GTSC 15th Anniversary Collaboration — MISSION: POSSIBLE Our 15th Anniversary Annual Meeting on January 14, 2025 marks an important milestone for the Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) and our long-standing commitment to securing the homeland. As the only national organization singularly focused on supporting the Department of Homeland Security, we are convening government and industry leaders to collaborate, align, and look ahead to 2026—examining challenges, identifying solutions, and reinforcing that the mission is not only essential, but possible.

REGISTER HERE. 

Guided by the theme MISSION: POSSIBLE, our collaboration will explore DHS priorities, the evolving policy and procurement landscape, and the implications of the Big Beautiful Bill for mission delivery. Discussions will focus on how industry—particularly small and mid-sized businesses—can better align resources, accelerate the deployment of critical solutions, and strengthen public-private partnerships in support of the Department’s evolving needs.

Speakers:

• Benjamine “Carry” Huffman, Senior Official Performing the Duties of Undersecretary of Management, DHS
• Paul Courtney, Chief Procurement Officer, DHS
• Jackie Rubino, Executive Director, One Big Beautiful Bill PEO, DHS Management Directorate
• Polly Hall, Executive Sponsor, Practitioner Workstream, Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, GSA
• Adam Reinbolt, Chief, Office of Field Operations Branch, Office of Procurement, U.S. Secret Service
• Kerri A. Bishop, Deputy Head of Contracting Activity, CBP
• PJ Lechleitner, former Acting Director, Immigration & Customs Enforcement
• Bill Weinberg, former Assistant Administrator, Contracting & Procurement, Transportation Security Administration
• Robyn Towles, former Director, Credentialing, Screening and Intelligence Acquisition Division, Transportation Security Administration
• Ryan Scudder,  former Executive Assistant Commissioner (EAC), Enterprise Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Founder, Honor Guardians LLC

FEDSgiving is a late-afternoon feast and fun-filled community event created as a heartfelt thank you to our current and former federal colleagues. After a challenging and tumultuous year for so many in public service, this gathering is meant to bring everyone together in the spirit of gratitude, resilience, and camaraderie.

It’s a celebration of service — a moment to pause, share good food, enjoy good company, and remember that we’re stronger together.

At its core, FEDSgiving is about community and connection. We’re blending the warmth of Thanksgiving with the energy of a fall festival:

A full Thanksgiving feast — turkey, sides, and desserts (with plenty of extras!)
Face painting & crafts for the kids
Cocktails & conversation for the adults
Camaraderie for all — reconnect, recharge, and reflect together

This isn’t a fundraiser — it’s a thank-you. Current and former feds are invited to attend for free. Members of industry are welcome to join with a nominal registration fee to help cover venue and catering costs.

The Threat Evaluation and Reporting Overview (TERO) is a three-hour introductory training focusing on a behavioral approach to violence prevention. The TERO raises awareness about the risk factors, triggers and stressors, and warning behaviors that could impact a person’s decision to commit an act of targeted violence. Further, it outlines the mitigating factors that could help prevent acts of targeted violence, while emphasizing the importance of community involvement in seeking help for individuals, and respecting their constitutional rights, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOVERNMENT ONLY.

SPEAKERS: 

Eva Jernegan holds a M.A. in forensic psychology and is a DHS-certified Master Trainer with over seven years of experience in behavioral threat assessment and management, criminal investigations, and protective intelligence. Eva has been supporting violence prevention and counterterrorism efforts at local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, while building capacities for first responders and contributing to various public safety initiatives. Eva is the Vice President of the D.C. Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) and currently works in the field of Diplomatic Security.

Dan Avondoglio is currently serving with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Office of Security Programs as the Portfolio Manager for Active Assailant Security and is also a DHS-certified Master Trainer. He is a member of the Private Sector Preparedness National Advisory Council and a regular contributor to the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Dan is also a decorated Navy combat veteran with more than 24 years of service, leading and operating across a diverse range of organizational assignments, currently serving as a Commander in the United States Navy Reserve. He has more than a decade of experience operating in austere environments, as well as conducting threat and vulnerability assessments for high-risk locations, both domestically and overseas. Dan has extensive experience leading and training operators and leaders, as well as intelligence, and security professionals around the world in a broad range of security disciplines.

ABOUT TERO: 

Please join us and register today!

INTERPOL Washington’s Missing Person Unit (MPU) will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, August 21 at 11 AM EST to train you on critical INTERPOL resources available to you and your agency at no cost!

MPU was launched in February 2024 to bring the INTERPOL global network and its tools to your agency in the fight for justice and closure for families, including Yellow Notices (missing persons), Black Notices (unidentified bodies), DNA Requests, and the INTERPOL I-Familia Database.

Dr. Francois Laurent, DNA Database Manager with the INTERPOL General Secretariat, will be the webinar’s featured speaker and will focus on the I-Familia Database, a global database for identifying missing persons based upon international kinship matching.

Virtual attendance is open to all interested individuals within your agency.

SPEAKERS:

E.B. (Skip) Sigmon III serves as Senior Advisor to the Director at INTERPOL Washington, the United States National Central Bureau (USNCB). In this capacity, he advises and counsels the Director and other senior agency officials in matters including strategic planning and analysis, organizational management, program development, law enforcement futures and foresight, and agency outreach. In addition, he is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer on the global criminal investigative tools and resources available from INTERPOL and INTERPOL Washington.

Patty Aagaard joined the FBI Laboratory in 1995. She worked primarily in the Mitochondrial DNA Unit supporting the National Missing Persons Program first as a Biologist conducting laboratory examinations and later as a Forensic Examiner analyzing generated data for inclusion in the national DNA database. In 2017, she transferred to the CODIS Unit to manage both the Missing Persons and International programs. Currently, Patty is detailed with INTERPOL Washington’s Missing Person Unit (MPU) focusing on the processing of pending DNA related inquiries from domestic and international law enforcement agencies.

Megan Butts serves as an Investigative Analyst for the Missing Persons Unit at INTERPOL Washington, the United States National Central Bureau (USNCB). Megan joined the Department of Justice in 2015, previously serving as a Program Analyst for the United States Marshals Service, where she supported criminal investigations relating to Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Missing Children. Megan transitioned to her current role in 2023, where she provides investigative and analytical support to missing and unidentified persons investigations.

Dr. François-Xavier Laurent holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Paris-Saclay. During the first part of his scientific career, he focused on neuromuscular genetic diseases. He then pursued his postdoctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to apply his expertise to the research of new therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease. He was recruited in 2013 by the French Forensic Police as Head of Research & Development in Forensic genetics. He managed a team of technicians and engineers to develop innovative methods including DNA phenotyping and next-generation sequencing, applied to criminal investigations. Since 2020, he has been the DNA Database manager at the INTERPOL General Secretariat based in Lyon, in charge of the INTERPOL DNA Database & I-Familia, a new dedicated DNA database to identify missing persons globally using DNA from their relatives. François-Xavier Laurent has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles in forensic and medical genetics fields over the past 10 years and has received several honors and awards, including the Interior Security Medal from the French Ministry of the Interior in 2018