Robert K. Ackerman
Editor-In-Chief
Robert K. Ackerman has been the editor in chief of SIGNAL Magazine for more than seven years. A seasoned technology journalist, Ackerman also has served as a war correspondent covering the Iraq War embedded with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

A journalist by training, Ackerman minored in political science in college. His journalism career dates back almost 30 years beginning with stints as a radio reporter covering the Republican and Democratic parties’ political conventions during the 1976 elections. Immediately following those conventions, he served as a media advisor or a press secretary for candidates in state and presidential campaigns.

Most of his journalism work over the years has been in print journalism. His writings have covered a range of issues involving technology, politics and international security.

Prior to becoming SIGNAL’s editor in chief, Ackerman served as the magazine’s senior editor. He has been with SIGNAL Magazine for more than 18 years, during which he has written hundreds of feature articles and authored more than 200 columns and commentaries. His areas of coverage have spanned topics such as military information systems, foreign affairs, intelligence, laboratory research and development, space technologies, international security, terrorism and information operations. He has won or shared in journalism awards from the Aviation Writers Association; Apex; the Society for Technical Communications; and the American Society of Association Executives.E-Mail: Robert K. Ackerman

Maryann Lawlor
Senior Editor
Maryann Lawlor has been a member of the SIGNAL staff since November 1992. A graduate of Marquette University with a degree in journalism, Lawlor began writing part time and covering AFCEA events for the magazine while acting as the assistant to the editor in chief. She moved into the position of business editor in 1996 and began writing full time as SIGNAL’s first telecommuting staff member. In 1998, she assumed her current responsibilities, which include writing feature articles as well as working with non-staff writers.E-mail: Maryann Lawlor

Henry Kenyon
Business Editor
Henry Kenyon is SIGNAL Magazine's business editor. He has 10 years of experience writing about business and technology related subjects. Prior to coming to SIGNAL, Kenyon covered labor-related news on Capitol Hill and the White House, wrote about the U.S. oil industry and reported on organizational training and development trends.

For SIGNAL, he explores a number of subjects, such as firms providing services and technologies to the U.S. government, commercial and military telecommunications trends and information technology issues. E-mail: Henry Kenyon

Rita Boland
News Editor
Rita Boland is SIGNAL Magazine’s news editor. Before coming to AFCEA, she worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as a communications consultant. Prior to consulting, Boland was a sports editor, online editor and reporter for various newspapers and Web sites. Her subject areas at SIGNAL cover a breadth of topics encompassing the realm of information valuable to the magazine’s readers and AFCEA members.

Boland earned her bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University–San Marcos). E-mail: Rita Boland

Beverly T. Schaeffer

Associate Editor

As SIGNAL Magazine’s associate editor, Beverly T. Schaeffer’s responsibilities include editing for SIGNAL and SIGNAL Connections, as well as producing special sections and occasional writing assignments. Schaeffer is an experienced journalist in the military-industrial/ communications and test and evaluation fields, beginning her career at the Navy League of the United States’ Seapower magazine as editorial assistant in 1986. Schaeffer first joined the SIGNAL Magazine staff in 1987, serving in a number of positions ranging from assistant editor to managing editor, and then as managing editor of Virtual Government magazine. From 1998 to 2007, she worked for the International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA) as editor in chief of the ITEA Journal, where she received the 2007 ITEA President’s Award for outstanding service to the association. Schaeffer holds a bachelor’s degree in English from George Mason University. E-mail Beverly T. Schaeffer

Helen Thompson

New Media Editor

In her role as SIGNAL's new media editor, Helen Thompson acts as a social media strategist and Web content manager for SIGNAL's online publications, as well as moderator for AFCEA's presence in social networking and virtual platforms such as Facebook and Second Life. She is also an accomplished writer and editor in her own right, having won awards from APEX and the Society for National Association Publications for her Web writing and feature writing.

Thompson got her start as a journalist writing about arts and entertainment for the Philadelphia City Paper before going on to become an editor at the administrative newspaper for Temple University, where she earned a summa cum laude BA in English. Before coming to SIGNAL, she was print and Web editor for Advisor Today, a publication of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. E-mail: Helen Thompson

Christina Yanette
Publications Assistant
Christina Yanette is SIGNAL's publications assistant. In addition to supporting the editor in chief, associate publisher and advertising director with administrative and production work, she handles article research and magazine requests, manages the library and archives, and oversees the AFCEA International Press book program.Yanette is the contact person for SIGNAL's article reprint program. She also works with outside authors on copyright compliance and procedures. E-mail: Christina Yanette

Chris D'Elia
Art Director
Chris D'Elia has been the art director of SIGNAL for more than five years. During this time, he has been responsible for the look and feel of SIGNAL as well as the cover designs for most issues. He lays out each issue and also helps the association with special projects and ads. He also helps small business advertisers promote themselves by helping them with advertising design. E-mail: Chris D'Elia