Registration Opens

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Welcome Remarks
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Elizabeth Phu
Chancellor, College of Information and Cyberspace
National Defense University

Opening Keynote: Defending the DoDIN - Enabling the Warfighter through Enterprise Security
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

LTG Paul Stanton, USA
Commander, Department of War Cyber Defense Command
Director, Defense Information Systems Agency

Cyber Workforce Competition Final Four
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Matt Isnor
Program Lead, Cyber Workforce Development
Office of the DoW CIO

Introduction of the teams competing in the Cyber Workforce Competition.

Networking Break
Lincoln Hall South Atrium

Keynote: The Commander's Perspective - Skills and Readiness for Cyber Combat
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

VADM Heidi Berg, USN (invited)
Commander, Fleet Cyber Command
Commander, TENTH Fleet
Commander, Navy Space Command

Lunch and Networking
Lincoln Hall South Atrium/Cafeteria

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Keynote: Setting the Rules of the Road - Policy for Strategic Competition
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

The Honorable Katherine Sutton
Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy and Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of War

The Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy will discuss the complex international landscape of cyberspace and how DoW policy shapes the environment for strategic competition. This session provides crucial context on how our actions contribute to stability and deterrence on the global stage.

Forging the Future - the Blueprint for an Agile Cyber Workforce  
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Mark Gorak
Director, Cyber Academic Engagement Office and Principal Director, Resources & Analysis
Office of the DoW CIO 

Networking Break
Lincoln Hall South Atrium

Panel: Operationalizing Academia
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Moderator
Dr. Bob Young
Strategy Programs, Workforce Innovation Directorate
Office of the DoW CIO

Panelists

Lawrence Kuznar, PhD
Director, Cultural Sciences Research, NSI, Inc.
Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Purdue University

Vincent Nestler, PhD
Director, Center for Cyber and Artificial Intelligence, California State University, San Bernardino
Principal Investigator, The AI Horizon; Principal Investigator, XP Cyber Range

Andrew Walsh
Deputy Chancellor and State Department Chair
National Defense University, College of Information and Cyberspace

In essence, the "Operationalizing Academia" framework acts as the foundational engine for talent and innovation. It provides the manpower for the War for Talent, the specialized knowledge for the Skills Advantage, the data to Measure What Matters, the justification to Resource the Future Fight, and the partnerships to Drive Unity of Effort. 

Deep Dive: Implementing the DoD 8140 Framework
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Matt Isnor
Program Lead, Cyber Workforce Development
Office of the DoW CIO

Registration Opens

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Day Two Welcome
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

LTG Susan Lawrence, USA (Ret.)
President and CEO
AFCEA International

Keynote: Strategic Overmatch: Forging the Arsenal of Talent for Cyber Warfare
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

The Honorable Kirsten Davies
Department of War Chief Information Officer

The Honorable Kirsten Davies, DoW CIO, outlines her strategic vision for the evolution of the Department's cyber workforce to win the global war for talent. Aligning with the Secretary’s "Arsenal of Freedom" mandate, this keynote will detail how the Department is moving beyond legacy models to build a data-driven, skills-based force capable of delivering cognitive overmatch and sustained information advantage.

Cyber Workforce Competition Championship Match
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Alfredo Rodriguez
Deputy Director and Program Lead, Cyber Workforce Data and Analytics
Office of the DoW CIO

Cadet Robert Powell
The Citadel

The final two teams are announced and the live championship round begins.

Networking Break
Lincoln Hall South Atrium

Service CIO Panel
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Moderator
Mark Gorak
Director, Cyber Academic Engagement Office and Principal Director, Resources & Analysis
Office of the DoW CIO

Panelists
Leonel Garciga
Chief Information Officer
U.S. Army

Keith Hardiman, EdD
Deputy Chief Information Officer (Acting)
Department of the Air Force

Jeffery Hurley
Director (Acting), Information Command, Control, Communications and Computers (IC4)
U.S. Marine Corps, Office of the Deputy Commandant for Information

Barry Tanner
Chief Information Officer (Acting)
Department of the Navy

The increasing prevalence of cyber threats highlights the critical need for the Department of War to have a capable and ready cyber workforce. The Department's approach features the implementation of a holistic talent management strategy codified in the Department of Defense 8140 Cyber Workforce Qualification Program, showcasing an agile and responsive framework that will drive innovation and development across the cyber workforce. Service CIOs will provide insights on their implementation and future initiatives. 

Lunch and Networking
Lincoln Hall South Atrium/Cafeteria

CCMD Perspective: The Mission-Critical Cyber Operator
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Elizabeth Durham-Ruiz
Director, Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (C4) and Chief Information Officer
U.S. Strategic Command

A senior leader from U.S. Strategic Command provides a capstone address on the direct impact of the cyber workforce on the nation's strategic deterrence mission. This session will underscore the operational necessity of the no-fail skills and qualifications being forged at this summit.

DoW Cyber Service Academy Progress Report
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Alice Smitley
CSA Program Manager
Office of the DoW CIO

The Cyber Service Academy presents an update on the program's progress and other key academic partnership initiatives.

Networking Break
Lincoln Hall South Atrium

Cyber Patriot Awards Presentation
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Mark Gorak
Director, Cyber Academic Engagement Office and Principal Director, Research
Office of the DoW CIO

The Intellectual Foundry: How the College of Information and Cyberspace Forges the Modern Cyber Warrior
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Andrew Walsh
Deputy Chancellor and State Department Chair, College of Information and Cyberspace
National Defense University

Cyber Workforce Competition Awards Presentation
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Registration Opens

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Day Three Welcome
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

BG Paul Fredenburgh, USA (Ret.)
Executive Vice President, National Security and Defense
AFCEA International

Keynote: Empowering the Cyber Warrior at the Tactical Edge
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

LTG Jeth Rey, USA (invited)
Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6
U.S. Army 

To win in Multi-Domain Operations, the Department of War must operate and deliver resilient, secure, and data-centric network capabilities in highly contested environments. In this session, LTG Rey, the Army G-6, will outline how the Army is transforming its signal, cyber, and data workforce from traditional IT support into frontline combat enablers. LTG Rey will discuss how the Army is operationalizing DoD 8140 qualification standards to build an agile, lethal force capable of defending the network and maintaining decision dominance from the enterprise to the tactical edge.

Beyond Technology: Building a Multi-Capable Force Through Rotations
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Chimia Nelson
Branch Chief, Strategy Implementation, Workforce Innovation Directorate
Office of the DoW CIO 

In today's rapidly evolving threat environment, technology alone is not enough – our greatest advantage is a highly skilled and adaptable cyber workforce. This session explores how cyber rotational programs create a strategic win-win by strengthening mission readiness, closing critical skill gaps, and accelerating employee growth through cross-functional expertise. If we want a stronger cyber future, it starts by investing in the people who defend it.

Skills-Based Hiring Update
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Matt Isnor
Program Lead, Cyber Workforce Development
Office of the DoW CIO

Panel: Forging the Future Force: Leveraging Industry Partnerships to Accelerate DoD 8140 Qualification
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Moderator
Matt Isnor
Program Lead, Cyber Workforce Development
Office of the DoW CIO 

Panelists
Wesley Alvarez
Vice President - North America
EC Council

Brian Correia
Director of Business Development, GIAC
SANS Institute

Tara Dean
Senior Account Director
CompTIA

Bri Frost
Director of Product Management
Cloud Range

Dan Magnotta
Senior Federal Business Development Manager
Hack the Box

In a rapidly evolving threat landscape, maintaining a decisive skills advantage requires integrating commercial-grade innovation into public-sector defense. This executive panel brings together leading industry partners and defense leaders to explore how the Department is operationalizing its relationship with the private sector to accelerate the implementation of the DoD 8140 Cyber Workforce Qualification program. The discussion will focus on aligning commercial training and certifications with specific DoW work roles, mitigating cyber "skill debt" through emerging technologies (such as AI and Cloud), and utilizing cross-sector talent mobility to maintain continuous readiness. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how commercial best practices are being adapted to meet strict DoW qualification standards and build a lethal, agile joint force.

DC3 Cyberwork Force and Training
Lincoln Hall Auditorium

Joshua Black
Deputy Director
Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center