe" also deployed for 5 months in late 2004 and participated in Operation Unified Assistance in support of the Tsunami relief efforts in Sumatra, Indonesia. Rear Adm. Card served as director, Command Control Systems, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command (NORAD/USNORTHCOM) J6, from 28 July 2006 until May 1, 2008.

Rear Adm. Card has accumulated over 3,900 flight hours. His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (two awards), the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, (two awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various service and campaign awards.

David A. Cavossa
Vice President, Operations
CapRock Government Solutions

David Cavossa currently serves as CapRock Government Solutions' Vice President of Operations. Mr. Cavossa is responsible for leading all current customer program teams and coordinating government affairs activities for the Government division. With almost a decade in the industry, Mr. Cavossa has extensive experience supporting the government community in the public and private sectors.

Mr. Cavossa spent six years at the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) where he was executive director. During his tenure at SIA, Cavossa was the chief advocate for the commercial satellite industry and responsible for coordinating education, outreach, regulatory and legislative strategies on a broad range of issues including; homeland security, defense, trade, export controls, space transportation, broadband, and the protection, planning, and acquisition of commercial SATCOM by the federal government. Mr. Cavossa now sits on SIA's Board of Director's. As one of the satellite industry's leaders, he focused the efforts of the association on educating the public, the press, policy-makers, and government on the critical role satellites play in our national, economic, and homeland security. Before joining SIA, Mr. Cavossa worked at NASA Headquarters in the offices of external relations and legislative affairs.

Randall C. Cieslak
Chief Information Officer
U.S. Pacific Command

Mr. Cieslak is responsible to the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command for managing and evolving the information infrastructure to enable the full spectrum of military capabilities. Mr. Cieslak reports to the Commander via the Chief-of-Staff and the Director for Communications Systems, (staff code - J6) and has deputy director authority over the J6 staff. Mr. Cieslak's goals are to achieve: (1) an information infrastructure that provides world class service; (2) assurance of information security and availability; (3) a workforce savvy in computer, network and information tools; and (4) integrated capabilities for innovation, sound decisions and improved processes.

Mr. Cieslak was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in December 1999 and has 30 years of Federal service.

Mr. Cieslak attended Purdue University and graduated in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering specializing in Operations Research and Statistics. Following graduation, Mr. Cieslak was commissioned in the Navy as a Submarine Officer and served on the USS Omaha through 1982 culminating his tour as the Weapons Department Officer then transferring to the Navy Reserve. He retired from the Navy Reserve after a 30 year career as a Captain.

From April 1983 through July 1985, Mr. Cieslak was a nuclear test engineering instructor at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard where he created an entire course to qualify test engineers on General Electric's sixth generation submarine reactor plant. Mr. Cieslak was also responsible for drafting and evaluating reactor accident scenarios.

From July 1985 through December 1999, Mr. Cieslak worked for what is now the Space and Naval Warfare System Center (SSC), San Diego, in multiple operational command support roles.

From July 1985 through October 1988, Mr. Cieslak supported the Commander, Submarine Forces Pacific as the Over-the-Horizon Targeting expert for cruise missile employment.

From October 1988 through December 1999, Mr. Cieslak supported the Commander, U. S. Pacific Fleet in several capacities. He was the Director of the Fleet Command Center Battle Management Program test bed and the Pacific Fleet manager for multiple command and control systems. In 1997, he chaired the integrated product team that produced the first Information Technology Standards Policy for the Navy and Marine Corps under the auspices of the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer. Mr. Cieslak was a principal architect and developer of the Navy's Information Technology for the 21st Century (IT21) initiative.

In December 1999, Mr. Cieslak was selected as the first Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). As USPACOM's CIO, Mr. Cieslak championed several initiatives including the following.

• Alignment of multiple disparate efforts through the Information Capabilities Framework
• Establishment of standards and service level objectives through the Information Technology Support Framework
• Electronic Collaboration for long-distance multi-user meetings
• Information infrastructure for the Nimitz MacArthur Pacific Command Center and other new facilities
• Standards for information content and knowledge management through the Information Management Plan
• Security accreditation and risk adjudication as the Designated Approving Authority through the Information Assurance Framework
• Development of an information network for multi-coalition operations through the Agile Coalition Environment (ACE) architecture
• Maximizing return on investment through the Information Resource Management Plan and the Information Service Valuation Method

Mr. Cieslak holds a Master's Degree in system's Management from the University of Southern California specializing in information systems. Mr. Cieslak has completed the Navy Executive Leadership Forum from the Brookings Institution in March 2001 and the Naval Executive Business Course from the University of North Carolina in April 2007.

Mr. Cieslak was awarded the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award in February 1998; the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award in June1995 and the U.S. Naval Institute Copernicus award in January 1998. In 1999 and 2003, Mr. Cieslak was recognized by Federal Computer Week as a one of the top 100 information professionals supporting Federal government. Mr. Cieslak's naval decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), and the Navy and Army Achievement Medals.

Mr. Cieslak is a member of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Naval Reserve Association.

Patricia Cooper
President
Satellite Industry Association

Patricia Cooper joined the Satellite Industry Association as its President in November 2007 with more than 17 years in the satellite industry and in government.

As President, Ms. Cooper is SIA's lead representative for government services, regulatory, legislative, homeland security, export control and trade issues of critical importance to the Association's members. She also takes over the day-to-day management and operations of SIA, including member communications, staff leadership and organization of SIA sponsored events.

Patricia joined SIA following a five-year tenure in the Federal Communications Commission where she managed the FCC's bilateral relationships with regulatory agencies across the world, served as lead author of the FCC's inaugural competition report to Congress on communications satellite industry and was Senior Satellite Competition Advisor in the International Bureau. Before joining the FCC, Patricia directed the international regulatory strategy of CoreExpress, a start-up intelligent data delivery company. From 1994 to 2000, she was Senior Director for Regulatory Policy at PanAmSat Corporation during its transformation from a single-satellite communications company to a global satellite system. There, Patricia directed the company's international market access, and coordinated policy and trade outreach on six continents. From 1989 to 1994, Patricia counseled U.S. satellite companies on international business opportunities for the U.S. Commerce Department's International Trade Administration and monitored telecom liberalization in the Americas. She began her communications career with Motorola's U.S. Federal Government Affairs office in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Patricia holds a Master's Degree in International Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and graduated summa cum laude from Kansas State University with a Bachelor' Degrees in Political Science and German.

SIA is a U.S.-based trade association providing worldwide representation of the leading satellite operators, service providers, manufacturers, launch services providers, and ground equipment suppliers. The Association is the unified voice of the U.S. satellite industry on policy, regulatory, and legislative issues affecting the satellite manufacturing, launch and services business. For more information: www.sia.org

Dr. Denis J. Curtin
Chief Operating Officer
XTAR, LLC

Dr. Curtin is responsible for day-to-day operations of XTAR, LLC, a joint venture between Loral Space & Communications, Ltd. and HISDESAT Servicios Estrategicos, S.A. that provides commercial X-band satellite services to the U.S. and Allied governments.

Prior to joining XTAR, Dr. Curtin served a total of twelve years at what was originally ORION, and later became Loral ORION and then Loral Cyberstar Broadband Systems. He was Vice President of Engineering for ORION before being promoted to Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations at Loral ORION and subsequently, in 2000, to Executive Vice President. He was responsible for the technical design of the ORION satellites, participated in the formation of the ORION partnership and was involved in all the negotiations with the partners and banks.

For more than two decades before joining ORION, Dr. Curtin held a series of progressively senior engineering and management positions at COMSAT Laboratories, COMSAT General and COMSAT, culminating in Senior Director, Satellite Engineering, responsible for all COMSAT's satellite engineering.

Dr. Curtin earned a B.S. in Physics from Iona College, and an M.S. in Physics and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from The Catholic University of America. He has published extensively in satellite technology and holds a patent on an infrared transparent solar.

Dr. Curtin is a Fellow in the American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics (AIAA), a member of the AIAA Technical Committee on Communications Systems and a past General Chairman of the AIAA International Communications Satellite Systems Conference. In 2006 he was named the recipient of the AIAA Aerospace Communications Award, presented for outstanding contributions in the field of aerospace communications. He is also a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and past General Chairman of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference.

Jack Deasy
Director of Civil Programs
INMARSAT

Jack Deasy is the director for Civil Government Programs at Inmarsat Government Services, Inc.., where he is responsible for business development for Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) family of services with a wide range of federal, state, local and non-profit agencies. His primay focus is on the use of MSS solutions to enhance communications for disaster and first response. He previously worked in the International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission, as served 16 years as a foreign service officer in the U.S. State Department, with postings in Europe and Latin America. Jack is based in Washington, DC.

Robert Demers
Senior Vice President
AMERICOM Government Services (AGS)

Robert Demers joined Americom Government Services in February 2006 and is currently serving as the Senior Vice President in McLean, Virginia. He is responsible for Strategic Satellite Solutions and is charged with developing strategic options for the development of future spacecraft and bandwidth capacity.

Prior to joining the Americom Government Services team, Demers served as Vice President of government solutions for Inmarsat, where he established the Washington D.C. office and was responsible for the full range of North American commercial development and government relations.

In addition to his work with Inmarsat, Demers was general manager of global government services at ICO Global Communications, Inc., a Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) company that was later acquired by Craig McCaw. Demers spent 22 years in the United States Army, serving in a variety of capacities including service as a combat helicopter pilot, an Aviation Unit Commander and as Army liaison to the U.S. Senate.

He is a graduate of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as a graduate of the U.S. Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Alabama.

Brian Deobald
Vice President, Technology Strategy
SkyTerra Communications

Brian Deobald is Vice President of Technology Strategy at SkyTerra Communications which is developing the first integrated satellite-cellular communications network, which will provide seamless, transparent, interoperable and ubiquitous wireless coverage of North America using conventional devices. He is responsible for strategic technology and corporate development for the company's next-generation network.

Before joining SkyTerra, he was Vice President of Corporate Planning at CoreExpress, Inc., a provider of extranet services enabling businesses to deploy mission-critical applications over the Internet. He managed strategic and business planning.

Additionally, Brian was VP of Consulting at Telechoice, a market strategy consultancy for telecommunications service providers and equipment vendors, focused on leading edge public network technologies. Brian managed Telechoice's business planning practice for new world service providers and ASPs. Brian structured the business plans and developed strategies and structured distribution agreements for business-to-business E-commerce technology providers.

Brian also served as Vice President of Business Development and as a business unit Vice President & General Manager at DIGEX, Inc., a leading national Internet Service Provider. Following DIGEX' successful IPO, Brian managed the company's business planning and treasury functions and managed the sale of the company to Intermedia Communications, a Florida-based CLEC.

As Director of Product Management at American Mobile, a provider of wireless voice and data services to mobile workforces. He created the company's initial business plan, and managed the development and launch of the company's core portfolio of satellite-based mobile communication services. He also managed business planning in support of the company's initial public offering, structured key equipment manufacturing and distribution alliances, and created a business plan for the company's successful acquisition of one of only two FCC-awarded national satellite radio broadcast licenses.

Brian holds a BS in International Affairs from Georgetown University, an MA in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University's Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and an MBA with concentration in entrepreneurial management from the Wharton School of Business.

Sara Diaz
Regional Coordination Manager
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department

Sara Diaz graduated from UCLA in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. She then joined the Peace Corp, teaching Physical Science at a girls-only academy in Central Africa, proving that women can have successful careers in science. After returning from the Peace Corp, Sara joined the City of San Diego compiling data for environment monitoring programs. Sara transferred to the San Diego Police Department in 1998 and specialized in developing and implementing applications to streamline procedures utilizing new technologies. Since that time, Sara has managed projects as both a government employee and as a consultant. This has given her the unique opportunity to understand both perspectives of an IT project, as well as learn from other government agencies across North America.

Sara is currently manager of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's Emerging Technologies Unit specializing in identifying new technologies to meet the unique operational requirements of public safety. Additionally, she is Program Manager of the Regional Command and Control Communications (3Cs) Project, a regional public safety communications program to link agencies across Southern California during large-scale incidents. Sara is responsible for generating interest, building business requirements, and managing long term sustainment of the program. 3Cs currently has a waiting list of over 26 public safety agencies hoping to join into the project in the near future. Sara has generated over $23M in grant funds to support continued growth. 3Cs has received multiple national awards and is considered a model for regional interoperability projects.

Sara and her husband Robert, an IT Analyst for San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, have been married seven years and have a four year old son, Adam. They enjoy traveling, and are avid San Diego Padres fans.

Bruce Elbert
Founder and President
Application Technology Strategy, Inc.

Bruce Elbert is the founder and president of Application Technology Strategy, Inc. (ATSI) and has over 30 years of experience in satellite communications and information technology, from engineering and management perspectives. He currently assists a broad range of client organizations, including fixed and mobile satellite service providers, US civil and military agencies, and enterprises that employ these technologies for strategic advantage. His cutting-edge methods allow organizations to develop satellite systems, design optimum networks, update enterprise IT architecture for advanced Internet-based applications, and deploy services to fixed and mobile platforms using advanced wireless and satellite communications technologies. With more than 25 years with Hughes Electronics where he was Senior Vice President, Operations, in the international satellite division, he introduced advanced broadband and mobile satellite technologies in the U.S., Asia, Latin America and Europe. His technical and business architecture for a GEO mobile satellite service to handheld devices was adopted for the Thuraya MSS system. During the 1980s, Mr. Elbert directed all engineering, marketing and operations of the Galaxy System, the most successful satellite network in U.S. history. Under his tenure, the Galaxy system increased from three to 12 operating satellites, while system revenues grew five fold. Bruce Elbert authored eight books on satellite network technology and telecommunications management, including Introduction to Satellite Communication (third edition, 2008), The Satellite Communication Applications Handbook, second edition (2004), The Satellite Communication Ground Segment and Earth Station Handbook (2001), and Networking Strategies for Information Technology (1992). He holds an MBA degree from Pepperdine University, an MS degree in communications engineering and computer science from the University of Maryland and a BSEE from CCNY. He an adjunct professor at the Univ of Wisconsin-Madison and an instructor in the UCLA Extension Engineering program.

Dr. Tim Farrar
President
Mobile Satellite Users Association

Tim Farrar is the President of Telecom, Media and Finance Associates Inc., a consulting company specializing in business planning and financial and technical analysis for satellite services. He has over 13 years of experience in global telecom consulting, specializing in analyzing the impact of technical and product issues on market demand.

Dr. Farrar is experienced in providing consulting services in broadband, mobile and internet services, and analysis of spectrum issues for satellite and terrestrial wireless networks. He is the President of the Mobile Satellite Users Association and has published many research articles on the Mobile Satellite Services sector, and reports on Ancillary Terrestrial Component, and in-flight passenger communications.

Previously, Dr. Farrar was a principal consultant at Analysys Consulting, a European telecom consultancy, working in Europe and the US for operators, equipment manufacturers and investors in the telecom sector. Prior to joining Analysys, he worked as a systems engineer for Smith Systems Engineering in the UK, specifying and developing a range of simulations, databases and data communications software for various government agencies.

Colonel Quill Ferguson
Deputy Chief of Staff G6, US Army North
Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Colonel Quill Ferguson was born in Detroit Michigan, USA. He attended North Carolina Agricultural and technical State University and was a distinguish military graduate in the Reserve Officers Training Program. Upon graduation in 1981, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army Signal Corps. He also holds Master Degrees in Business Management from Saint Mary University, Leavenworth Kansas and in National Security & Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle Pennsylvania.

Over the past 27 years, Colonel Ferguson has held a variety of command and staff assignments in both combat and non-combat arms units. He started his Army career as a Signal Platoon Leader and Armor Battalion Communications Officer in the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Following that assignment he served in Alaska as an Infantry Battalion Communications Officer, Signal Company Commander, and as the 6th Infantry Division Radio Officer. He later commanded the U.S. Army Space Command, Defense Satellite Communications Center, at Camp Roberts, California. That assignment was followed by assignments with Headquarters, Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha Nebraska, and with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, J6S (Satellite Communication) at the Pentagon, Washington, DC.

Colonel Ferguson later served as the S6 in the 1-160th (Airborne) Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, Kentucky and S6 for Task Force Ranger, Mogadishu Somalia. He was later assigned as the J6 for US Special Operations Command (South), Albrook Air Force Base, Republic of Panama.

Colonel Ferguson's most recent assignments include, Commander, 51st Signal Battalion (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., Deputy Brigade Commander, 1st Signal Brigade in Yongsan, South Korea, then Deputy United States Bilateral Affairs Officer to the Republic of Macedonia.

Finally, following attendance at the US Army War College, Colonel Ferguson served as Chief, Systems Management Division (SMD) NATO Communication and Information Systems & Services Agency (NCSA), Mons Belgium.

Colonel Ferguson now serves as the G6 & Chief Information Management Officer, US Army North.

Dr. Kurt Fiscko
Future SATCOM Chief Engineer
PEO C4I PMW/A 170

Dr. Kurt Fiscko is the Chief Engineer for Future SatCom in PMW-170 of the Navy Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I). Following a 20-year Army career in Research, Development, and Acquisition, he held positions as the vice-president of a defense services firm and senior systems engineer at SAIC before joining the government in 2006. Subsequent to completing his doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering at Stanford, he served as a program manager in both the Army Space Program Office and the National Reconnaissance Office, before being assigned as Commander of the Army Science and Technology Center in Tokyo, Japan.

Kurt Fiscko is DAWIA Level III certified and is a recipient of the Bronze Star medal from action in Operation Desert Storm.

William Flynn
Director of Navy Programs
AMERICOM Government Services, Inc.

William "Bill" Flynn is Director of Navy Programs at AMERICOM Government Services (AGS). Leveraging more than three decades of experience on the Government SATCOM market, AGS provides customized, reliable and secure satellite communications solutions to the U.S. Government, worldwide. Mr. Flynn joined AGS following 26 years of service in the Navy, both as a Naval Officer and civil servant. He was a targeted hire for the AGS team, where his combination of operational Navy experience, understanding of Navy C4I and Defense Acquisition University program management qualifications made him the ideal fit for the Director of Navy Programs position.

A native of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Mr. Flynn graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1982 and entered Submarine Warfare career pipeline. He served his Division Officer tours on USS Silversides (SSN-679) as both Sonar Officer and Damage Control Assistant Division Officer. As a Department Head, he was assigned as Navigator and Operations Officer on USS Lafayette (SSBN-616) and Combat Systems Officer on USS Gato (SSN-615), earning "command of submarines" qualifications in 1993. In between sea assignments, he served as Navigation and Naval Operations instructor and Nuclear Power Officer at the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, University of Notre Dame, where he earned a Masters of Science in Administration.

In 1993, he was assigned to the Office of Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV). He served as requirements officer and sponsor for the Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M) Afloat within OPNAV's Command and Control Branch, where the main objective was providing a common GCCS-M baseline to meet surface and submarine warfare and United States Marine Corps requirements. He earned an AFCEA / US Naval Institute Copernicus Award for his efforts to meet the Fleet's critical hardware and software command and control system shortfalls. He was also assigned to the Mine Warfare Branch, as the requirements officer and sponsor for organic mine reconnaissance systems. In addition to coordinating the planning and programming of a $300 million annual budget, he was the driving force behind gaining urgently needed C2 and SATCOM upgrades for Mine Warfare ships. He developed requirements and resource strategies for the Navy's Unmanned Undersea Vehicles programs, including the surface ship-hosted Remote Minehunting System and submarine-hosted Long-term Mine Reconnaissance System.

Following two years as Russian Team Leader within the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) Submarine Warfare Operations and Research Branch (SWORD), he was assigned as an international arms control project manager in the Cooperative Threat Reduction directory, Defense Threat Reduction Agency. His projects included Automated Inventory and Control Management System (AICMS), supporting accountability and inventory of the Russian's out-of-service nuclear weapons stockpile, and Nuclear Weapons Transportation Security, providing safe and secure transportation of nuclear weapons in the Russian Federation.

Upon retirement from Active Duty in 2002, Mr. Flynn transitioned to Navy civil service, in which he was selected as the Technical Measurements Branch Head, Acoustic Intelligence Division within Office of Naval Intelligence. In 2004, he was selected as the Director, SPAWAR Washington Liaison Office, where he served as SPAWAR Headquarter representative for customers and stakeholders in the Washington and Tidewater regions. He drafted and implemented Team SPAWAR management plans to formalize stakeholder and customer relations with ultimate goal of aligning partnerships and improving deliver and sustainment of C4I capabilities. He served as SPAWAR HQ representative to the Task Force conducting capabilities based assessment and requirements development for the Navy's Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN).

James Frelk
Senior Vice President of Corporate Business Development
Integral Systems

James Frelk is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Business Development at Integral Systems. Before joining ISI, he managed TerreStar Network's business line serving federal, state, and local government customers. Throughout a career focused on the aerospace industry, Mr. Frelk has served in a wide variety of roles, including: Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA Program Analysis and Evaluation; Director, Office of Space Commerce at the U.S. Department of Commerce; Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development at ECS; and Vice President for Geospatial Information Systems and International Business Development at Veridian. In addition, Mr. Frelk was the Director of Business Development and Government Affairs for Commercial Programs at Lockheed Missiles and Space, Space Systems Division. He holds BA degrees in Business Administration (Marketing), Political Science, and History from Northeastern Illinois University.

Thomas Foust
Vice President, Sales
Intelsat General

Mr. Thomas (Tom) Foust is responsible for managing the Sales organization for IGCs government customers including: DoD, NATO, as well as all Civil and Intelligence agencies within the U.S.

Mr. Foust has more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry ranging from telephone and computer switching systems to satellite services. Retiring from the US Air Force in 1995 Mr. Foust served as Central Office Supervisor; Supervisor, Strategic Air Command Digital Information Network (SACDIN) at Whitman AFB, MO; Quality Control Supervisor at Rhein Main AB, Germany; and Contracts Manager at DITCO (DISA) at Scott AFB, IL. Mr. Foust received a Joint Meritorious Service Medal and multiple Air Force Meritorious Service and Commendation Medals while serving in the Air Force.

Upon retiring from the Air Force Mr. Foust held management positions with Satellite Communication Systems, Inc.; 3N1 Communications (Owner) and Verestar/Americom Government Services. While at Verestar Mr. Foust was a key contributor in the creation of the Verestar Government Services organization, now owned by SES Americom.

Mr. Foust has an Associates Degree in Electronic Systems Technology, a BS degree in Management Information Systems and an MA degree in Christian Leadership from Liberty University.

Karl Fuchs
Senior Director of Engineering
iDirect Government Technologies

Mr. Fuchs joined iDirect Government technologies in 2004 as the Director of Engineering when the company was expanding their presence in the VSAT market into new International IP networking opportunities and the federal government.

In his role as Director of Engineering, Fuchs leads iGT's team of federal systems engineers and serves as chief architect for new product integration as well as the chief technical resource.

Mr. Fuchs brings over 15 years of experience and accomplishments in the areas of technology and the federal government. Prior to joining iGT, Fuchs was Director of Systems Engineering at Nortel Networks serving the Verizon account team where he lead a team of Systems Engineers designing IP, Frame Relay, ATM and DWDM networks. Before joining Nortel Mr. Fuchs designed IP and ATM networks for Sprint and the Federal Government.

Active in the satellite industry for over ten years Fuchs has contributed editorial to numerous publications including; Federal Computer Week, Institute for Defense and Government Advancement, COTS Journal, Military Information Technology, Via Satellite, MILSATCOM, and Satellite Evolution Global. In addition he has been a featured speaker at industry events including; the DoD SATCOM User workshop, ISCe, IBC, Pacific Telecommunications Council, and Emergency Management Talks.

Mr. Fuchs holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA and an MBA from Averett University, Danville, VA.

Lt Col Don Grannan
Satellite Communications Planner
The Joint Staff

Lt Col Don Grannan is a satellite communications planner on The Joint Staff where he plans and allocates satcom resources for national leadership and global operations. Prior to this assignment, he commanded the 51st Combat Communications Squadron with unit deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan providing mobile satellite, voice, and data services to deployed air operations. He has also deployed in support of Operations Southern Watch and Enduring Freedom where he served as Chief of Network Operations for Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia, and aboard the USS Coronado as AF Liaison to the Maritime Commander's Information Operations Cell. He has commanded at the flight and squadron level, and his staff experience includes numbered air force, major command, and the Joint Staff.

Rick Greenwood
Space and Engineering Director
Paradigm Services Ltd.

Rick joined EADS in January 2003 becoming the Paradigm Secure Communications Engineering and Operations Director in August 2003. Following the re-organisation of Paradigm Secure Communications and Paradigm Services Ltd in June 2005 he became the Space Director.

Prior to joining EADS, Rick was the Technical Manager in the DPA SAT IPT, on secondment from DERA. In this role he was acting as the technical lead for the Skynet 5 Design Phase studies let to Astrium and Lockheed, and in developing Skynet 5's position in the Global Communication Network Architecture with the DPA Integration Authority. During his 5 years at DERA he was also involved in the launch and operations of the STRV satellites, and supporting the Skynet 4 LEOP activities.

Before joining DERA he held spacecraft operational posts with ESA as the Ulysses spacecraft operations engineer at JPL, and with Eutelsat during the commissioning and operations of Eutelsat F2 satellites and new control centre.

Rick started his career in the RAF on a short service commission for 6 years, with his last posting being the Skynet 4 Chief Instructor where he was responsible for the training of the RAF spacecraft control engineers and as part of the launch team for Skynet 4B in 1989.

He is married (Ali) and has a son and daughter.

His interests are philosophy, hill walking and flying.

Rear Admiral Janice M. Hamby
Director, Command Control Systems
NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, United States Navy

Rear Admiral Janice M. Hamby is the director, Command Control Systems, for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. She is responsible to synchronize command-wide information superiority and architecture efforts to enable the Commander, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, to plan and execute military operations throughout the area of responsibility, and provide military assistance to civil authorities including consequence management operations.

A native of Medina, Ohio, Hamby was commissioned from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Navy ROTC program in 1980. Early assignments included duty at Naval Regional Data Automation Center, Washington, and commander, Naval Base Pearl Harbor and plans and project management department head at the Data Processing Service Center, Pearl Harbor. She attended Boston University earning a Master of Science in Information Systems Management and a Master of Business Administration, graduating from both programs with highest honors. She was subsequently assigned as assistant professor of Computer Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy and then served as deputy director of the Communications Operations Directorate at Naval Computer and Telecommunication Station Washington. In 1994 she reported to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) "Ike," as part of the initial assignment of women to naval combatants. She participated in Eisenhower's deployment to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy completing her surface warfare qualification during Ike's 1994 Mediterranean deployment. In August 1995 she transferred to USS George Washington (CVN 73) to serve as the first afloat combat systems officer to combine Information Systems Management, Combat Systems Maintenance and Telecommunications Systems Management in one department.

Hamby graduated from the U.S. Naval War College in November 1997, earning a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies. Awarded the Vice Adm. Arthur Cebrowski award for best essay related to information warfare, command and control warfare and related systems and technology issues, she graduated with distinction and was named Presidential Honor Graduate. Hamby was then selected to serve as an associate fellow on the Chief of Naval Operations' Strategic Studies Group.

Hamby assumed command of Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Jacksonville, Fla., in August 1998, also reporting to Commander, Navy Region South East in an additional duty capacity as program manager for Information Technology. During this assignment she served as the Navy's Southeast Region Y2K Coordinator for both computer systems and imbedded facilities.

Hamby is a 2001 graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College and winner of the National Defense University Foundation Writing Award for best essay on joint matters. She served on the staff of Commander, Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe, as command liaison to the COMSIXTHFLT staff and special assistant for information management and information operations issues. She assumed major command of U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Europe Central, Naples, Italy, in October 2002.

Following her major command tour Hamby served on the Chief of Naval Operations Staff as the FORCEnet Capabilities Assessment branch head and FORCEnet Warfare pillar deputy (N704B). During this tour she accepted a temporary assignment as the director of Knowledge and Information Management on the staff of the Multi-National Force - Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq. In July 2006 she reported to her first flag assignment at Naval Network Warfare Command as director of Global Operations. In May of 2008 she reported to her current assignment as director, Command Control Systems, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.

Hamby's personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Gold Stars, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Meritorious Service Medal with three Gold Stars, the Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star, the Navy Achievement Medal with Gold Star, the Army Achievement Medal, the Navy Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and various unit commendations and awards.

Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, USAF (Ret.)
Former Commander
Space and Missile Systems Center
USAF

General Hamel's extensive military career included his two most recent assignments as commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., and commander of the 14th Air Force "Flying Tigers". He has served in senior staff positions at Headquarters United States Air Force and Air Force Space Command and was the vice president's military adviser on defense, nonproliferation, and space policy. Hamel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University.

David Hartshorn
Secretary General
GVF

David Hartshorn is Secretary General of the Global VSAT Forum, the Londonbased non-profit international association of the VSAT industry. The Global VSAT Forum consists of more than 100 members from every major region of the world and from every sector of the industry, including satellite operators, manufacturers, system integrators, and other service providers.

Mr. Hartshorn leads the Forum's efforts to facilitate the provision of VSAT-based communications solutions throughout all nations. In particular, Mr. Hartshorn works closely to support national-, regional- and global-level policy makers as they formulate state-of-the-art satellite regulatory frameworks.

He is also responsible for creating greater awareness of the commercial, economic, political and technological advantages that VSAT-based communications provide.

Mr. Hartshorn currently serves as a Member of the Satellite Action Plan-Regulatory Working Group, the Brussels based satellite-industry group that provides inputs to the European Commission; and he is on the Board of Directors of the Society of Satellite Professionals International, and is President of its UK Chapter.

Mr. Hartshorn has worked in the satellite communications industry for 12 years, serving in sales, business development, publishing, and association offices based in North and Southeast Asia, North America and Western Europe.

He has been published in hundreds of editions of magazines and newsletters, and has spoken and chaired at conferences and seminars in every major region of the world.

Greg Heifner
CEO
Orbital Data Net, Inc.

Greg Heifner is one of the pioneers in the satellite industry. Beginning in 1980, Heifner Communications broke new ground in the industry and became the leading providers of satellite based cable television services and technology throughout the 90's. Then in 2001, as a direct response to 9/11, we became Orbital Data Net (ODN). With the goal of using satellite to restore broken communication links for emergency responders, ODN has now become well established in providing satellite solutions to educators, governments and commercial enterprise.

Mr. Heifner is well versed in using technology to solve unusual problems. With a long history in engineering, he established many of the standards in the distribution of satellite television channels to commercial markets. He co-developed and distributed the first "stacked LNB" technology as well as the first fiber optic distribution system designed for digital broadcasters such as DirecTV. Over the years, Heifner Communications and now, ODN have interfaced with corporate, state and federal governmental entities on a variety of very important projects. ODN is now considered the only approved satellite technology for emergency radio trunking by the leaders in P25 radio networks.

Mr. Heifner and ODN has finished the first phase of the Louisiana Emergency Satellite Communications Network for the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. This project was a result of a very novel approach and has sustained Louisiana through several hurricanes successfully. Mr. Heifner has extended this network now to agencies within the State of Missouri. Minnesota, Illinois, Mississippi and to emergency responders throughout the country.

It is not all about telephones and radios though, Mr. Heifner is currently working on a project with NASA, to provide a live satellite backbone for a sophisticated radiation monitoring network to be used for spacecraft launches that involve nuclear materials. This same network has ramifications for protecting the public from many kinds of radiation dangers.

LTG. Russel Honoré, US Army (Ret.)
Former Commander, Joint Task Force Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, the devastation was more than anyone could have imagined. Images of the city drowning in the waters of the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain and of the dire conditions at the Louisiana Superdome and Convention Center showed the world that the United States was ill-equipped and unprepared to deal with a natural disaster of such epic proportions. In spite of questionable leadership on many levels, one leader undeniably changed the course of the disaster: Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré, the commanding general of Joint Task Force Katrina.

A native of Lakeland, Louisiana, Honoré, the "Category 5 General," swept into New Orleans, surveyed the destruction and took charge, bringing the city back under control and starting the long process of putting it back together.

With a trademark swagger and commanding personality, Honoré is a no-nonsense career soldier who always speaks his mind. While in charge of the entire Army east of the Mississippi, he brought leadership to New Orleans, reminding soldiers to lower their weapons and help those in need, creating a more positive atmosphere as rebuilding began.

Since his command of Joint Task Force Katrina, Honoré has brought the lessons of Katrina to organizations around the country. An expert on preparedness and responding to catastrophe, he offers insights into protecting people and organizations, outlining the principles necessary to lead through unexpected and uncontrollable crises.

Honoré's lengthy career has taken him around the world, from Korea to Germany and the entire United States. He has many awards and distinctions, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and a Bronze Star, among others.

In June 2009, he will publish his first book, Survival: How a Culture of Preparedness Can Save You and Your Family from Disasters.

The man that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin called a "John Wayne dude," Honoré has proven that by taking charge and creating a culture of preparedness, whether as an individual, a group, a city, or an entire country, unexpected crises can be managed and their impacts can be minimized.

Lt Sonia Kendall
Commercial SATCOM Communications Program Manager
USCG

Lieutenant Sonia L. Kendall joined the Coast Guard on August 9, 1990. She currently services as the Commercial Satellite Communications Program Manager in the Office of Communication Systems, located at Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC. The highlight of her Coast Guard career was her commission to Warrant Officer in 2002 and her assignment serving as the Information Systems Technician and Electronics Technician (E7-E9) Assignment Officer until June 2006. Prior to this assignment, her enlisted career included attending Sonoma State College in the Advanced Communications and Electronics Technology (ACET) program; serving temporarily as the Telecommunication Specialist "A" School Chief, previously serving as an instructor at the school. Other assignments include: Independent duty at Air Station Los Angeles, District Eleven Communications Center in Long Beach, and USCGC Hamilton, starting out in Boston then re-homeported to San Pedro, CA. Prior to her Coast Guard Service, she was enlisted in the United States Navy, serving four years in at the NATO Base in Naples, Italy.

Her personal awards include the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (1), the Coast Guard Achievement Medal (3), Coast Guard Letter of Commendation (3), Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation (8), and Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal (3). She is a member of the Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Association and the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association.

Lieutenant Sonia L. Kendall is married to United States Coast Guard Damage Controlman Chief, Gregory S. Kendall. They have one child, Kodi Kendall, who is in the 11th grade.

Gunnar J. Kuepper
President, Region 9
IAEM

Gunnar J. Kuepper is Chief of Operations with Emergency & Disaster Management, Inc., in Los Angeles, California. This independent agency advises private, non-profit, and governmental organizations throughout the world in comprehensive emergency/crisis management and business continuity programs.

Much of Gunnar's planning and consulting work takes place within the international aviation industry. He and his team at EDM have analyzed the emergency management procedures and response operations in numerous catastrophic incidents, ranging from transportation accidents, to fires and explosions, to acts of terrorism and ultraviolence.

Before moving to the US, Gunnar was Commanding Chief and Managing Director of several EMS and rescue systems in Europe, particularly in Germany. He received his education in law and biochemistry from the German Universities of Bonn and Hannover.

In recent years, Gunnar delivered 30 speeches and presentations annually at major national and international conferences in Asia (i.e., Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong), Europe (i.e., Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, The Netherlands, United Kingdom), South America, and all over the US and Canada. Each year, he gives up to 50 briefings for law enforcement authorities, governmental and/or private organizations worldwide.

Britt Lewis
Vice President, Marketing & Business Strategy
Intelsat General

Britt Lewis is a 25 year industry veteran at Intelsat. Britt is currently the vice president of marketing and business strategy at Intelsat General Corporation and in that role he is responsible for company-wide strategic business planning, marketing and communications programs and major business development initiatives. Since joining Intelsat General, Britt has directed the capture of programs yielding new business totaling $140M.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Lewis served as the business line director for government and the business development director at Intelsat Global Service Corporation, efforts which culminated in the creation of Intelsat Government Solutions, the predecessor company to Intelsat General. During his 25-year career with Intelsat, primary roles included the position of Marketing Director overseeing the marketing of voice and data services, including Internet applications and as Forecasting Director, he developed company-wide traffic and revenue projections across all Intelsat satellites and services that were used in developing company business plans and in justifying procurement of new satellites.

Mr. Lewis was awarded a bachelor's degree in economics, with a specialization in international commerce, from Kalamazoo College and holds a technical certification in computer programming and operations. He has also completed executive education programs in Strategic Marketing Management and Strategic Management.

In 2003, Britt received Intelsat's CEO award which at the time was Intelsat's highest individual contributor award. Britt is also proud of his 2008 award as Coach of the Year from a local school recognizing many years of volunteer service to student/athletes.

Daniel A. Losada
Senior Director, Defense and Intelligence Systems Division
Hughes Network Systems, LLC

Daniel A. Losada has more than 15 years of experience with every facet of satellite communication technology, from developing hardware to designing and implementing strategic satellite applications and systems. His knowledge of the complete satellite technology lifecycle makes him a trusted source of information and advice for leaders in the defense and intelligence communities.

In his current role as Senior Director of the Defense and Intelligence Systems Division (DISD) at Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), Mr. Losada manages U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence programs for Hughes, working with Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4) programs to support all branches of the military during its transition to Internet Protocol (IP)-based broadband systems with a Net-Centric vision. Mr. Losada also serves as a member and technical lead of the Hughes Strategic Mobility Working Group, working with Hughes partners to develop next generation Satellite-on-the-Move and quick-deploy capabilities.

Previously, Mr. Losada has held positions in its Microwave and RF Systems Design organization at both Hughes and TRW, Inc (now part of Northrop Grumman). Most recently he served as Director, leading development teams in the design and development of state-of-the-art communications systems, such as processed and transponded satellite networks, microwave point-to-multipoint, cellular, and Personal Communications Services (PCS).

Mr. Losada has also served as a technical consultant for Universidad Antonio Nario in Bogota, Colombia. In this role he oversaw deployment of a point-to-multipoint network and evaluating proposals for the implementation of a city-wide WLAN Wireless Network.

Mr. Losada is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering - both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has published in the field of Communication Systems and design of Frequency Hopping Patterns for Spread Spectrum Communications.

Andrea Maleter
Technical Director
Futron Corp.

Ms. Andrea Maleter has over 25 years experience in global satellite and telecommunications industry sales, marketing, regulatory and policy management. She has provided regulatory, policy and marketing advice to governments and telecommunications companies and governments worldwide on areas including strategies for new technology implementation; telecommunications sector policy and privatization. She has participated in the development of global telecommunications satellite markets and the planning and procurement of new satellite systems. Prior to joining Futron, she was a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and before that held management positions in sales, marketing, strategic planning and regulatory policy at INTELSAT and COMSAT.

Lois Clark McCoy
President
National Institute for Urban Search & Rescue

Lois Clark McCoy, writing as Rosilla Bradley Rogers, is the president and founder of the National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue. NIUSR has attracted a "who's who" among leaders in public safety, government, military, emergency management, academia and industry. It is the force behind the Extreme Information Infrastructure initiative, of which the Domestic Emergency Response Information Service is one piece. NIUSR created the initiative for the "Interstate Communications Highway". Recently, she is the a founder of "THE ALLIANCE" - Networking International Unified Survival, Response, Readiness, Resilience and Recovery, a volunteer coalition focused on fostering Community and Neighborhood Resilience. In February 2009, McCoy was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. Mrs. McCoy has seven children and six adopted children. She has 23 grandchildren.

Jack Nicholson, Captain, U.S. Navy
Deputy Program Manager
Communications Satellite Program Office (PMW-146)
Program Executive Office for Space Systems

Captain Jack Nicholson is the Deputy Program Manager for the Navy's Communications Satellite Program Office (PMW-146) in San Diego, California. PMW-146 is acquiring the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), a $4B next-generation advanced satellite communications system just entering the production phase. Prior to this, CAPT Nicholson served as the Director of Operations and the Contracting Officer's Representative for MUOS, responsible for all day-to-day operations during the initial design and development.

CAPT Nicholson was previously stationed at the National Reconnaissance Office, where served as the Chief Systems Engineer for the Communications Directorate's Space line of business. From 1998-2001, he served his first tour in PMW 146 where he was the MUOS Chief Systems Engineer during the Concept Exploration phase.

During his fleet tours, CAPT Nicholson specialized in airborne reconnaissance missions conducting highly sensitive airborne multi-sensor surveillance operations in support of high priority naval and national intelligence requirements. He has been stationed in Spain, Hawaii, and San Diego and supported deployments throughout the European, Pacific and Central Command.

CAPT Nicholson has earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, as well as a Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering and the post-masters degree of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineer at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Steve Nixon
Former Director of Science and Technology at Office of the Director of National Intelligence and;
Former Staff Member, House Appropriations Committee - U.S. House of Representatives

Mr. Steven Nixon is an independent consultant helping companies introduce disruptive technologies to the national security sector. He also serves on a number of government advisory boards.

Until June 2008, Mr. Nixon served as the Director of Science and Technology for the Director of National Intelligence. In this position, he oversaw the science and technology activities of the 16 agencies of the US Intelligence Community. Mr. Nixon spearheaded the creation of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) and served as its first acting Director. He also established the Rapid Technology Transition Initiative. In 2008, Mr. Nixon was awarded the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement.

Prior to working in the Intelligence Community, Mr. Nixon served ten years with the US Congress as a Professional Staff Member on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. In 2005, the National Journal named him to the "Hill 100" list under the category of Defense Transformation. Also in 2005, he was designated by Space News as one of the top 10 "making a difference" in space.

Prior to his work with the US Congress, Mr. Nixon was a senior civilian analyst working for the Department of Navy at the Pentagon. He graduated with B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics (Highest Distinction and Honors) from the University of Kansas. He later earned a M.A. degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University.

Major General Ellen M. Pawlikowski
Deputy Director
NRO

Maj. Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski is the Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va. She manages all Air Force personnel and resources assigned to the NRO and serves as the senior adviser to the DNRO on all military matters. As the Chief Operating Officer, she is responsible for all mission-related acquisition and operations of overhead reconnaissance systems to meet the needs of the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.

General Pawlikowski entered the Air Force in 1978 through the ROTC program at New Jersey Institute of Technology. She attended the University of California at Berkeley, Calif., and received a Doctorate of Philosophy in chemical engineering in December 1981, entering active duty at McClellan AFB, Calif., in April 1982. The general has served in a variety of technical management, leadership and staff positions, and she has served as Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Counterproliferation in Office of the Secretary of Defense. Prior to her current assignment, she was Vice Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.

Capt. Edwin Pena
VSAT/SWAN/WPPL Project Officer
USMC

Capt. Edwin Pena is the project officer for the Marine Corps' Wireless Point to Point Link (WPPL), Deployable Ku/Ka Earth Terminal,Troposcatter Satellite Support Radio and the Support Wide Area Network/Very Small Aperture Programs (SWAN/VSAT). The SWAN/VSAT project office is also responsible for managing the commercial Ku bandwidth for all of the Marine Corps as well as purchasing the COTS Ku/Ka terminals and accompanying networking/baseband equipment for the Corps.

Capt. Pena is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School with a Masters in Information Technology Management. He has tremendous experience in Air Defense, and served as part of a Security Battalion for two tours in Iraq.

John Piorkowski
MILSATCOM Program Management, Applied Information Sciences Department
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Mr. Piorkowski serves as the Deputy Business Area Executive for the Infocentric Operations Business Area with management responsibilities for a $120-million program portfolio for the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security sponsors. Before assuming his current role, Mr. Piorkowski was the Business Area Executive for Defense Communications, Program Manager for Tactical and Satellite Communications, and Assistant Group Supervisor for the Satellite Communications Group.

During his twenty-three year career at JHU/APL he has provided systems engineering leadership in broad DoD Global Information Grid (GIG) initiatives to include GIG information assurance risk assessments, JTRS Analysis of Alternatives, GIG Enterprise-Wide Systems Engineering, and related high-level studies. In addition, a significant portion of Mr. Piorkowski's career involved systems engineering for the network control segment for military wideband satellite communications such as DSCS and WGS.

He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University, and a Post-Masters Certificate in Electrical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University with a concentration in Telecommunications. He is now studying for a PhD in Information Systems at UMBC.

Mr. Piorkowski also serves as the Vice Chair for the Information Systems Engineering Program at The Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering for Engineering Professionals.

COL. Patrick Rayermann (US Army)
Director, Communications FIO
National Security Space Office

Colonel Patrick H. Rayermann was raised in Southern California where he had the opportunity to begin his professional life as an employee of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In 1981, he graduated from UCLA and its ROTC program with a bachelor's degree in physics and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Signal Corps. As a company grade officer, he served as an assistant project manager at Ft Monmouth, NJ, a planning officer with the 7th Signal Brigade and the Commander of A Co, 44th Signal Battalion which used the TRI-TAC communications system he helped to develop while at Ft Monmouth and which he deployed to Northern Iraq as part of Operation Provide Comfort which provided relief to the Kurds of Northern Iraq in 1991.

Colonel Rayermann's field grade assignments have included Executive Officer and Commander, 1st Satellite Control Battalion, manager of all logistics support throughout the Former Soviet Union for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program which serves to eliminate, neutralize or safeguard elements of what was the Soviet strategic arsenal, and Chief of Space Operations at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

In 1985, Colonel Rayermann began his involvement in bringing space to Army warfighters when he served as a member of the Army Space Initiatives Study. He continued to make space support relevant to the warfighter during his assignments with the 7th Signal Brigade, the 44th Signal Bn, the 1st Satellite Control (SATCON) Battalion and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). In 1999, he became one of the initial officers designated as a Space Operations expert (Functional Area 40) within the US Army. His most recent assignment was as the G3 of US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USA SMDC/ARSTRAT) where he was responsible for synchronizing SMDC/ARSTRAT's execution of its responsibilities in its diverse range of missions including space and missile defense. Colonel Rayermann is presently assigned to the Headquarters, Department of the Army as the Chief of the Space and Missile Defense Division in the Army G-3/5/7.

COL Rayermann's military training includes the Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Army's Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. He holds master's degrees in Computer Resources & Information Management and also in Strategic Studies.

His awards and honors include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; the Meritorious Service Medal, Third Oak Leaf Cluster; the Joint Commendation Medal; the Army Commendation Medal; the Joint Service Achievement Medal; the Army Achievement Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster; the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Senior Air Force Space and Missile Badge and Honor Graduate, Signal Officer's Advanced Course.

Donald E. Root, Jr.
Assistant Communications Systems Manager
Wireless Services Division, San Diego County Sheriff's Department
San Diego County - Imperial County Regional Communications System

Don Root has more than 35 years of experience as a manager in emergency management and public safety telecommunications. Since early 2006, Don has been serving as the Assistant Manager of the Wireless Services Division of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, and is the Operations Manager for the San Diego County - Imperial County Regional Communications System.

Prior to rejoining the County of San Diego, Don served 22 years as a Communications Coordinator with the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and has a long history of working to enhance first responder communications capabilities and interoperability. In that role, he worked with numerous Federal, State, and Local agencies on joint exercises and on large-scale public events like the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles; the 1986 Papal visit to Los Angeles; 1994 World Cup Soccer games in Pasadena and the Bay Area; and the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations. He has responded to approximately 2 dozen major emergencies or disasters, including the 1978 PSA plane crash in San Diego, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, 1992 Los Angeles Riots, the 1994 Northridge Earthquakes, numerous large-scale wildfires, numerous wide-spread floods, and other events requiring the coordination of field-level communications between responding agencies.

While working for the Office of Emergency Services, Don was a key member of the team that deployed the Operational Area Satellite Information System (OASIS), California's Emergency Management satellite telecommunications network, developed after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

Don has served as a member of a number of communications and warning-related Federal Advisory Committees, including the Interoperability Subcommittees of both the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) and the Public Safety National Coordinating Committee (NCC). He currently is a member of the SAFECOM Program's Emergency Response Council, and is the Chair of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council's Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee Working Group.

Honorable Andrea Seastrand
Executive Director
California Space Authority

The Honorable Andrea Seastrand serves as Executive Director of the California Space Authority (CSA), a statewide non-profit corporation. She brings extensive knowledge of both federal and state legislative processes as well as the vision and drive to ensure California's success as a leader in the highly competitive, international space enterprise market.

A leader in the inception of The California Space and Technology Alliance (CSTA), Mrs. Seastrand served as its first and only Executive Director from February 1997 until April 2001. Through her visionary leadership, CSTA grew into the current CSA, an organization focused on all four domains of California's diverse space enterprise community: industry, government, academia, and workforce. CSA provides voice, visibility and a competitive edge for California's space enterprise, and it has been designated by the State of California as California's official spaceport authority since April 2001.

Recognizing the value of collaborative strategic visioning, in 1998 Mrs. Seastrand oversaw the development of the country's first statewide, collaborative strategic space enterprise plan. That plan was updated in 2004 and again in 2007 with the development of the California Space Enterprise Strategic Plan. The development and implementation of the California Space Enterprise Strategic Plan elevated CSA to a position of state and national thought leadership. In February 2008, Mrs. Seastrand was appointed to chair the Aerospace Advisory Committee, which reports to Lt. Governor John Garamendi's Commission on Economic Development. The seven-member Aerospace Advisory Committee provides the Commission with information on the status of aerospace business in the state, identifies key challenges to the industry's growth, and offers recommendations for solutions.

Under Mrs. Seastrand's direction, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded CSA a $15 million Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant. The WIRED initiative is a major component of the Bush Administration's American Competitiveness Initiative. Under this initiative, CSA leads a 13 county economic region comprising the "California Innovation Corridor" with more than 60 participants. This effort consists of increasing entrepreneurship, supporting manufacturing value chain and supplier competitiveness, and fostering accelerated development of an innovation-oriented technical workforce. In 2004, CSA held its first SpotBeam Awards Diner convening space enterprise leaders from around the world to highlight the significant achievements of California's space assets through the innovation, infrastructure and intellectual capital of the space enterprise community. The SpotBeam Awards dinner is now recognized as a CSA signature event.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Mrs. Seastrand in 2004 to serve as one of 20 members on the Governor's statewide Council on Base Support and Retention. In 2006, Mrs. Seastrand was invited to participate in the Air Force Civic Leader Program, comprised of leaders from communities nationwide. Her service to the program continues at the request of the Honorable Michael Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, and General Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, through the auspices of the Air Force Public Affairs office. She serves as an alternate delegate to the Aerospace States Association (ASA) and as a member in Women in Aerospace (WIA), the Air Force Association (AFA), the Navy League; and she serves on the College of Engineering's Dean's Advisory Council at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

As a former US Congresswoman, Mrs. Seastrand led space support efforts at the federal level with the introduction of the National Spaceport Act of 1995. While in Congress, she served on the Committee on Science and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As a Member of the California State Assembly from 1990 to 1994, Mrs. Seastrand successfully authored legislation that created the California Spaceport Authority, created sales tax exemptions on launches, and created CORTA - a central coast effort to support space and technology efforts that ultimately evolved into today's CSA.

Mrs. Seastrand was born and raised in Chicago and graduated from DePaul University. She raised two children on California's Central Coast with her late husband, Eric Seastrand, who was a Member of the California State Assembly from 1982 through 1990. Mrs. Seastrand currently resides in Grover Beach, California.

William Schmidt
Vice President
Government Services

Mr. Schmidt has extensive management, strategic planning and business development experience in the telecommunications, information technology and information security sectors, both defense and commercial.

After serving three years as a U.S. Army Air Crewman, Mr. Schmidt began his career in aerospace and defense with the Link Division of Singer with P&L responsibility for multi-million dollar U.S. government contracts. He continued in positions of increasing management responsibility, working for other large multi-billion dollar multinationals such as Honeywell and Figgie International, Data Systems Analysts, Inc. and most recently, ARTEL Inc.

James J. Shaw, CDR (Ret) USN
Director Navy Programs
Inmarsat Incorporated

J.J. Shaw is the Director for Naval Programs, Inmarsat Government Services, Inmarsat Incorporated, based in Washington, DC, United States. Inmarsat provides mobile satellite system communications services for government and commercial users in maritime, aeronautical and land environments.

Before retiring from the U.S. Navy, Commander (Ret) J.J. Shaw was the Branch Head, Satellite and Tactical Communications as well as the Branch Head, Enterprise Information Technology/Space Policy for the Chief of Naval Operations. In this capacity, he led the development of Naval Space Policy and was Navy's lead for the Transformational Communications Architecture and System development. During previous tours, he brought the "Challenge Athena" Commercial Wideband Satellite Communications Program to Fleet-wide implementation, increasing the U.S. Navy's total bandwidth by 12-fold. He led the U.S. Navy's migration from Inmarsat A to Inmarsat High Speed Data B implementation and consolidated the Fleet's Inmarsat use into a lease structure. While assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)/Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) J-2, he served as the Deputy, Year 2000 (Y2K) Intelligence Task Force. As a Naval Officer, he has served aboard USS Ranger (CV-61) and USS Enterprise (CVN-65) aircraft carriers; USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2), USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) and USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) amphibious command and control ships during numerous operational deployments.

J.J. Shaw, a native of Santa Barbara, California, is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a degree in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology; a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, in Systems Technology (Space Systems Operations); and a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, in National Security and Strategic Studies.

Lieutenant General Robert M. Shea, USMC (Ret.)
Executive Vice President
Smartronix

His command positions include Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Japan, Commander of the Marine Component, Joint Task Force Computer Network Defense, Director of the Marine Corps Command and Control Systems School and Commanding Officer, 9th Communications Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He also served as the Commanding Officer of two communications companies.

Among Lieutenant General Shea's previous staff assignments are the Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) for the Marine Corps, the Chief Information Officer of the Marine Corps, Director of Intelligence for the Marine Corps, the Director for Command, Control and Communications (J6), for the United States Pacific Command, and various other staff positions in the Marine Corps and Joint community.

Shea earned a M.A. from Central Michigan University. He also attended The Basic School, Advanced Communications Officers' Course, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.

Lieutenant General Shea is a Director on two corporate boards and an advisor/consultant to several telecommunication and defense corporations. He has also served on study panels for the National Academies and the Defense Science Board.

Lieutenant General Shea's awards include: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Department of Defense Superior Service Medal with gold star in lieu of second award, Legion of Merit with gold star, Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal with two gold stars.

Jim Simpson
Vice President
Boeing Satellite Systems International

As vice president of Business Development for Boeing Satellite Systems International, Jim Simpson is responsible for business and product development activities in support of telecommunications satellite procurements. A veteran of more than 25 years of aerospace business experience, he has authored several papers on topics ranging from the space segment market to launch systems and materials development. Simpson holds a master of business administration degree from the University of Southern California. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Materials Engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles, and completed a graduate certificate program in Engineering Management at the California Institute of Technology.

Richard W. (Rick) Skinner
Vice President, Strategic Planning
Global Communications Systems
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Rick Skinner is vice president, Strategic Planning, Global Communications Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. In this role, he provides strategic guidance and planning for the Space Systems Company's government satellite communications line of business. He previously served as Vice President, Transformational Communications where he had overall responsibility for the execution of the USAF $648M contract for Transformational SATCOM Space Segment Risk Reduction and System Definition as well as pursuit of the U.S. Government's Transformational Communications Space Segment Development and Production phase contract. He served as Vice President, Navigation Systems from 2001–2003.

An Air Force veteran, Rick served twenty-nine years in various capacities within the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. He retired in October 2000 as the Principal Director, Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Space in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. His testimony to U.S. Congressional Committees on topics ranging from U.S. spectrum management, technology transfer, and the threat to U.S. infrastructure of electromagnetic pulse were instrumental in informing Congress, shaping debate, and framing legislation critical to Department of Defense planning and operations.

Prior to joining the Secretary of Defense staff, Colonel Skinner served in a number of senior positions in the Air Force and the Joint Staff. These included Acting Director, Space and Nuclear Deterrence, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition). He was Chief of Communications and Computer Architecture Division, Headquarters, United States Air Force; Director of Command, Control, Communications, and Computers, Headquarters Twenty-first Air Force; Commander of the 438th, the 305th, and the 1980th Communications Groups; Director of Communications-Electronics for the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force Special Programs; and Director of Communications-Electronics for the 6922 Security Wing. He served as Joint Staff Director of Command Systems Operations during U.S. Operations Just Cause (Panama) and Desert Shield (Kuwait) and was responsible for major upgrades to the National Military Command Center and the development and fielding of the Crisis Management Automated Data Processing System. He was also program director for the LST-8000 family of satellite terminals supporting the Special Projects, White House, and Special Operations communities and the Advanced Satellite Modem, a concept demonstration for a multi-channel, bandwidth-on-demand satellite controller.

Rick has a broad background in communications systems operations, maintenance, and engineering; research and development; program management; defense policy, programming, budgeting, and acquisition; organization leadership; and space systems development and operations. He has authored and presented his views in a wide variety of national and international forums including the Space Foundation, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association, Air Force Association, Aerospace Industries Association, American Astronomical Association, International Space University, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and National Defense Industrial Association among others. His recent publications include "GNSS II: Imperative for Galileo-GPS Rationalization and Harmonization," published by the Institute of Navigation and "Galileo and GPS – Competitors or Complements?" published by L'Institut français des relations internationals. He is a life member of the Air Force Association and a life member and past chapter president of the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association. He is also a member of the Institute of Navigation, the Association of Old Crows, the National Defense Industrial Association, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the IEEE and COMSOC, and the Military Officers' Association of America. He serves as Vice Chairman of the MILCOM Conference Board and on the Advisory Board for ISCe 2009.

Rick, wife, and daughter live in Virginia.

Roderick F. Smith
Deputy Commander
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command

Mr. Smith is the Deputy Commander and Executive Director at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWARSYSCOM), responsible for the delivery and sustainment of major Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Enterprise Information Systems for the Department of the Navy. SPAWAR is manned by over 7,300 military and civilian personnel located at the Headquarters element in San Diego and three principal field activities, including the SPAWAR Space Field Activity (SSFA) in Washington DC, and SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic (Norfolk, Charleston, New Orleans) and SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific (San Diego, Hawaii, Japan and Guam).

Mr. Smith earned a bachelor's of science degree from the US Naval Academy in 1974, and upon graduation he reported to the USS Horne(CG-30) for duty as both the Damage Control Assistant and Communications Division Head. In 1978, he earned a master's of science degree in electrical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. He was accepted into the Engineering Duty Officer program during this tour.

He reported to the Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) in 1981 and became the project manager for the C3I specification development effort, targeted for the DDGX class destroyer, until 1983 when he became the Ship and Shore Communications Division Head. He reported to Guam in 1984 and assumed the charge of the Naval Electronics Engineering Activity where he directed numerous communication systems upgrades at facilities around the Southern and Western Pacific. He left active duty in 1986 and was appointed as a reservist where he subsequently retired at the rank of Captain, having served as commanding officer of three units.

In 1987, Mr. Smith accepted a position at NOSC in San Diego as the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) Program Deputy Project Manager. Within a short period, he assumed the responsibility for coordinating and conducting a successful development of the Tactical Data Link Systems Integration Facility. Mr. Smith directed Test and Evaluation activities including Joint Air Defense Operations/Joint Engagement Zone exercises, developmental testing of integrated Link-16, strike training exercises in Fallon, Nevada, and C4I System Integration Testing planning and execution for the USS CARL VINSON Battle Group, an event considered to be the precursor of the Battle Group System Integration Test process.

Mr. Smith was appointed as Deputy for Business, Integration and Interoperability Division in 1993. In 1995 he was appointed as the Head of the Division and the entire tactical data links business unit for the Center. In support of the Navy International Programs Office, he also served as Technical Project Officer for Command, Control and Combat Systems and led USN-to-Foreign Navy technical data exchange agreements for multiple North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Pacific Rim countries.

In July 1997, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and was named Head of the Command and Control Department at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego (SSC SD), a team of 700 professionals located in San Diego, Hawaii, Philadelphia, Pa. and Norfolk, Va. He oversaw nearly $500M in revenue annually to perform research and development, integration engineering, test and evaluation, and delivery of integrated Navy and Joint command and control capabilities. In October 2003, Mr. Smith was selected to be the SSC San Diego (which is now known as SSC Pacific) Executive Director, leading efforts of over 3,500 employees working on approximately $1.4 B of C4ISR Projects across the Navy, DoD, and other agency/coalition organizations.

In July 2005, Mr. Smith was appointed to his current position as Deputy Commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. As the Deputy Commander he serves as the Executive Director and senior civilian of the command overseeing all command operations.

Andrew Stanniland
Head of International Business Development
Paradigm Secure Communications

Andrew has worked in the satellite communications industry for over 15 years since graduating with a Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College, London in 1992

Initially working for Matra Marconi Space as a systems engineer working on the communications systems analysis for Skynet 5, Andrew later worked on a number of overseas systems studies as bid manager and was the programme manager for an Australian Defence Force Milsatcom Feasibility Study. The findings of this study resulted in the design of the military payload on board the Australian Optus C1/D satellite, launched in June 2003.

Returning to the Skynet 5 programme in 1998, the programme was now being developed as a service delivery contract. He was responsible for initiating and leading the service engineering activities which not only had to convert the existing Skynet 5 system specifications into a series of end to end communications services, but also created the nucleus for the company that became Paradigm Services Ltd, the service delivery arm of Skynet 5.

Paradigm was selected as the preferred bidder for the programme in 2001 and the focus changed to negotiations on the finance and legal framework for the programme; Andrew was responsible for many of the commercial, financial and technical negotiations with the UK MOD, the financial institutions, the spacecraft insurers and the legal advisors until the contract signature date in October 2003. At the time, Skynet 5 was the highest value defence Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract ever to be signed, and also the most complex deal to reach conclusion, a fact recognised by the worldwide finance and legal community.

Following creation of the new company, Paradigm, Andrew transferred from Astrium into it and since the start of service delivery and system implementation in 2003, has been part of Paradigm's business development team. This is the team responsible for selling the excess X-band and UHF capacity on the Skynet constellation to other governments and militaries on a worldwide basis. Andrew has been in charge of the team as Vice President of Business Development, Sales and Marketing for Paradigm since September 2007.

Brian Steckler
Executive Director
Hastily Formed Networks Center
Naval Postgraduate School

Mr. Brian Steckler has over 20 years of experience in Navy communications and over 5 years of experience in managing the interoperability of communications at the inter-agency level. He is a U.S. Department of Defense recognized expert in mobile wireless network deployment and vulnerability assessment technologies, information technology applications for complex humanitarian disasters, computer network vulnerability assessments, web based information operations, mobile network operation centers, voice verification and recognition technologies, and various broadband internet access device technologies including fixed broadband wireless, ultra wideband, free space optics broadband, and broadband over power lines.

Mr. Steckler is the Executive Director of the Hastily Formed Networks (HFN) Center at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California, and also serves as the Associate Chair for Special Programs. His areas of teaching and research include: basic networking (LAN/WAN), Information Operations to include Computer Network Operations (Computer Network Defense, Attack, and Exploitation), Psychological Operations, Military Deception, Electronic Warfare, Operations Security, and Information Warfare.

Mr. Steckler brings significant operational experience with rapidly deployed wireless communications to the team, focusing on hastily formed networks (HFNs) with both wireless equipment solutions and interoperability at the civil-military boundary. In the past few years, he has led teams of NPS faculty/students and industry partners deploying wireless communications to the Andaman Coast of Thailand a few days after the Dec '04 SE Asia tsunami, and led a much larger team of NPS faculty/students and industry partners to wirelessly enable Bay St Louis and Waveland Mississippi for 5 weeks during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.

Brian has also facilitated and deployed NPS faculty/students and communications equipment to SE Asia and South/Central America on the US Navy's two hospital ships (USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort). These two humanitarian outreach missions used the flyway kit equipment suite (WiFi, WiMAX, VSAT, VoIP, LMRoIP) that Mr. Steckler and the NPS HFN Center has prototyped and refined the past 3 years. He was also the overall Communications Director for Strong Angel III, a large scale inter-agency/industry/academia exercise conducted in Summer 2005 that entailed an H5N1 avian flu pandemic in the San Diego CA region, and was sponsored by DHS Office of Science and Technology to both deploy and collect/analyze voice and data traffic during Operation Golden Phoenix, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake scenario training event in Summer 2007 in the Los Angeles Basin. Operation Golden Phoenix was the first combined DHS/DOD training exercise that featured data/voice interoperability challenges between city/local/county/state and federal (DOD/DHS) early responders. Brian plays a critical role in the planning and execution of similar real-world missions and exercises/training events that are being planned for FY08/09.

His last full-time experience in the corporate world was as the founder and CEO of a California business-class Internet Service Provider (ISP) and software engineering firm. He operated that business for 7 years until selling it in the Summer of 2001. Prior to that Brian had a successful 20-year career in the U.S. Navy, ten years as an enlisted Cryptologic Technician and ten years as a Commissioned Officer. During his Navy career he qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer, Supply Officer, Communications Officer, Operations Officer, Weapons Officer, CMS Custodian, Mine Countermeasures Officer and Officer of the Deck (underway).

He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in 1987 in Business Administration. He received a Masters of Science in Information Technology Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994. Brian serves on several boards including a foundation that provides resources to mentally retarded children and adults.

Jeff Stern
SVP & General Manager, Government Solutions
TerreStar Networks, Inc.

Mr. Stern is Senior Vice-President and General Manager for Government Solutions responsible for the sales and development of TerreStar's services to Federal, State and local governments and first responder and emergency management organizations. He brings over 20 years experience in areas of engineering, sales, marketing, and business development, in the communications and software industries.

In early 2000, he co-founded GoBeam, which became North America's leading provider of managed IP-based voice services to business prior to being acquired. Previously, Mr. Stern was Vice President of Investment Strategy at Pulsar Ventures; Vice President of Marketing at Encanto Networks; co-founder of Independence Technologies, which was acquired by BEA Systems; and has held engineering and product management roles with McDonnell Douglas, Nortel and Bell Canada.

Jeff is a member of the board of directors of Nuvio, Inc. and co-editor of the VoIP Dictionary. Jeff has B.A.Sc (First Class Honours) in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada).

Kai Tang
SATCOM Division Director
PEO C4I

Kai Tang is currently the Commercial SATCOM Lead in the Navy's Communications Program Office for the Program Executive Officer Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (PEO C4I) in San Diego.

He is the senior acquisition lead within PMW (Program Manager, Warfare) 170 for Navy's Commercial SATCOM efforts including development, testing, fielding, and life cycle support of communications systems such as the Commercial Wideband SATCOM Program (CWSP), the Navy's Inmarsat Lease Service program, the Television-Direct to Sailors program (TV-DTS), and the Navy's Iridium project. He has recently added the Navy's new Commercial Broadband SATCOM Program (CBSP) to his portfolio.

CBSP will be the next generation commercial SATCOM system for the Navy, replacing CWSP and the Inmarsat Lease Service programs.

Previously he was the PEO C4I Assistant Program Manager for CWSP and TV-DTS. He was also the Project Manager for the Navy's AN/WSC-8 C-band shipboard terminals and the Project Engineer for the Navy's AN/WSC-6 X-band shipboard terminal at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego (SSC-SD) where he received the Center's Exemplary Achievement Award for his work supporting the USS Constellation aircraft carrier during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at