GTSC Welcomes Dave Epperson to Its Strategic Advisory Board
Read More

GTSC Welcomes Dave Epperson to Its Strategic Advisory Board

The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), the leading non-profit association for innovative companies serving the Federal homeland security mission, welcomes Dave Epperson, Chief Security Officer of H20.ai, to its Board of Strategic Advisors. 

“We are so happy to welcome Dave to the Board – his institutional knowledge of DHS, CISA, and the missions served by the Department are a tremendous addition to understanding where we’ve been, and most importantly where we’re headed,” said Kristina Tanasichuk, CEO & Founder of GTSC. “He brings a unique understanding of operational continuity, mission challenges, and innovation and will add a needed perspective to our members.” 

A mission-driven leader, Epperson combines nearly four decades of operational military and Federal experience with cutting-edge technology expertise, including cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI), to advance national security and achieve mission success. From roles down range to White House executive leadership, Epperson has consistently delivered results that protect the American people.  

As one of the first professionals hired into the Office of Homeland Security—now the Department of Homeland Security—Epperson played a key role in shaping the nation’s defense. He has overseen near-billion-dollar budgets, driving the modernization of technologies and operations to safeguard critical infrastructure. 

In his role as the first Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Epperson transitioned to establish the agency’s inaugural Senior Executive Service (SES) Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). His leadership was pivotal in fortifying the nation’s cybersecurity posture against emerging threats.  

Staying in touch with the latest scientific innovation, Epperson is the Founder and Chairman of the Senior Advisory Board for the PROPEL Science Foundation.  Through this, he inspires and empowers underserved youth through STEM education. Last year, PROPEL sponsored 12 rocketry teams—10 in the United States, where one team placed 7th, another earned “Best Design,” and a third became National Rocketry Champions, representing the U.S. in the International Rocketry Challenge, securing 2nd place worldwide. Additionally, a team sponsored in the United Kingdom finished 2nd in their national competition.  

Members of the GTSC Board of Advisors provide input to the non-profit’s programming, identify areas of collaboration, and increase the awareness and understanding of the Federal homeland and national security mission. GTSC works on behalf of its members with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, State, Justice, and Treasury to achieve mission in an increasingly challenging budget environment. GTSC increases collaboration between the public and private sector, shares the innovation and value of small businesses, increases understanding of mid-tier companies, and improves market research.  See the complete Board of Strategic Advisors here.

For more information on the Government Technology & Services Coalition, please visit www.GTSCoalition.com.   

###  

The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) is a non-partisan 501(c)(6) association of innovative small and mid-sized company CEOs that create, develop, and implement solutions for the Federal homeland and national security sector, and the owner of the Homeland Security Today media platform. These CEOs work with their Federal partners to achieve their mission despite significant budget challenges by bringing the innovation, creativity and exceptionalism of successful, small businesses to the homeland and national security mission. These CEOs – many former government officials – joined together to share best practices, information and resources to lead the initiatives and solutions that would bring the best of our community together to protect our homeland. 

GTSC Welcomes 2025 Steering Committee Members
Read More

GTSC Welcomes 2025 Steering Committee Members

The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) is proud to announce the appointment of its new Steering Committee members for 2025. These distinguished leaders bring extensive experience and expertise in homeland security, technology, and government contracting, reinforcing GTSC’s mission to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors for a more secure nation.

As GTSC continues to expand its impact, the new Steering Committee members will play a pivotal role in guiding the organization’s strategic initiatives and thought leadership. Their diverse backgrounds and deep understanding of the evolving homeland security landscape will help GTSC drive innovation and meaningful engagement between government and industry.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new Steering Committee members, who bring a wealth of knowledge and a shared commitment to advancing national security,” said Kristina Tanasichuk, CEO & Founder of GTSC. “Their input will be instrumental in expanding GTSC’s priorities and ensuring we continue to provide valuable insights and resources to our members and government partners.”

The newly appointed members of the 2025 GTSC Steering Committee include:

These leaders will join the existing Steering Committee in driving GTSC’s key initiatives, including fostering collaboration with government agencies, supporting small and mid-sized businesses in the homeland security sector, and championing policies that enhance national resilience.

GTSC remains committed to providing a trusted forum where industry and government can collaborate to address the most pressing security challenges facing the nation. The addition of these esteemed professionals will further strengthen GTSC’s ability to support its members and government partners in achieving mission success.

HSToday Expands Editorial Board with Appointments of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Experts David Mussington and James Turgal
Read More

HSToday Expands Editorial Board with Appointments of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Experts David Mussington and James Turgal

WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Today, the premier nonprofit news and information resource for the homeland security community, is proud to announce two new additions with distinctive expertise in cybersecurity, information technology (IT), and infrastructure to its Editorial Board. Former Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) David Mussington, PhD, and James Turgal, former Executive Assistant Director of the Information & Technology Branch for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), joined the Board effective January 22, 2025.   

“Given the landscape of cybersecurity and the risks these associated threats pose to our critical infrastructure, Homeland Security Today is proud to welcome both David and James to the Editorial Board. Their deep understanding of the government process, the challenges and limitations, we know their unique expertise will add tremendously to the information, best practices, and strategies we can share with our community and continually move us forward in strengthening the homeland security enterprise,” said Executive Editor Kristina Tanasichuk. 

David Mussington, PhD, left his term as Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security for CISA earlier this month (January 2025). During his tenure, Dr. Mussington managed a budget of over $200 million, while overseeing resilience strategies and plans; implementation of national cyber and physical security best practice engagements; and critical infrastructure risk-assessment activities. He also led interagency efforts on counter- and anti-terrorism efforts, and was a founding member of CISA’s Cyber Safety Review Board. Mussington is also the recipient of an HSToday’s Holiday Hero 2023 Mission Award. He is now an Incoming Professor of the Practice at the School of Public Policy at University of Maryland College Park.  

James Turgal is currently the Vice President of Cyber Risk, Strategy and Board Relations for Optiv, helping companies respond to and overcome ransomware attacks. Prior to Optiv, Turgal devoted over 21 years to the FBI – mostly in cybercrimes – with his last position as Executive Assistant Director of IT, overhauling the network infrastructure and information security areas to improve the efficiencies and outcomes of the FBI’s worldwide needs. He also served as a member of the CIO Advisory Group, and the FBI’s Insider Threat Executive Board when he was the Assistant Director for Human Capital.  

Members of the Editorial Board use their proven expertise to provide the Homeland Security Today (HSToday) platform with elevated discussions and expert insights into the topical challenges and opportunities within the Federal homeland and national security mission. Mussington and Turgal have joined the Editorial Board to advise on emerging threats, trends, priorities, and gaps within cybersecurity, information technology, and infrastructure security. HSToday’s vast network of experts deliver the most authoritative, timely coverage of America’s efforts to address the most complex security challenges.   

For more information on the Homeland Security Today, please visit www.hstoday.us. For more information on the Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), visit www.GTSCoalition.com.  

###  

The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) is a non-partisan 501(c)(6) association of innovative small and mid-sized company CEOs that create, develop, and implement solutions for the Federal homeland and national security sector, and the owner of the Homeland Security Today (HSToday) media platform. HSToday is dedicated to informing and supporting the efforts of public, private, nonprofit, and academic organizations and practitioners engaged in the homeland security mission. Since its inception as a for-profit publication in 2004, and as a nonprofit as of 2017, HSToday has provided award-winning news and analysis revealing the challenges, opportunities and successes of the United States’ homeland and national security and intelligence communities. 

GTSC Announces Strategic Advisory Board Appointments from TSA, Bill Weinberg and Austin Gould
Read More

GTSC Announces Strategic Advisory Board Appointments from TSA, Bill Weinberg and Austin Gould

WASHINGTON – The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), the leading non-profit association for companies serving the federal homeland security mission, welcomes two veterans of transportation security to their Board of Strategic Advisors:  Austin Gould, former Assistant Administrator for Requirements and Capabilities Analysis (RCA) and Bill Weinberg, former Assistant Administrator for Contracting and Procurement and Head of Contracting Activity, both from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). 

“GTSC is proud to add more expertise around our work to secure the transportation sector.  Both Bill and Austin intimately understand the priorities, challenges, and needs of missions within TSA. We are excited to add their voices to GTSC’s component days, and to our efforts to bring the innovation of cutting-edge small companies to the rapid technological changes facing the sector.” said Kristina Tanasichuk, CEO & Founder of GTSC. 

Bill Weinberg, Principal of Bill Weinberg & Associates since May 2024, previously served the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as Assistant Administrator for Contracting and Procurement and Head of Contracting Activity from November 2020 to April 2024. As a federal acquisition process veteran, Weinberg leveraged his government acquisition and procurement expertise to meet TSA’s increasingly difficult and complex needs.  

 Prior to joining TSA, Weinberg was Managing Director for the Federal Practice at Guidepost Solutions and a previous member of GTSC’s Board. He also oversaw the execution of more than 8,000 transactions annually, exceeding $2.7 billion, while the Director of the Office of Acquisition Management U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). In total, he has almost 40 years of experience in the Defense, Homeland Security and Commerce departments throughout his career.  

 Austin Gould most recently served as TSA’s Assistant Administrator for Requirements and Capabilities Analysis (RCA). After a 30-year career with the U.S. Coast Guard, Gould joined TSA in January 2018, tasked with strengthening TSA’s operational capabilities and achieving optimal mission performance through analysis and innovation. Gould concurrently served a detail as Acting Executive Assistant Administrator for Operations Support from January 2022 to 2024, supervising intelligence and analysis of transportation security-related threats. He also administered all TSA enrollment, vetting, credentialing, and prescreening programs; managed the development and coordination of multimodal security policy and programs, including cyber; and oversaw inter-agency research and development efforts for TSA.  

 Members of the Board of Advisors provide input to GTSC’s programming, identify areas of collaboration and increase the awareness and understanding of the Federal homeland and national security mission. Gould and Weinberg will be joining the Coalition to advise on emerging threats, trends, priorities, and gaps within transportation security. GTSC works on behalf of its members with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State, Justice, and Treasury to achieve mission in an increasingly challenging budget environment by increasing collaboration between the public and private sector, sharing the innovation and value of small businesses, increasing understanding of mid-tier companies, and improving market research. 

###  

The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) is a non-partisan 501(c)(6) association of innovative small and mid-sized company CEOs that create, develop, and implement solutions for the Federal homeland and national security sector, and the owner of the Homeland Security Today media platform. These CEOs work with their Federal partners to achieve their mission despite significant budget challenges by bringing the innovation, creativity and exceptionalism of successful, small businesses to the homeland and national security mission. These CEOs – many former government officials – joined together to share best practices, information and resources to lead the initiatives and solutions that would bring the best of our community together to protect our homeland. 

 

JANUARY 22-23 : BORDERSECURITY
Read More

JANUARY 22-23 : BORDERSECURITY

Join us for our NEW Date January 22-23, 2026 for GTSC’s 14th Annual Border Security Symposium—our premier deep dive into the missions and priorities of U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP). REGISTER HERE. 

For over a decade, this event has brought together government and industry leaders to explore CBP’s critical role in:

  • Safeguarding the nation’s borders

  • Enhancing trade and travel security

  • Leveraging innovative technologies

  • Strengthening international partnerships

Featured Sessions & Topics

  • CBP Vision 2026

  • Fireside Chat: Enabling Legitimate Trade and Ensuring Enforcement

  • Enhancing Operations with Emerging Technology

  • Operations Support: A More Agile, Innovative, and Stronger CBP

  • Innovating and AI to Protect the Border and Enhance Trade/Travel

  • Strengthening Accountability & Transparency at America’s Borders

  • Developing Cooperative International Partnerships

  • Maritime Domain Awareness: Support to Missions

  • Modernizing Border Enforcement: cUAS and Emerging Threats

  • Nihilistic Violent Extremism and the Threat to our Youth

Thank you to our Sponsors!

GTSC’s Homeland Security Today Announces 2024 Holiday Hero Award Winners
Read More

GTSC’s Homeland Security Today Announces 2024 Holiday Hero Award Winners

Homeland Security Today, the premier nonprofit information source for homeland security news, analysis, and insights, announced selections for the 2024 Homeland Security Holiday Hero Awards, including Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Elaine Duke, former Secretary of Homeland Security, and National Homeland Security Person of the Year, Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS, Ken Wainstein.

“The National Homeland Security Awards recognize heroes chosen by their peers from all across the country. The awards have grown to recognize federal, state, and local heroes who are working tirelessly to protect the public and our way of life,” said Kristina Tanasichuk, Executive Editor of Homeland Security Today and CEO of the Government Technology & Services Coalition. “We want to be sure that these selfless, hard-working individuals know that there are people who appreciate what they do and want to honor their work on behalf of America.”

The awards were crafted to recognize disciplines and functions within the field of homeland security to assure that every individual working to protect the country in cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, intelligence, human trafficking, border security, and acquisition have an opportunity to receive thanks and recognition. In 2024, three awards were added: Global Most Valuable Player, Acquisition Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, and the Most Innovative Campaign to Combat Human Trafficking. These new awards recognize the dynamic and interconnected missions in homeland security.

HSToday selects a handful of exceptional leaders and do-ers from hundreds of nominations submitted over a two-month period. Nominations are solicited from the readership of HSToday and the public. Both public and private sector nominees are considered.

This year’s awardees include:

Homeland Security Lifetime Achievement Award

The Honorable Elaine Duke, Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

National Homeland Security Person of the Year

Ken Wainstein, Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

State Homeland Security Person of the Year

Major Frank Hooton, Commanding Officer, Texas Border Joint Operations Centers

Local Homeland Security Person of the Year

Bridgett Lewis, Manager, Homeland Security, Port of Long Beach, California, Councilmember, City of Torrance, District 2, California

Most Valuable Player – Global

Keith Hood, Deputy Assistant Director, Border Security Division, INTERPOL Washington

Most Valuable Player – Federal

Erika Botts, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Most Valuable Player – State

California Maritime Security Council – Maritime Domain Awareness

Most Valuable Player – Border

Nael Samha, Executive Director, Targeting and Analysis Systems Program Directorate, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Most Valuable Player – Data Advancement

Michelle Zebrowski, Chief Data Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Federal Small Business Champion

Office of Small Business Utilization, U.S. Department of the Treasury: Donna Ragucci, Director, OSDBU, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Melissa Oliva, Deputy Director, OSDBU, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Citizen of Mission

Dexter Ingram, Founder, IN Network

Excellence in Outreach – Federal

Capacity Building Organization, Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency

Niki Lane, Acquisition and Requirements Management Section Chief, Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation; Cristen Winegrad, Deputy Branch Chief, Capacity Building, Acquisition and Budget; Alex Bortz, Acquisition and Requirements Management,  Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation

Excellence in Outreach – Local

Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, Tech Unit

Excellence in Outreach – Public Health

William Braniff, Director, Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Most Innovative Campaign to Increase Security

Federal Protective Service: “Your Safety, Our Priority” Campaign, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Nadia Aman, Unified Processing Team, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Most Innovative Campaign to Combat Human Trafficking, tie between:

Miami International Airport Human Trafficking Unit (MIA-HTU) Homeland Security Investigations “Know2Protect” Campaign, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Acquisition Excellence – Federal

CISA’s Threat Intelligence Enterprise Services (TIES) Acquisition Team, Niki Lane,Section Chief, Acquisition & Requirements Management, Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation

Joseph Sheridan, Supervisory Coordination Center Officer; Pamela Elliott, Contracting Officer’s Representative, Cybersecurity Shared Services Office; Jason Neumer, Information Technology Management; Congressional BOT Team; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Acquisition Excellence – Artificial Intelligence

Peter Giambone, Contracting Officer, Acquisition Innovation Advocate, Office of Acquisition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Backbone Awards

Nina Cardwell, IT Specialist, Agile Methods Team, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Phillip Troutman, Lead Data Architect, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Market Maven

Chad Poland, Product Manager, Cybersecurity Shared Services Office, Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Homeland’s Human Firewall – Federal

Edam Colón, Acting Executive Advisor, Information Technology, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Homeland’s Human Firewall – State

Matthew Hladik, Area Port Director, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Homeland’s Human Firewall – Local

Joseph “Tony” Misher, Associate Director, Cyber Integration, Technology & Innovation Directorate, Federal Protective Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Mission Awards

Allan M. Collier, Requirements Manager, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Audrey Tucker, Program Manager, HR Academy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Brad Hepburn, Coordinator, Maritime, Homeland Security Division, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California

Daniel Boyd, Systems Engineer, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

David “DJ” Smith, Technical Surveillance Agent, Virginia State Police

Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative: Professor Rodrigo Nieto Gomez, Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Naval Post Graduate School

Edward Seebald, Founder & CEO, Seebald & Associates International

Geoff Hale, Director, Election Security Initiative, CISA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Katie Thielmeyer, Risk Reduction Officer, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Manager, Woodlawn Fire Department

Kim Rae Valentine, Branch Chief, Mission Services, Systems Delivery Division, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Learning Library Team, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Terrance Dunford, Community Relations Officer, Buffalo Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Raghavender (Raghu) Sriram, Branch Chief, Infrastructure (GLOVAL and ELIS) & Shared Services, Transformation Delivery Division, Office of Information Technology, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Ross Bezark, Field Operations Branch Manager, Federal Air Marshal Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Trang Tran, Deputy Chief Data Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

GTSC Small Business Member of the Year

Kapstone Technologies/KAPCOM Services

GTSC Mid-Tier of the Year

RELI Group

GTSC Mentor of the Year

Deloitte

GTSC Strategic Partner of the Year

Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Naval Postgraduate School

GTSC Strategic Advisor of the Year

Robin Champ, Vice President, Strategic Foresight, LBL Strategies

The awards will take place December 5th, 2024 outside of Washington, D.C. in Occoquan, Virginia and is open to the entire homeland security community. More information on attending or supporting is available here.

HSToday’s Holiday Hero Awards – December 5
Read More

HSToday’s Holiday Hero Awards – December 5

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 5, 2024 In Occoquan, VA from 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm. Black tie preferred. Click the register button to the right to reserve your spot.

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.!

GTSC’s 2nd Annual Critical Infrastructure Security Awareness Symposium – November 21
Read More

GTSC’s 2nd Annual Critical Infrastructure Security Awareness Symposium – November 21

Join GTSC for our Annual Symposium centered on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

This collaboration will explore CISA’s key role in safeguarding the nation’s infrastructure from cyber threats while enhancing resilience.

REGISTER!

Participants will engage with CISA leaders, gain insights into the latest security strategies, and discuss opportunities for collaboration across government and industry.

It’s an ideal platform to understand emerging challenges and CISA’s approach to protecting critical infrastructure.

Thank you to Guardian sponsor Accenture!

Thank you to Patron sponsor Acuity!