leadership

Bernard S. Champoux

Bernie Champoux joined Hanwha in May 2017, formed and led the establishment of their US & Americas business for four years, before moving to Government Relations, May 2021. Prior to Hanwha, he consulted for Lockheed Martin, L3, CENTRA Technology, Analytical Services (ANSER), and the Defense Science Board. He is a founding Director, Korean Defense Veterans Association; a Director for MFSI Government Group, the National Defense Industrial Association, and Vice Chairman, Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation.

Bernie served nearly 39 years in the US Army commanding from Platoon through Field Army in light, mechanized, and motorized Infantry, with multiple tours in the Rangers, and numerous operational deployments including over three years in combat. He led the 25th Infantry Division as the last Division Headquarters in Iraq during Operation New Dawn.

Bernie was the Executive Officer to the Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command and the Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was also both the Deputy and Chief of Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Army.

Following in his father's footsteps who served as a company commander during the Korean War, Bernie served almost four years in the Republic of Korea culminating his tour of duty as the Commander, Eighth Army while simultaneously serving as the Chief of Staff for United Nations Command, ROK-US Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea. He received the Gukseon Medal, Order of National Merit from the ROK government and the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal for his contributions to the ROK-US Alliance.

Bernie received his BA from Saint Anselm College, is a graduate of the US Army War College, and the Army Strategic Leader Development Program.

Mark C. Fuller

Mark Fuller is an accomplished leader and manager with over forty years of experience in public and private companies, large corporations and start-up ventures with businesses in the commercial and government sectors. He has served in numerous executive roles including Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Revenue Officer. In addition, he has held senior leadership positions responsible for engineering, operations, sales, corporate development/strategy and service delivery.

Mark's work history includes commercial companies and government contractors across various industries; telecommunications, Internet, software, cyber security, energy management, renewable energy, real estate and consulting. As part of management teams and as an outside advisor, he has raised over $3 billion in funding for the growth and expansion of businesses. In 2003 he was a founding shareholder of Chesapeake Government Technologies, which was acquired by Widepoint Corporation (Amex: WYY) in 2004 where he served as a Director and CEO. He has also led and been involved in various mergers and acquisitions.

Mark is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and has earned FINRA (NASD) Series 7 and 66 licenses.

Jay O. Wright

Jay Wright has over twenty years of experience in finance and public markets. As the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of three public companies over the past eleven years, he has structured numerous private and public financing transactions. He also served as Chief Financial Officer for TAMSCO, a privately held government contractor, which he helped sell for $83.5 million in 2003, and was a founding shareholder of Chesapeake Government Technologies, which was acquired by Widepoint Corporation (Amex: WYY) in 2004. He has expertise in all aspects of structuring private placements and in creating exits via mergers and acquisitions and open market sales.

Previously, Mr. Wright worked as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch in New York and a mergers and acquisitions lawyer with Foley & Lardner in Chicago and Skadden, Arps in New York. Mr. Wright received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University, summa cum laude, where he also serves as an adjunct finance professor. Mr. Wright is a member of the Illinois state bar and is Series 7, 24 and Series 66 qualified. Mr. Wright is the co-author of Finance and Accounting for Nonfinancial Managers, Sixth Edition (Perseus Books, 2010).

Mark Alarie

For the last decade, Mark has been an angel investor focusing on equity investments in early stage technology companies in the United States.

From 2008 through 2012, Mr. Alarie was President of iCertainty, Inc., a Maryland-based compliance software company. Prior to joining ICertainty, Mark was co-founder and Principal at CameronBlue Capital in McLean, Virginia after serving as Principal at CrossHill Financial Group in Rosslyn, Virginia.

As a private equity fund manager and investor at CrossHill and CameronBlue, Mark focused on investments in technology-related companies in the Washington, DC region, primarily computer software companies.

Prior to his private equity career, Mr. Alarie worked at both Legg Mason and Alex Brown investment banks in Baltimore, servicing the institutional clients of both.

After graduating from Duke University with an Economics degree in 1986, Mark played for the Denver Nuggets and the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) for six years before attending The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and earning an MBA in 1995.

Born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, Mark attended Brophy Preparatory School prior to leaving home to play basketball at Duke University where he achieved All-American honors and became the school's third all-time leading scorer.

Laurie M. Buckhout

Colonel (Retired) Laurie Moe Buckhout is the founder and CEO of The Corvus Group, a strategic consulting and services group. She served as an Army Officer from 1984 to 2010. She attended James Madison University, commissioned in 1984 and served in Army leadership and staff positions from the 3rd Infantry Division to the White House, and from Platoon Leader to a combat Battalion Commander, ending her career as Chief of Electronic Warfare for the US Army.

In addition to a Bachelor of Science Degree from James Madison University, she holds a Masters of Military Arts and Science, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and Masters of Science in Information Systems Management, Webster University, St Louis, Missouri. Her awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), and several awards of Joint and Army Commendation and Achievement Medals and well as other various service awards. She also wears permanent orders of the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Meritorious Unit Award, as well as the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Joint Staff, White House and Army Staff Badges.

John F. Campbell

General (Retired) John F. Campbell retired from the US Army on 1 May 2016 after 37 years of active duty service. He was most recently the Commander of all US and NATO Forces in Afghanistan from August 2014 to March of 2016. He also served as the 34th Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army; the second highest ranking officer in the 1.1 million US Army. General Campbell has commanded at all levels of the Army, from a company of paratroopers, to a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha, to a light infantry battalion, to a brigade of paratroopers in the 82d Airborne Division to the Commanding General of the famed 101st Airborne Division.

General Campbell has deployed multiple times to both Iraq and Afghanistan and has over 54 months in combat. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy and master's degrees in Public Administration from Golden Gate University and an honorary MS in National Security Strategy from the Army War College. During his military service, General Campbell earned a number of individual and campaign awards and decorations to include the Defense Distinguished Service medal, three Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, three Legions of Merit, three Bronze Star Medals, the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Action Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and the Ranger and Special Forces Tabs. In 2018 he was inducted into the inaugural class of the 82d Airborne Division's Hall of Fame. He currently serves on several corporate boards and veteran non-profit boards and is the Chairman for Army Emergency Relief (AER) and Chairman for NS2 Serves.

Patricia Frost

Prior to joining Seagate in 2019 as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Internal Communications and Community Engagement, Patricia had a demonstrated track record of success in change management in large, complex, cross-functional organizations. She was most recently a senior advisor with the Thayer Leader Development Group.

In the United States Army, she reached the rank of Major General, serving as the first-ever Director responsible for strategy, budget and policy for the U.S. Army's cyber capabilities. She has led strategic alignment and problem-solving initiatives among interagency and international partners, with three decades of experience in Asia and the Middle East. She holds three masters degrees in the following areas: Human Resources Development, Strategic Intelligence and Strategic Studies.

Emil Kaunitz

Emil Kaunitz was raised in Irvington, New Jersey and graduated from Ohio Northern University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He also earned a Master of Science in Computer Science from Pratt Institute. Emil was employed by Sperry Systems Management in Great Neck, Long Island, where he was an inertial navigation field engineer and spent over two years at sea on Navy ships. He also developed computer systems for the Navy's Polaris Submarine program, Sperry's Shipboard Collision Avoidance System and the Operations Research Simulator for the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.

Subsequently, Emil was a consultant for the Naval Air Engineering Center at Lakehurst, where he developed the Information Technology Strategy for support of the Navy's Test Programs for Avionic Automatic Test Equipment.

In 1978, Emil formed Specialty Systems, Inc. in Toms River, a system and software development company to serve commercial, government and defense clients. In July of 2018, the company celebrated its 40th year in business and continues to provide government and commercial clients the highest quality state-of-the-art automation systems. Today, with a staff of 91, Specialty Systems services Navy and Army clients, the Australian Navy, State, County, Municipal and Local Government agencies, as well as commercial firms. The company has served almost half of New Jersey State agencies and is positioned as the primary supplier of aircraft carrier flight deck management systems for the Navy.

Emil served on the Save Lakehurst Base Committee; this group was largely responsible for saving Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, NJ from closure in the 1995 BRAC. Emil has been the Chairperson of the Friends of Navy Lakehurst since 1995 and has served as the Lakehurst representative of the Governor's Commission to Support and Enhance New Jersey's Military and Coast Guard Installations. He is currently serving on the Governor's Council on Armed Forces and Veterans' Affairs and Defense Enhancement Coalition as the Lakehurst Base representative.

Since 1993, Emil has supported the Lakehurst Base and the State of New Jersey in the retention of Military bases. His past and continued service to various organizations that support Joint Base MDL and the Lakehurst community continues today.

Tom McMillen

Tom McMillen—Olympian, Rhodes Scholar, professional basketball player, Congressman, author, businessman—first received acclaim in high school when he was named the best basketball player in the US, featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, McMillen was a Rhodes Scholar, played eleven years in the NBA, was a member of the 1972 Olympic team, served three terms in the US House of Representatives and was co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness and Sports. McMillen currently serves as CEO and President of the LEAD1, comprising 130 of the premier college athletic programs representing over $8 billion in revenue. During his career, McMillen has been an active investor, principal and board member in many companies, including ten public companies. He was formerly a member of the board of regents of the University of Maryland System and was the Founding Chairman of the National Foundation on Physical Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. His book, Out of Bounds, examines the conflicts between sports and ethics.

Trey Blalock

Trey Blalock is a senior transactional lawyer in private practice focusing on mergers and acquisitions, securities issuances, structured finance, and general business matters with companies primarily in the financial services, government contracting, health care, energy, manufacturing and technology industries. He has worked with companies of all sizes, including early stage, pre-revenue ventures, well-established middle market enterprises, and Fortune 1000 companies, and is familiar with the issues confronting businesses at all stages of their life cycle. Trey advises on matters ranging from negotiation strategy, business implementation and risk assessment to capital formation, restructuring and corporate governance.

Trey has been a partner in the Washington, DC offices of several major national and international law firms. He most recently served as Chief Development Officer and Chief Legal Officer for a health care advisory firm by leading all strategic initiatives and spearheading all transactional efforts. He was responsible for developing, evaluating, and executing acquisition, disposition, construction, and investment and growth opportunities. He provided senior management with counsel and direction regarding significant legal events and managed a team of lawyers and other professionals that handled matters related to licensure, litigation, corporate structuring, contract negotiation, survey response and risk management. He has also led the successful reorganization of two sizable operating companies under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which included complex negotiations with unsecured creditors' committees and tort claimants.

Trey has received numerous accolades for his skills as a lawyer, including being selected for the OnCon Icon Top 50 Corporate Counsel List (January 2020); named to Washington's "Legal Elite" by Washington SmartCEO magazine (July 2005); and a Finalist for Washington Business Journal's "Top Lawyer in Corporate Finance" (September 2005).

Trey received his Bachelor of Arts (Economics) degree, cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles. He received his Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Tulane Law School, and was a member of the Board of Editors of The Tulane Law Review. He has periodically served as an arbitrator in customer and industry disputes under the FINRA Dispute Resolution program since 1990. He sits on the advisory boards of three companies, and is frequently approached to act as an independent director for businesses that are in the process of evaluating restructuring options.

F. Austin Branch

F. Austin Branch is the Executive Director, Information Strategy and Programs, COLSA Corporation. Austin Branch joined the COLSA Corporation in July, 2015 after serving almost 30 years in Federal service as an Army Officer and Senior Civilian. He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 1986 from The Citadel, Charleston S.C. and went on to serve in multiple Command and Staff positions in conflict and in peace becoming the Army's first Information Operations Officer. Austin pioneered military operations in the information environment in key leadership positions in the Army, Joint Special Operations Command, Joint Staff, EUCOM, and deployed Joint and multinational Task Force Organizations across the globe.

Upon retirement from the Army, Austin joined the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence as the Deputy Director and Chief of Operations for the Defense Policy Analysis Office with oversight of National special plans and technical operations. In 2008 was selected as a Defense Intelligence Senior Executive as Senior Advisor for Defense Information Operations focused on oversight, policy and support for Service and Joint Information Operations, and associated Special Access programs. In 2010, Austin was selected by the Secretary of Defense to lead the Information Operations and Military Information Support Defense Enterprise as the first Senior Director for this mission area in the Office of Policy and Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. In this capacity, Austin was DOD's senior representative for IO and special program oversight, policy and assessments. In 2013, Austin was selected by the Director for the National Counter-Terrorism Center and the DNI to establish and lead a new organization to address Domestic Counter Terrorism, Counter Violent Extremism, and Counter Terrorism Cyber Strategy and Policy in support of the National Security Council. In this capacity, he also served as the National Co-lead for countering ISIS propaganda and influence and associated IPC lead strategist for National Security Council.

Austin is also one of the founder's of the newly formed Non-profit, Information Professionals Association (IPA). IPA is a professional organization established to serve the interests of the broader Information community worldwide and for issues related to Cognitive Security. Along with serving on Castellum's Advisory Board, Austin also serves on America Abroad Media's board, as well as several professional Boards and Committees including the 2019 Defense Science Board.

Al Lynn

Al Lynn is a committed and deeply engaged leader and innovator with strong communication skills and more than 20 years of extensive executive-level leadership and management in multiple facets of Commercial and Government Innovation, Information Technology, Cyber security and Government Service.

Former top IT and Cyber Defense Executive that Led 31 Senior Executives and a 16,800-person global workforce responsible for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the White House's $31B global IT Enterprise with 3.4 million users. This included innovation, operation, planning, engineering, acquisition, $8B in IT contracting, and testing across a multi-classified global environment, the largest of its kind in the world. Ran the G-Root hub to the internet. Had final decision authority for all plans, policy, resource management, and an $11B annual operating budget

A proven record of innovation, visionary change, steady leadership, and a unique ability to build high performing teams. Al Lynn was recently the Vice President of Engineering for Cisco Systems' Emerging Technology and Incubations (ET&I) creating new inventions in software and hardware while opening new markets with customers, partners, startups and academia in Cisco. He also led the Future Product Innovation and Engineering (FPIE) group, a Cisco in-house engineering Venture factory. His most recent patents created higher frictionless security that made the need for passwords and Captcha obsolete with these patents: Continuous multi-factor authentication system; Continuous trust score; Multifactor derived identification; Accountable identities on the internet and Hopping Mechanism for Container Security.

Jim Moran

During his 24 years in the U.S. Congress, Congressman Jim Moran was a legislative leader in the areas of defense, government contracting, trade, foreign relations, economic development, renewable energy, technology, health, and banking. He served Northern Virginia from 1991 to 2015, where he was known for his bipartisan leadership and ability to resolve complex issues. He was a Member of the Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, Banking, Housing and Finance, and Government Reform and Oversight committees during his 12 terms in the U.S. Congress. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, he was an influential member of the Defense Subcommittee, chairman of the Interior Subc., Foreign Operations, Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Ranking Member of the D.C. and Legislative Branch subcommittees. He also served as a member of the Steering and Policy Committee of the House Democratic Leadership and was a founder of the New Democrat Coalition, now the largest Congressional Caucus dedicated to advancing business growth, international trade and creative destruction through technology innovation. As a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, he oversaw all aspects of the defense budget, including weapons procurement, cybersecurity, research and development, military medical research, intelligence, civilian personnel, and overseas contingency operations.

Prior to serving in Congress,Jim was the Mayor of the City of Alexandria.

Craig Nixon

Brigadier General Craig Nixon is a successful entrepreneur, retired General Officer and passionate supporter of veteran non-profit organizations. He was inducted into Ranger Hall of Fame and selected for the Auburn University at Montgomery Top Fifty in Fifty Alumni.

Over a 29 - year Army career, Brigadier General Nixon served in a wide range of assignments with seven tours in special operations units including tours as the 75th Ranger Regiment Commander, and the Director of Operations for JSOC and USSOCOM during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is a highly decorated soldier whose awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, and the Purple Heart.

After retiring from the Army in 2011, he was an original Partner at McChrystal Group and helped create a highly successful leadership consulting company leading engagements with a number of Fortune 500 Companies. He left to become the CEO for ACADEMI and over three years thru a combination of organic growth and acquisitions built Constellis Group - one of the world's largest private security firms. He is currently the CEO of Nixon Six Solutions, a consulting firm focusing on growth and market entry strategy, leadership, and M&A. He is also a board member for a number of defense and technology companies, senior advisor to several capital funds and is an avid supporter of veteran focused non-profit organizations.

Chuck Zingler

Captain (Retired) Chuck Zingler is an Executive Vice President at Guardian Centers, LLC, a privately owned training solutions company that supports Warfighters and National Security personnel, first responders, casualty assistance and consequence management professionals around the globe.

Over the past fifteen years, Chuck has helped lead small and large companies in achieving and sustaining market-leading growth, by developing strategies, mapping processes, coaching executives, account leaders, BD/sales and capture personnel on the leading practices and habits that consistently win.

Chuck graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and commissioned in the U.S. Navy where he was trained as an operational intelligence officer, mission planner, and targeteer. He served for 26 years, including leadership positions at sea, ashore and overseas, in peacetime as well as in conflict. Her received his M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College and served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University, J.F. Kennedy School of Government.