Join GTSC down in El Paso at the Border Security Expo! A Yippe Ki-yay to start your day, join us for a complimentary morning breakfast from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM on May 22nd at the Sabor Restaurant! Connect with old and new faces over a delicious spread.
In January, HSToday released the 2024 Threat Forecast in three parts. In an election year, with tremendous risks and vulnerabilities facing the nation, we take stock each year by asking our cadre of experienced homeland security practitioners what they would like to share with you, our community of readers. This year is our most comprehensive collection to date from a diverse group of professionals who have served both in and outside government.
Join us for a webinar dissecting the identified terrorist threat trends from our contributors.
Key takeaways from the threat forecast include:
– Internal dissension and disagreement puts America and its institutions at great peril, from our elections to foreign policy to border security.
– Misinformation is misunderstood and our ability to combat it will determine the outcome of many critical challenges facing the country.
– Misunderstanding the activity, strength, and strategy of foreign nation’s like Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, and foreign terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS leads to a heightened risk and threat environment
– Our nation must devote more focus to strategic foresight and mitigate against “strategic surprise” by nurturing our people’s understanding, and mastery of, complexity.
– Allowing the potential of AI and quantum computing to benefit us while balancing the need for security will be pivotal to our future – collaboration is key to understanding the technology and its implications. – Specific threats like individual violent perpetrators of terrorism, drones, biological threats, and vulnerabilities like lack of preparedness for natural disasters, continue to increase
– Ransomware is increasing exponentially and poses a considerable threat to critical infrastructure.
Speakers:
Dexter Ingram, Director of the Office of Countering Violent Extremism, U.S. Department of State; Founder, IN Network; Editorial Board Member, HSToday
Mahmut Cengiz, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC)
Moshe Nelson, Former Legislative Fellow, U.S. House Subcommittee for the Middle East; Partner, Guidehouse – Defense and Security Practice
Stephanie Yanta, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI (ret.)
John Halinski, Former Deputy Administrator, U.S. Transportation Security Administration; President, Raloid Corp; Editorial Board Member, Homeland Security Today
This Supply Chain Integrity Month HSToday is welcoming Board Member Bob Kolasky and other supply chain experts to discuss how organizations can utilize new technologies to advance their supply chain security. Emerging technologies present both an opportunity and a challenge for supply chain integrity.
As supply chains get increasingly digitized, data management and protection are key to their security and resilience. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twinning, and (in the future) quantum computing are undoubtedly helping supply chain operations and security but they come with a risk. This discussion will explain how organizations can use new technologies to advance their supply chain integrity while also assessing where novel risks will be introduced and the Top 3 ways to stay in front of them
Speakers:
Bob Kolasky, Senior Vice President for Critical Infrastructure, Exiger; former Director, National Risk Management Center, CISA; Editorial Board Member, HSToday
Laura Hershon, Acting Chief, Initiatives B Branch, CISA*
The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) is thrilled to announce the 12th Annual Transportation Security Symposium, dedicated to dissecting the missions, programs, and overarching goals of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). At GTSC, we are committed to bridging connections between our members and the government, providing unparalleled access to crucial information, and fostering collaborative environments that drive understanding and progress. This year’s symposium promises an in-depth exploration of several key areas that are vital for both current and future operations within TSA. Attendees can look forward to engaging discussions on: The Administration’s Procurement Goals: Understanding the procurement objectives and strategies is essential for businesses looking to collaborate with the TSA. This discussion will shed light on how the administration plans to navigate procurement to meet its security and operational needs effectively. IT Transformation Initiatives: In an era where technology underpins every facet of operations, TSA’s IT transformation initiatives are critical. This segment will delve into the ways TSA is leveraging technology to enhance security measures, improve efficiency, and streamline operations. Small Business Strategy: Small businesses play a crucial role in supporting TSA’s mission. This conversation will focus on the agency’s strategy to engage and work with small businesses, outlining opportunities and how small entities can contribute to the TSA’s objectives.
Speakers:
9:15 AM Welcome
Kristina Tanasichuk, Chief Executive Officer, Government Technology & Services Coalition
Tish Mossman, Vice President, Defense Security and Safety Sector, RELI Group
9:30 AM Procurement at TSA
Bill Weinberg, Assistant Administrator, Contracting and Procurement, Head of Contracting Activity, Transportation Security Administration
Melyssa Bertucci, Branch Manager, Security Technology Acquisition Division, Transportation Security Administration
Vincent Gibson, Director, Workforce & Enterprise Operations Acquisition Division
Transportation Security Administration
William “Chip” Dorwart, Director, Mission Essentials Acquisition Division, Transportation Security Administration
10:30 AM Keynote
Holly Canevari, Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security Administration
11:15 AM Luncheon Keynote
Austin Gould, Assistant Administrator, Requirements and Capabilities Analysis, Transportation Security Administration
11:45 AM Luncheon sponsored by Maximus
12:45 PM Future of IT
J. Matt Gilkeson, Chief Technology Officer & Chief Data Officer, Transportation Security Administration
Balaji Subramaniam, Director, Application Development Division, Information Technology Office, Transportation Security Administration
1:30 PM Public and Private Perspective: Lessons Learned
Ha Nguyen McNeill, Vice President, Digital Identity Growth, Pangiam a BigBear.ai company; former Chief of Staff, Transportation Security Administration
2:00 PM Open Architecture and Acquisitions
Erick Rekstad, Executive Director, Analysis and Engineering, Requirements and Capability Analysis, Transportation Security Administration
Walt Dickey, Senior Technical Advisor, Acquisition Program Management, Transportation Security Administration
2:45 PM Contracting & Procurement
Dina Thompson, Deputy Head of Contracting Activity, Transportation Security Administration
Carl “C.J.” DeBernard, Director, Enterprise Information Technology, Acquisition Division, Transportation Security Administration
Robyn Towles, Director, Credentialing, Screening & Intelligence Acquisition Division, Transportation Security Administration
Robert Boone, Director, Small Business Programs, Transportation Security Administration
3:45 Vetting Programs
Don Lombardo, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Enrollment Services and Vetting Programs, Transportation Security Administration
Thank you to our Guardian sponsor!
Thank you to our Patron sponsor!
Thank you to our Luncheon sponsor!
March is GTSC’s annual membership drive – March Membership Madness!
Each year we host a membership briefing for prospective members to learn more about the benefits of joining our organization and being part of an elite team of government contractors devoted to the homeland mission.
Founded by small businesses in the homeland security community, GTSC is home to the preeminent companies working in the homeland and national security with partners across the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, State, Justice, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Treasury, and Defense. This is a great opportunity for small, mid-, and large companies to find out more about the numerous benefits of GTSC Membership…
The benefits keep growing – join us to learn all we can do for you!
Join HSToday for a Law Enforcement-only analysis of global terrorism trends from 2023 and threat forecasts for 2024. The Department of State’s yearly Annex of Statistical Information Reports uses The Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center (GTTAC) database.
Dr. Mahmut Cengiz, a senior data analyst at GTTAC since 2018, will discuss terrorism trends from 2023 and areas of concern for law enforcement in the United States (US). More specifically, his analyses will focus on HAMAS and Iran-backed terror groups targeting American facilities in the Middle East, Al Qaeda- and ISIS-affiliated organizations actively involved in terrorist attacks worldwide, increasing far-right terrorism and emerging lone actor threats in the US and Europe.
The Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) is the first center in the United States devoted to understanding the links among terrorism, transnational crime and corruption, and to teach, research, train and help formulate policy on these critical issues. TraCCC is a research center within the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. TraCCC also houses the innovative and highly-respected Anti-Illicit Trade Institute (AITI).
This webinar is for law enforcement only – you must register with your official email, or your registration will be cancelled. If you have special circumstances, please reach out to Kristina Tanasichuk, ktanasichuk@gtscoalition.com or kwhite@gtscoalition.com, for more information.
Presenter: Mahmut Cengiz, PhD Research Associate Professor Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC)
Mahmut Cengiz is an Associate Professor with the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) and the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University (GMU). He has international field experience where he has delivered capacity building and training assistance to international partners in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
He has also been involved in research projects for the Brookings Institute, European Union, and various US agencies. Dr. Cengiz is a Fellow at Small Wars Journal-El Centro and a columnist at HS Today, where he regularly publishes articles and op-eds on security issues in Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan, the most trends on Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Iran-backed militia groups, as well as on cocaine and fentanyl trafficking.
He is the author of six books, and his 2019 book, The Illicit Economy in Turkey: How Criminals, Terrorists, and the Syrian Conflict Fuel Underground Economies, analyzes the role of criminals, money launderers, and corrupt politicians, and discusses the involvement of ISIS and al-Qaida-affiliated groups in illicit economy.
His 2024 book will discuss the global history of letter and package bombs. Dr. Cengiz teaches Terrorism, American Security Policy and Narco-terrorism courses at GMU.
In 2022, the Government Technology & Services Coalition acquired the FITGov Summit to expand the exceptional collaboration and exchange already established by the community. GTSC reimagined the Summit to address the need to govern rapidly advancing technology, spurred by the explosion of artificial intelligence, particularly the challenges around ChatGPT and other machine learning. The GTSC FITGov Summit brings senior leadership from the federal government together to mentor, share innovative ideas, expand their knowledge, and share their experience. GTSC has expanded the Board of Directors, added a new collaboration, FITGovDATA, and added dedicated expertise to the evolving role of governance in achieving both early adoption and security.
SPEAKERS:
9:00 AM Opening Remarks
Kristina Tanasichuk, CEO, GTSC
Donna Roy, Co-Chair, FITGovDATA; Former CIO & COO, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Former Executive Director, Information Sharing and Services Office (IS2O), U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Strategic Advisor, GTSC
Mike Horton, Co-Chair, FITGovDATA, Former Chief Data Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Vice President, National Security, ASRC Federal
9:15 AM Opening Keynote
Lori Wade, Chief Data Officer, Intelligence Community, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
9:45 AM CDO’s Perspective: Potential and Pitfalls of AI
Elizabeth Puchek, Chief Data Officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Carin Quiroga, Chief Data Officer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Captain Brian Erickson, Chief Data Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Dan Morgan, Chief Data Officer, Department of Transportation
10:45 AM Break
11:00 AM Innovation and AI: Lessons Learned
J. Matt Gilkeson, Chief Data Officer & Chief Technology Officer, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Jaime Gracia, Director, Corporate Affairs, Wolverine Group; former Director, Strategic Enterprise Programs, U.S. Department of State
Christian Beckner, Vice President for Retail Technology & Cybersecurity, National Retail Federation; and Executive Director, NRF Center for Digital Risk & Innovation
Stephanie Wade, Founder and CEO, Ascendant
12:00 PM LUNCH
1:00 PM Unleashing AI on Data for Mission Success
J. Matt Gilkeson, Chief Data Officer & Chief Technology Officer, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Ariana DiMeo, Branch Chief, Data Analytics, National Flood Insurance Program, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Alex Jaimes, Chief Scientist & SVP of AI, Dataminr; Visiting Professor, Cornell Tech
Jason Thomas, Senior Director, Special Programs, Thomson Reuters Special Services, LLC; Creator & former Director, Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Federal Bureau of Investigation
Rob Carey, President, Government Solutions, Cloudera; former Deputy Chief Information Officer, Department of Defense
2:30 Governing AI: Can it be done?
Shane Barney, Chief Information Security Officer, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Daniel Morgan, Chief Data Officer, Department of Transportation
Edward Moe, Platform Branch Chief, Center for Analytics, Management Strategy and Solutions Office, U.S. Department of State
Chris Wysopal, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Veracode
Sri Satish Ambati, Founder & CEO, H2O.ai
3:30 Data Privacy & AI
Introduction and Moderator: Mason Clutter, Chief Privacy Officer/Chief FOIA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Hugo Teufel, Chief Privacy Officer, Lumen Technologies; former Chief Privacy Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Lyn Brown, Cyber and Privacy Investigations, Incidents & Enforcement, Privacy, Cyber & Data Governance, Wiley Law; former Acting Chief of the Cyber Law Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Catherine Tomasi, Director, Chief Privacy Officer, Con Edison
Shane McNeil, Columnist, HSToday; former Policy Integration Officer, Joint Staff, Department of Defense
Learn more about the FITGov Summit at fitgovsummit.org.
Thank you to our host!
Many of you may know that 2024 is the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Border Patrol. Given our extensive resources through GTSC and HSToday we are forming a committee to plan a commemoration befitting our amazing partners at Border Patrol.
We are looking for folks with great ideas and a commitment to execution to join us for a year of honoring Border Patrol!
Join Homeland Security Today for a night to celebrate heroes from across the nation!
For over a decade GTSC has been serving the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies with the mission of protecting our citizens, assets and way of life. The Homeland Security Today awards are the only national program devoted to recognizing heroes from across the many disciplines within homeland security. From individual citizens to mayors, to first responders, our nomination process helps us find incredibly special people working diligently 24/7 to assure we are safe.
JOIN US
Register to join us on December 6, 2023 In Vienna, VA from 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm. Black tie preferred.
Click the register button to the right to sign up.
SPONSOR or HOST A TABLE!
To learn more about sponsorships, click here to see what’s available. Click the register button to see options and host a table or contact Kalyna White at kwhite@gtscoalition.com to sign up for opportunities to buy a table, sponsor, or provide travel funds to bring our guests to Washington, D.C.!
READ ABOUT THE AWARDEES!
