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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 01/22/2022
Congratulations to the Barksdale Cyber Patriot Team, the "Cyber Cats!" The all-girls team consisting of Hannah, Morgan, Emily and Gianni did a fantastic job making it to the Cyber Patriot XIV: Semifinal Round. Staff Sgt. Jon Cetinel, USA, lead, Cyber Patriot, and 2nd Communications Squadron, says, "It has been a year full of cyber-packed practice, discussions and learning opportunities in STEM. We look forward to another great year and another great team! We are always looking for technical mentors to help shape future careers in cyber as well as anyone that has an interest in computing-related topics." For more information, please reach out to Chris Rhodes, coach, Cyber Patriot, located at the Barksdale Air Force Base Library.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 07/13/2021
The Tech Expo's return to the ArkLaTex region was met with great success. Hosted at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in July, the Tech Expo involved 35 vendors and attracted over 170 local attendees as one of the first live events since the pandemic emerged last year. Social distancing restrictions have gradually eased over the last few months, allowing the much anticipated event to occur.The event featured unique technologies and opportunities to interest and engage attendees. Vendors highlighted products and projects from deployable communication technologies, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality, and cybersecurity. "This was a great event as it was nice to see so many people show up to check out the different technologies, vendors, and organizations. A few of my favorite things was seeing the robot dog from Boston Dynamics chase the bone, going hands-on with VR and getting munitions training on a virtual flight line, and learning about th ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 05/14/2021
When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to derail the chapter's annual scholarship award ceremony, members got creative and reached a larger audience than in previous years.Instead of holding its traditional large banquet, where space would limit attendance to only parents, grandparents, faculty and civic leaders, the chapter brought the event to a vast audience. The extraordinary effort involved two live events, each highlighting the tremendous academic achievements of 12 seniors and the mentoring efforts of eight teachers for audiences throughout the ArkLaTex. At the first event, the chapter recognized the students and teachers during a live broadcast by local television station, KTBS. Rick Rowe, a local television personality, hosted the event at the Cyber Innovation Center, one of the area's preeminent locations for technological collaboration amongst government, private industry and academia. The theme for this first event was "The Best and Br ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 11/16/2020
The chapter is proud to be sponsoring '5 Months of STEAM' with Digifest South, supporting content during November for technology. The chapter will highlight Women in Cyber content and how kids can get involved.With the help of AFCEA International, the chapter donated 150 SIGNAL Kids Magazines, over 100 AFCEA slime kits and AFCEA candy. All of this can be picked up at participating Bossier Parish Libraries and the Bossier Arts Council Little Free Arthouse for kids to take home. Digifest South 2020 is happening from October 2020 through February 2021 in Bossier City, Louisiana. Digifest South is a STEAM Expo for middle and high school students in Northwest Louisiana. The event is being held virtually this year due to COVID-19 restrictions with the Bossier Arts Council organizing the event. The event's goals are: • To inspire students to seek education in the arts • Demonstrate economic significance of digital skills • Emphasize the importance of STEAM educa ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 05/27/2020
This May, the chapter held two significant events recognizing the tremendous achievements of fourteen high school seniors. These events would normally be held within a large banquet setting, allowing parents, grandparents, teachers, school counselors, sponsors and elected officials to attend. Due to the health crisis, this was not possible this year, so other alternatives were explored and executed flawlessly. The chapter first recognized the students during a live broadcast by local television station, KTBS. This broadcast was hosted by local television personality, Rick Rowe, and filmed at the Cyber Innovation Center, one of the area's most preeminent locations for technological collaboration amongst government, private industry, and academia. The theme for this first event was "The Best and Brightest," and during this live broadcast, the 14 students were presented with a check for $2,000 through the generosity and support of local and national sponsors, some of them giants in avi ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 12/12/2018
The chapter's last luncheon of 2018 came and went, and it didn't disappoint. The chapter would like to thank their guest speaker for December's gathering, Colonel Scott E. Solomon, deputy director, Operations and Communications, and chief information officer, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, for his insightful description of the critical role cybersecurity plays in protecting the country's nuclear arsenal from enemies.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 10/17/2018
Col. Andrew (Andy) Gale, USAF (Ret.), senior director, government affairs and infrastructure solutions, Symantec, offered his views and recommendations on personal, organizational and governmental cybersecurity in October at the chapter's first luncheon of the 2018-19 calendar. Gale described that Symantec's business goes way beyond virus scanning on personal computers. He talked about the three prime directives of Symantec's Security Technology and Respond (STAR) team and discussed the overarching cyber threat landscape. The chapter thanks Gale for a memorable luncheon. |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 03/01/2018
The chapter hosted the sixth annual Barksdale Air Force Base Technology Exposition in March at the Barksdale Club on the Louisiana base. More than 30 industry partners showcased their products and unique services during the expo. Their participation was key to the cross flow of information between government and industry professionals and gave all who attended the chance to see the latest technologies and discuss new applications on the horizon. More than 200 Defense Department, government and contractor personnel attended the exposition, exploring how advances in today's technology can make their workplaces more efficient and cost-effective.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 02/20/2018
The chapter hosted Jason Ingalls, CEO of Ingalls Information Security, who spoke in February about cybersecurity data visualization. Sixty members of industry, government and the military from the Bossier City-Shreveport area of Louisiana attended the event. He detailed the evolution of cybersecurity breach response, from combing through print logs to look for anomalies to using augmented reality (AR) to create 3-D data visualization. Ingalls and his team demonstrated the AR technology they developed to quickly respond to and neutralize a cyber breach. They created a 3-D map of IP addresses and their connections for a network. An analyst using AR glasses could then reach out with his or her hands to select an IP address or link to request additional information for events showing anomalies. This is a new and innovative way of how the human analyst can leverage tools such as virtual and AR displays to gain significant benefits in their analyses of cybersecurity data. |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 02/25/2016
In February, the chapter hosted the 4th Annual Barksdale Air Force Base Technology Exposition at the Barksdale Club. More than 30 outstanding industry partners showcased their products and unique services during the exposition. Their participation was key to the cross flow of information between government and industry and gave all who attended the chance to see the latest and discuss new and exciting technology applications on the horizon. Over 200 Defense Department, government and contractor personnel attended the exposition, exploring how advances in today's technology can make their workplace more efficient and cost effective.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 04/30/2015
Eleven high school seniors are heading into the summer break with some extra cash for college thanks to the chapter's scholarship program. The chapter's annual scholarship banquet was held in April in Bossier City, Louisiana. Students competed for $2,000 scholarships by submitting detailed applications. The students had to be going to college to study science, technology, engineering, arts or mathematics (STEAM). Keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Michael E. Fortney, USAF, the vice commander of Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, advised the students to go into the world and innovate by overcoming obstacles and to never stop asking why. The chapter's Swinging for Scholarships golf tournament fundraiser will be held in June at the Fox Run Golf Course on Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to raise money for next year's group of outstanding students.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 02/27/2015
The chapter hosted dozens of business and civic leaders at the chapter's first ever Smart Cities Initiative Mobile Enablement Symposium in February at Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, Louisiana. The symposium demonstrated how organizations can take advantage of mobile phones, applications and features to empower a business and a community.On hand to share new practices that have helped their businesses grow were representatives from Bossier Parish Community College; Twin Engine Labs, an application developer; Red Ball Oxygen, a provider of welding supplies and equipment; KTBS Inc., a local television station; Thermopylae Sciences + Technology, an IT company; and import2, a data moving company. Breakout sessions allowed for questions and answers about mobile strategy execution, data integration and how to develop cities into "Smart Cities." The symposium aimed to teach decision makers what mobile enablement does for ROI, the next steps for building a m ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 01/13/2015
The chapter sends best wishes to outgoing executive vice president Kevin Smith. He leaves the Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, area for work in Austin, Texas. Smith had not yet retired from the 8th Air Force when he became the chapter's executive vice president more than eight years ago. He was instrumental in growing relationships with industry partners. Smith said, “Because of [those sponsors], we've been able to hit our target of putting on world-class events and raise enough funds to give out at least $30,000 each year in scholarships—normally 10 $3,000 student scholarships—and we've targeted giving out, on average, about five $2,000 teacher grants [every year]. We've attracted the very best in speakers across our industry, academia and government/military partners.” Ask any chapter member and he or she will tell you Smith has built an excellent chapter community in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Smith said, “We invited all of the key Bossier and Shreveport public official ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 11/18/2014
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) Vice Commander Maj. Gen. Richard M. Clark, USAF, gave an inspiring talk at the chapter's general membership luncheon in November in Bossier City, Louisiana, about how commitment is being applied by members of AFGSC. Clark outlined commitment as three steps: 1) proclamation, 2) action and 3) long-term achievement. Clark said Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's statement in November that "Our nuclear deterrent plays a critical role in ensuring U.S. national security, and it's DOD's highest priority mission" was the proclamation of AFGSC's commitment. Clark said AFGSC is currently in the "action" phase, creating new ways to recognize service members to build morale and implementing suggestions solicited from lower-ranked officers about how to improve Global Strike Command's operations. Clark said AFGSC is seeing positive results already during this action phase, and turning the new culture into AFGSC philosophy will make the command's long-term ac ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 09/16/2014
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and Electronic Music Alliance Executive Director Janine Jordan spoke at the chapter luncheon in September, which doubled as "DigiTalks," a kickoff event for DigiFest South, an annual digital media symposium held in Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana. Lt. Gov. Dardenne mentioned Louisiana's unique arts and culture attract millions of tourists every year. Domestic and international visitors spent $10.8 billion in Louisiana in 2013. He also gave a preview of new "Pick Your Passion" commercials, which will be broadcast to attract more travelers. Jordan talked about current environmental issues the planet faces due to overabundant trash from human consumerism. She showed how artists use their work to draw attention to the issues and provide solutions. One example Jordan gave was “sustainable fashion,” like her earrings, which look like gold but were actually made from a kind of grass.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 03/18/2014
In March, the chapter was honored to host Arthur G. Hatcher Jr., director of communications for Air Force Global Strike Command, as guest speaker for its monthly membership luncheon. Hatcher is a member of the Senior Executive Service who spent 30 years on active duty with the Air Force and currently leads the staff responsible for managing cyberspace, information technology infrastructure and knowledge operations supporting 24,000 personnel. His previous service includes experience on the Joint Staff, a combatant command and two major commands. He commanded an air expeditionary group, a communications group and two communications squadrons. In his presentation, “Cyber Challenges and Opportunities in Global Strike Command,” Hatcher highlighted the rapidly changing nature of the cyber arena; its implications on evolving global threats; the challenges each pose to the Global Strikes unique nuclear mission; and his directorate's way forward to meet those challenges. Among his directora ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 02/18/2014
In February, Rob High spoke to the chapter at its monthly membership luncheon. High is an IBM fellow and chief technology officer of the Watson Group. As an IBM fellow, High is one of the finest research minds in the world. IBM selects between four and nine of these distinguished individuals each year and gives them broad latitude to conduct next generation research and development. Only 246 individuals have earned the title in the program's 50-year history, and only 85 are active employees. Collectively, IBM fellows have generated 7,500 patents and earned five Nobel prizes. In his presentation entitled “Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing,” High discussed the challenges inherent in advancing the computer field and his team's experiences developing Watson, the IBM supercomputer that competed on Jeopardy! in 2011. The cognitive research behind Watson represents what High believes to be the next era of computing: computers that are able to think contextually and process informat ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 01/19/2014
In January, the chapter welcomed Dr. Les Guice, president of Louisiana Tech University, as the guest speaker for its monthly membership luncheon. Guice's relationship with Louisiana Tech spans four decades, both as a student and 34 years as faculty member and administrator. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in architecture in 1976 and a Master of Science in civil engineering in 1978, both from Louisiana Tech. Guice went on to earn a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Texas A&M University in 1986. In February 2014, Governor Bobby Jindal also appointed him chairman of the Louisiana Innovation Council. Highlighting the impact of his university on the local and national communities, Guice discussed the cutting-edge research being conducted at Louisiana Tech, the numerous accolades earned by its students and faculty, and their potential impacts on national security. Among the works cited, Louisiana Tech faculty members were present and played an active role in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery o ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 10/17/2013
In October, the chapter sponsored Tech Rouler's TechConnect event along with Gold sponsor CoHabitat at its new facility in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana. Tech Rouler is a cooperation of companies with a common need for technically skilled labor in north Louisiana. Technology companies, industry professionals and job seekers throughout Louisiana and Texas gathered to exchange ideas and make new connections at the highly anticipated annual social.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 10/15/2013
In October, the chapter welcomed Jason French of Chenier Energy as speaker at its monthly membership luncheon. French delighted guests in his presentation, “Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Exports: A Story of American Innovation and Opportunity,” in which he detailed his company's history through the rise of LNG as the dominating energy presence it has become in America. French walked guests through details of a new $20 billion LNG facility currently under construction on more than 1,000 acres in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, and its projected benefits to the national and state economies, environment and national security. Estimated completion for the construction project is 2017, and its output has already presold through the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Chenier and the federal government expect it to promote stability in domestic natural gas pricing; stimulate state, regional and national economies; reduce reliance on foreign oil; improve U.S. balance of payments; pro ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 09/20/2013
In September, the chapter held its monthly membership luncheon in conjunction with TEDx Red River to kick off DigiFest South 2013 and a new business year for the chapter, with proceeds benefitting The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, DigiFest, the Bossier Arts Council and the chapter. DigiFest South is an annual digital arts festival and tech expo that celebrates how digital technology combined with artistic creativity has helped our modern society progress. Participants included Academy Award winner Moonbot Studios, Sci-Port Louisiana's Science Center and the Robinson Film Center, among many more. The chapter welcomed two renowned guest speakers for the event: Jacques Rodrigue and Maura Thomas. Rodrigue is the son of famed Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue and executive director of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. He bypassed a career in law to help Louisiana education through arts integration. In his presentation, he traced his father's artistic history and drew pa ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 05/02/2013 Continuing AFCEAs proud heritage of awarding funds to outstanding scholars, the chapter hosted its annual scholarship gala on May 2. With more than 300 guests, the chapter recognized the outstanding achievements of eight extraordinary students from six area high schools. Each student was presented a scholarship award of $2,000. The chapter presented $8,000 in Science Teaching Tool Grants to six teachers at two local schools for equipment enhancements to the classroom and supplies or innovative activities for special science-related teaching projects or programs emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math curricula. Erik Lopez, a sophomore studying aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois, delivered a moving address as the evening's keynote speaker. Beginning his adult academic pursuits by enrolling himself in community college classes at the age of 13, Lopez serves as a testament to academic excellence and passionately pursuing dreams. Upon graduating high schoo ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 04/16/2013
The chapter hosted Glenn Gramling, vice president of sales and business development at Cenzic Security, as its monthly luncheon guest speaker for April. Gramling has two decades of extensive industry experience in domestic and international environments including sales, business development, global marketing and strategic relationship management. His previous companies include Hewlett-Packard, SaaS provider HiFive.net Incorporated and NOCpulse Incorporated. In his presentation, Gramling presented how Cenzic is automating security assessments for cloud, mobile and Web vulnerabilities. Its solutions scale from a single application to enterprise-level deployments and complementary business processes to minimize security risks throughout the software development life cycle. Its intelligent behavioral technology is the first to use behavioral, stateful and learning algorithms to ensure the highest accuracy for automated assessment of even the most complex applications. Today, Cenzic secu ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 03/19/2013
The chapter hosted Brian Vandegrift, executive vice president of ArkLaTex diamond sponsor Venyu, as its March luncheon guest speaker. Vandegrift has more than 15 years in technology consulting and certifications from Microsoft, Citrix and VMWare. As executive vice president, he leads and manages the Research and Development and Sales teams for Venyu, a Louisiana-based cloud services and data center provider with more than 1,000 customers. In his presentation, “Escape the IT Buying Cycle,” Vandegrift explained three emerging cloud paradigms and the friction between increasing data volume and diminishing capital to manage it. Among the opportunities to employ cloud solutions he discussed, Vandegrift showed how the cloud minimizes the consumption gap over traditional infrastructure life cycles and enables organizations to focus on their core mission rather than the hardware that supports it.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 02/19/2013
The chapter hosted Rory Welch, chief executive officer of the chapter's diamond sponsor WaLa!, as its February luncheon guest speaker. Welch is a senior execute with more than 20 years diverse management experience in growing international businesses across multiple industries. In his presentation, “Enterprise Archiving vs. Big Data: What's the Difference?” Welch explained these two common phrases in depth and presented the exciting innovations his company is making in the field. Given the current rate of explosive data growth in cyberspace against the much slower rate of trained data specialists entering the job market, WaLa! seeks to provide enterprise tools capable of automating enterprise archiving and big data analysis to the greatest extent possible while maintaining regulatory compliance. During the business portion of the meeting, the chapter was honored to announce its distinction as the Outstanding Young AFCEAN Program Award, large chapter category, and its Distinguished Y ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 01/15/2013
In January, the chapter welcomed Maj. Gen. John Closner, USAF (Ret.), former Air Force Reserve commander, to its first luncheon of 2013. Gen. Closner served active, guard and reserve positions totaling 300 combat sorties and more than 6,000 hours flying the A-10, F-100, F-105 and F-16 aircraft. He had a long and distinguished 32-year Air Force career, retiring in 1994 as chief of the Air Force Reserve and Air Force Reserve commander. In his address to the chapter entitled “Today's Challenges We Are Facing as a Nation,” the general provided his opinions of how American society has changed since World War II, the current problems we face and their root causes—illustrating his points with entertaining and relevant stories from his rich personal experiences in the Air Force. With his direct speaking style and strong personal convictions, Gen. Closner unabashedly cited the significance of God and family throughout his life and the importance of good parenting on today's youth. He conclud ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 12/17/2012
In December, Jason Gay, senior systems engineer at Enterprise Computing Services LLC, conducted a hands-on lunch and learn on physical security at CoHabitat in Shreveport, Louisiana, as part of the chapter's Young AFCEAN Continuing Education Lunch and Learn series. Gay is a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH), a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), a Cisco Certified Network Professional: Security (CCNP Security), and he holds GIAC Assessing and Auditing Wireless Networks (GAWN) and COMPTIA Security+ certifications. Participants were delighted with hands-on lock picking training as Gay emphasized the criticality of the often-overlooked physical security discipline. Approximately 30 military and industry professionals attended the event and can claim 1 hour of continuing education credits toward their professional certifications for their participation.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 11/27/2012 In November, chapter Young AFCEANs co-hosted an after hours social event for young professionals with the Young Professional Initiative of the Shreveport/Bossier Chamber of Commerce at the Remington Suite Hotel. The event received rave reviews from participants for providing an elegant yet casual setting for young industry professionals from the region to visit and network with active duty Air Force young professionals who are serving in Shreveport-Bossier City. Six community sponsors made the event possible: the Remington Suite Hotel, Brewniverse, Fire Tech Systems, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T and Gibsland Bank. |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 11/20/2012
In November, the chapter welcomed Col. Andrew Gebara, USAF, commander, 2nd Bomb Wing, as the guest speaker for its monthly luncheon. Col. Gebara is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flight hours and is responsible for providing combat-ready B-52H aircraft, crews and associated combat support to conduct global operational taskings. Additionally, as Barksdale's installation commander, he supports 40 tenant units, including headquarters, Air Force Global Strike Command; headquarters, 8th Air Force; the 307th Bomb Wing; and the 917th Fighter Group. He promotes the welfare of more than 10,500 military and civilian personnel, 6,500 family members and 25,000 retirees. In his presentation, the colonel expressed his deep appreciation for AFCEA and drew on his rich personal experiences to discuss current and future Air Force cyber capabilities. From his unique vantage point, Col. Gebara enlightened guests with a unique perspective of the operational capabilities provided by B-2 on-board co ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 10/16/2012 In October, the chapter welcomed John F. Sharp as the guest speaker at its monthly luncheon. Sharp is president of the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, a not-for-profit corporation, and he oversees a staff of 40 with $88 million in assets. In 1997, Sharp led the creation of the Louisiana Center for Manufacturing Sciences with consortium members Aerojet, the Biomedical Research Foundation, ExtrudeHone, General Motors Powertrain and Raytheon. He is the most recent past president for the Committee of One Hundred and was appointed by the governor to both the Southern Growth Policy Board and the Southern Governor's Association Science and Technology Task Force. In addition, he previously chaired the Technology Commercialization Committee. In his presentation, Sharp presented the contributions of the Biomedical Research Foundation in commercial development throughout Northwest Louisiana, from its inception through the launch of its InterTech Science Park supporting “ ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 10/10/2012
In October, Christopher Barber, design engineer at Radiance Technologies Intelligence Systems, performed a live security demonstration at CoHabitat in Shreveport, Louisiana, for the third presentation in the chapter's Continuing Education Lunch and Learn series. Barber is a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) finishing his master of science in electrical engineering at Louisiana Tech University. In his presentation, “Rogue Access Points and the Dangers of Open Wi-Fi,” Barber showcased specialized portable hacking hardware to steal wireless traffic from unsuspecting victims without a trace. Using his battery-powered, waterproof pineapple with customizable firmware modules and high-gain antennas, Barber also demonstrated the ability to remote control his equipment so that attackers need not be near their victims. All equipment demonstrated is available to the public and affordable. Twenty-six military and industry professio ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 09/19/2012
In September, the chapter welcomed Michael Marshall, chief executive officer of Logic Nation, as its monthly guest speaker. Marshall presented a highly anticipated technology product under development in his company that promises to revolutionize online discourse. Logic Nations new approach to online discussion enables individuals to have meaningful interaction amidst a large crowd participating in the same conversation. Built upon this platform, the Logic Nation Web application has the long-term vision of integrating media throughout the Web, providing an online encyclopedia that can also serve as a source of scholarship, and allowing embeddable content and discussion from the Logic Nation site into third party sites.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 08/21/2012
In August, the chapter hosted John Miralles, director of animation and visual effects at Louisiana State University Shreveport. Miralles unveiled a new Digital Media Certificate program designed to provide students with rapid access to digital media careers. The one-year intensive program includes classroom study and guided lab time, and it is project based. Students leave the program with extensive training time in computer graphics applications and production and are prepared to enter the work force with a quality portfolio. Miralles earned his bachelor of fine arts in photography and a master of fine arts in computer art from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has 15 years experience in the entertainment computer graphics field with a specialization in advanced feature film compositing, and his broadcast clients have included Viacom, MTV/VH1 networks, Pfizer, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Imax, New Line and Lions Gate, among others.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 08/26/2012
In August, the chapter's Young AFCEAN chair, Tech. Sgt. Joshua Copeland, USAF, facilitated its second Continuing Education Lunch and Learn. Established in June, the program provides a free venue to the local community wherein information technology professionals could earn credits toward maintaining their existing certifications. For the program's August presentation, the Young AFCEANs invited Robert Bills of Ohms Systems Incorporated, a COMPTIA Certified Security+ IT Professional. He earned his bachelor of science in computer science and retired as a master sergeant. In his presentation, "Social Engineering: Hacking People For Fun And Profit," Bills led an interactive discussion on the various methods and reasons social engineering not only happens but is so successful. Thirty local professionals from Barksdale Air Force Base, Shreveport businesses and the surrounding community attended the free event and can claim one hour of professional certification credits for their attendance.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 07/20/2012
In July, Col. Andy Thomson (Ret.) of the chapter's board presented Breanne Hughes with a $5,000 scholarship and certificate for winning the STEM Teachers for Americas Future Scholarship. The scholarship assists students actively pursuing an undergraduate degree, graduate degree or credential/licensure for the purpose of teaching science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) subjects at a U.S. middle or secondary school. The chapter board selected Hughes from a pool of highly qualified nominees submitted throughout Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 06/26/2012
In June, the chapter's Young AFCEANs unveiled a new Continuing Education Lunch and Learn series. The chapter's Young AFCEAN chair, Tech. Sgt. Joshua Copeland, USAF, established the program to provide a free venue to the local community wherein information technology professionals could earn credits toward maintaining their existing certifications. For the program's inaugural presentation, the Young AFCEANs invited Scott Vines of Logic Nation, who is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) and a software developer. He earned his Bachelor of Science in computer science from the U.S. Air Force Academy and served eight years as an Air Force communications officer. In his presentation, “Hacking 101: A Demonstration of Common Cyber Threats,” Vines performed a live demonstration of common hacker techniques including anonymization via The Onion Router (TOR) and Invisible Internet Protocol (I2P), a Man-in-the-Middle attack via Network ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 05/15/2012
At its May general membership luncheon, the chapter hosted Mike Beauford of Cloud Strike Force Federal Solutions. Beauford is a certified information systems security professional, certified enterprise architect and a trusted consultant of federal solutions for Hewlett-Packard. He has served previously as the information technology chief architect for Raytheon and the chief enterprise architect for the Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium. In his presentation, “Pathway to the Cloud,” Beauford discussed Defense Department cloud trends amidst current budget constraints and the many challenges cloud architects face in delivering secure, robust solutions. During the chapter business portion of the luncheon, Lt. Col. Curtis Juell, USAF, chapter president, recognized Kevin Smith, chapter vice president, for his AFCEA Leadership Award and the chapter as a whole for its designation as an AFCEA Model Chapter for 2012. Both distinctions were recognized nationally at the Joint Warfig ... READ MORE
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 04/19/2012
Continuing AFCEAs proud heritage of awarding funds to outstanding scholars, the chapter hosted its annual scholarship gala in April. With more than 430 guests filling the ballroom, the chapter recognized the outstanding achievements of 14 extraordinary students from 11 high schools in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Each student was formally presented a scholarship award of $2,500, a new iPad, an HP Deskjet printer and other gifts donated by sponsors. Additionally, the chapter presented $8,000 in Science Teaching Tools grants to four high schools for equipment enhancements to the classroom and supplies or innovative activities for special science-related teaching projects or programs emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula. Lampton Enochs, managing partner at the Oscar-winning Moonbot Studios, delivered the keynote address in which he challenged the young minds to innovate, persevere and shoot for the moon. Enochs expressed that he was ho ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 03/20/2011 At its March general membership luncheon, the chapter hosted Janie Gonzalez, chief executive offiver and president of Webhead, a San Antonio-based company. Gonzalez transformed her company from a mass producer of commercial websites to an industry leader in Web and information technology security services contributing to the federal government's national defense efforts and new industries domain. In 2011, the company was named to the Inc. 500|5000 and Inner City 100 fastest-growing urban businesses in America, and ranked first as Top Internet Firm. Gonzalez has been recognized with numerous awards, including the E-Myth Entrepreneur of the Year, Hispanic Chamber Innovations Award, Compass Bank Latina Business Excellence Award, Accin Texas Micro Lender Entrepreneur of the Year, San Antonio Business Journal 40 Under 40 Rising Star and the National Association of Women Business Owners Visionary Award. Her presentation featured her unique vantage point as a private sector provide ... READ MORE |
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 02/21/2012
At its February luncheon, the chapter continued its streak of world-renowned guest speakers with Jonathan Galaviz, the managing director of Galaviz & Company, a strategy and economic research consultancy that focuses on creating success for its clients in Asia in government relations and regulatory analysis. Galaviz holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford, England, and has appeared as analyst for BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, the Associated Press, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the International Herald Tribune, Straits-Times of Singapore and Macau Daily Times. Leveraging his experiences as a strategic adviser to Fortune 500 companies and governments on international business development, capital markets and leisure sector economic analysis, Galaviz counseled chapter members on future national security challenges and opportunities in the new global economy.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 01/17/2012
During the January membership luncheon, the chapter honored two new lifetime members. Fred Moffitt, Moffitt Automotive of Shreveport/Bossier City, and Andy Thomson, Northrop Grumman Corporation, were recognized for their donations to the chapter's scholarship fund. Each received a lifetime membership certificate and Founding Father pin. Their names were also added to the chapter's “Friends of AFCEA Wall of Honor.” Founding Father status is warranted for those contributing $1,000 or more to the chapter.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 01/17/2012
In January, more than 100 guests attended the chapter's first luncheon of 2012 to hear guest speakers from Shreveport-based Moonbot Studios. Brandon Oldenburg and Lampton Enochs discussed how the Louisiana Digital Media and Software Incentive program helped launch the local startup to global success in under two years. The duo demonstrated several of the company's critically-acclaimed products, including its flagship app: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which reached the number one spot in the iTunes App Store and is one of 10 animated short film finalists for the 2012 Oscars. Oldenburg shed light on the applicability of their business of broadening the entertainment industry to the military by stating, "Technologies will change rapidly, but the story remains the story."
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 11/15/2011
At the chapter's November membership luncheon at Southern Trace Country Club in Shreveport, Louisiana, attendees heard from a Shreveport native: Gen. Charles C. Campbell, USA (Ret.). The general's military career spans across the world and four decades and ended with him as the last serving general officer in Vietnam War combat time. Following the luncheon, the chapter hosted its Fall 2011 Friends of AFCEA "Swinging for Scholarships" Invitational Golf Tournament, also at Southern Trace. The field of almost 40 golfers enjoyed a day of camaraderie on the course and raised proceeds for the chapter's Spring Scholarship Banquet.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 09/20/2011
In September, the chapter invited Craig Storer, John Grindley and Angie White to present the Tech Rouler Initiative prior to its official launch party, which the chapter also sponsored the following week.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 03/01/2011
The chapter hosted guest speaker Ron Isom, vice president of operations, Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing Company. Isom spoke about information management challenges and opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of decision-making. Isom explained that Tapestry Solutions specializes in integrated, multimodal logistics and command and control solutions.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 03/01/2011
In April, the chapter held its luncheon at the Boomtown Hotel and Casino in Shreveport, Louisiana. Guest speaker Brig. Gen. Everett Thomas, USAF, vice commander, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, outlined the challenges facing the command and the positive impacts of enabling technologies such as communications, information technology and networks in supporting the United States in its nuclear enterprise.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 08/28/2010
The chapter invited Brig. Gen. Robert D. Rego, USAF, assistant to the commander, U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, to speak at its September membership luncheon at Boomtown Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana. He discussed recent changes in the Air Force communications community. The chapter also recognized Col. Steve dePyssler, USAF (Ret.), with an Honorary Distinguished Life Member Award from AFCEA International for more than 60 years of service. Col. dePyssler is also one of four Founding Father-level contributors to the chapter's Friends of AFCEA campaign.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 07/21/2010
In July, the chapter selected Timothy J. Magner, a fellow with Education Impact, as the guest speaker for the luncheon. Magner spoke on "School 2.0: The Role of Technology in Transforming Education.”
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 09/22/2009
At the September meeting, Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz, USAF, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, served as the featured speaker. This was the general's first local public speaking engagement since the new command was stood up. The event drew a record number of attendees at more than 200.
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ARKLATEX CHAPTER - 02/17/2009
At the chapter's February luncheon, Charles D'Agostino, executive director, Louisiana Business and Technology Center, Louisiana State University, gave a presentation on how research parks and business incubation fuel the technology economy.
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