Vice President for Defense, AFCEA International
Michael “Mike” B. Black, vice president for Defense, joined AFCEA International in July 2022. He is a senior cyber/information technology leader with more than 40 years of experience in communications, cyber operations, project/program management, organizational development and leadership disciplines.
As the vice president, Defense, Mr. Black builds strong professional relationships with government, industry, academia partners to further position AFCEA International as a leader in the cyber, defense, security, intelligence and related information technology disciplines. He leads defense operations in support of planning and executing global, large-scale, technically focused, trade shows/conferences supporting Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Operations, Cyber and Homeland Security. Mr. Black is focused on providing opportunities for engagement between and among government, industry and academia, where training and education are hallmarks of AFCEA International events and continuous learning is a highlight of each individual event.
Prior to joining AFCEA International, Mr. Black served as the chief operating officer (COO) at Concise Network Solutions (CNS) for 4 years, where he directly supported the CEO in developing, executing and managing CNS’s master business plan. Prior to joining CNS, he served as the COO and chief corporate development officer at JMA Solutions for 2.5 years, where he worked in concert with senior executives to lead operations and the planning and execution of strategies to meet organizational objectives. Prior to joining JMA Solutions, he served as the COO at Premier Management Corporation for 4 years, where he was directly responsible for day-to-day operations, all business units and the company’s profit and loss.
Prior to joining the private sector, Mr. Black spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force holding various communications and leadership positions at many levels. He culminated his distinguished military career as a colonel, Commander, White House Communications Agency, leading a 1,200-person team of selectively manned military, Department of Defense civilian and contract personnel to provide “no fail” telecommunications services for the president, vice president, named successors, first lady, senior White House staff, National Security staff, U.S. Secret Service and the White House Military Office.
Mr. Black holds a Bachelor of Science in basic science from the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he was a Distinguished Military Graduate. He holds a Master of Science in national resource strategy, with an information operations concentration, from the National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces; a Master’s Degree in military arts and science from the Army Command & General Staff College; and a Masters of Art Degree in management from Webster University.
He is a published author, including writing several leadership articles for The New Face of Leadership Magazine as well the thesis “Coalition Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence Systems Interoperability: A Necessity or Wishful Thinking?”
Mr. Black is a 2011 inductee into the White House Communications Agency Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of three 2020 Telly Awards (one silver and two bronze) honoring excellence in video and television for his Leadership Table Talk: Going Inside the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) interview.