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HAWAII CHAPTER - 03/15/2025
In March, the chapter hosted an Emerging Leaders Mentor Roundtable, where 45 attendees, ranging from high school students to military professionals and small business leaders, engaged in deep discussions with six executive mentors.Key takeaways from the event held at Dave and Buster's in Honolulu ranged from tangible business knowledge to key tenets of successful leadership. The good, the bad and the ugly...attendees talked about it all! Kyla Lee, a master's student at the University of Hawaii and chapter member, stated, "Hearing from executives who shared not just their successes, but also their challenges and lessons learned, was truly inspiring. Leadership isn't just about knowing all the answers; it's about learning, adapting and lifting others along the way." A huge thank you to chapter mentors for sharing their time, wisdom and experiences: * Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, USAF, deputy commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hi ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/17/2024
In October, the chapter hosted a Tech Talk sponsored by Hewlett Packard Enterprise on Fort Shafter. More than 100 local industry and defense leaders gathered for this event with a heavy focus on artificial Intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). Capt. Erik Pittman, N6, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Col. A.J. Johnson, G6, U.S. Army Pacific; CW5 Jon Stanley, J6, chief technology officer, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM); Andre J. Stridiron III, J7, USINDOPACOM Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability program manager; Scott Pierce, director of Maui High Performance Computing Center; Bill Burnham HPE chief technology officer; and Ron Fritzemeier, INTEL, rounded out a panel of subject matter experts in attendance. They led in with a discussion on the AI/ML technology, tools and architecture needed to extract value from data, enable new capabilities and drive digital transformation. The rapid advancements of AI as it continues to evolve present both unprecedented oppor ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 08/24/2023
In August, the chapter co-sponsored a Tech Talk at Fort Shafter with corporate sponsor Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). More than 125 local industry and defense leaders gathered for the 2023 "U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Theater AI & ML Battlespace Tech Talk: Force Behind the Fight." Subject matter experts Brig. Gen. Mark Miles, USA, J6, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Bill Burnham, chief technology officer, HPE; Mike Martinez, director, Cybersecurity, U.S. Army Pacific; and Steve Oberlin, Nvidia, discussed artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) technology, tools and architectures needed to extract value from data, enable new capabilities and drive digital transformation. The speakers explored and shared a variety of aspects of AI/ML, including AI model development and training, machine learning operations, data labeling, DevSecOps, drones, computer vision, high-performance computing and other new and innovative tools, techniques and products.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 05/21/2023
The chapter's STEM Grant Program for teachers and community organizations has awarded 71 STEM grants to $128,000 in just three years. The chapter's Education Committee continues the STEM Scholarship Program efforts that the AFCEA Hawaii Education Foundation managed until it was disestablished. The Education Committee developed a grants program for K-12 STEM teachers and community organizations such as ISC2, Girl Scouts of Hawaii and the Boys & Girls Club. This year, the chapter had the honor of receiving invitations to witness the impact of the grants on schools and the community.In March, chapter board members were invited to Assets High School, Honolulu, for its robotics showcase with Team Waffles and Team Metal Engineering Assets Flamingos. The robotics demonstration was attended by ReShonda McKee, chapter vice president of education programs; Vincent DiRienzo, chapter vice president of cyber programs; and Yogi Fong, chapter secretary. Assets High received two grant award ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 04/05/2023
The chapter's fiscal year 2023 began April 1, 2023, and runs through March 30, 2024. Although the chapter's new FY 2023-2025 board of directors and advisors officially began their tenure at its April board meeting held at Hale Ikena, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, many of its members began meeting in various smaller groups to strategize on goals and plans for the upcoming fiscal year.The FY 2023-2025 chapter board of directors are: Brandon Lester, chapter president; Richard 'Dick' Palmieri, executive vice president; Dave Pisanic, treasurer; Yolande 'Yogi' Fong, secretary; Linda Newton, past president. The directors, who also lead as vice president for a committee are: Mark Cleaver, director, vice president of awards; Victor 'Vic' Perez, director, vice president of communications and information technology support; Jeff Bloom, director, vice president of corporate affairs; Vincent DiRienzo, director, vice president of cyber; ReShonda 'Shon' McKee, director, vice president of edu ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 03/15/2023
The chapter's monthly luncheon in March was packed with more than 94 attendees, including uniformed active-duty soldiers, civilian government, industry, veterans, wounded warriors, academia (including a cadet just accepted to West Point as part of the Class of 2027) and AFCEANs from multiple CONUS-based chapters. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Defense Information Systems Agency and other joint command personnel showed up in force.Chapter Director and Vice President for Events Makana Anicas had the honor of introducing to the chapter Brig. Gen. Mark Miles️, USA, Indo-Pacific Command J6, who spoke on his top three priorities: mission partner environment, data-centricity and zero-trust initiatives The chapter honored Emerging Leaders: Staff Sgt. Ruby Alcaide, USAF, Pacific Air Forces Cyberspace Systems Squadron; Stephen Cole, senior government leader, Pacific Air Forces; and Moune Tabalno, executive leader, Lumen, as our monthly award recipients. |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 03/10/2023
Scholarship and grant season is open, and the chapter highly encourages Hawaii-based high school seniors, college students, teachers and organizations to apply. Awards will be applied to the 2023-2024 school year.The chapter works with the community at large (private, public and academic) to increase the investment in STEM education throughout Hawaii. The chapter has a long history of supporting Hawaii-based students, teachers and professionals and has contributed over $2,000,000 in scholarships and grants to enhance learning and education initiatives in STEM. Former recipients are eligible to apply. |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 02/21/2023
Richard Williams serves as the U.S. Pacific Fleet N6 technical director, Communications and Information Systems, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. As the U.S. Pacific Fleet N6 technical director, Williams is responsible for managing diverse Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) programs for various seabed-to-space capabilities supporting afloat and ashore commands in the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He is actively engaged in the Research, Development, Tests and Evaluations of tactical and strategic C4I with information technology initiatives for the Department of the Navy, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Pacific Fleet.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 01/10/2023
The commander for the Defense Information Systems Agency Regional Field Command Pacific was the first guest speaker for the chapter's 2023 Luncheon Series in January at Hale Ikena on Ft. Shafter.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 12/28/2021
The chapter is honored to award its 2021 STEM scholarships to the best and brightest students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Cyber. This year the chapter awarded 23 STEM scholarships for a total of $72,500. The chapter also awarded $33,000 in STEM Grants to assist 16 STEM teachers, advisors and other nonprofit organizations providing STEM Programs to Hawaii K-12 students.Linda Newton, chapter president, explains: "Our goal is to promote STEM and Cyber Education through STEM Scholarships and Grants. AFCEA Hawaii STEM Scholarships and Grants help Hawaii-based students pay for their education in these fields and help teachers and other local nonprofit organizations promote STEM projects because tomorrow's leadership depends on sound education today. We want to foster tomorrow's leaders and innovators through STEM and cyber advocacy." |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 12/15/2020 In December, the chapter welcomed Brig. Gen. Jan C. Norris, commander, 311th Signal Command (Theater), and his presentation titled, "Army Communication in the Pacific." The speech comes just a day after news of the suspected nation-state supported hack of major cybersecurity company SolarWinds and its effect on all six branches of the U.S. military. "Our mission is similar to AFCEA's," Gen. Norris began, "...connect people." He said discussing the Army's short term communications goals in the region, its priorities during the transition and how industry can support the effort. Near term, the Army plans to increase joint force lethality, enhance network design and posture, as well as strengthen allies and partnerships, while meeting their overall objective, "keeping the network running.' "Don't expect praise when things go well; expect hell when they don't," Norris joked, highlighting the criticality of communications in the region. Going forward, Gen. Nor ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 11/17/2020 The chapter's November luncheon featured Salvador D'Itri, chairman of the National Spectrum Consortium and general manager for research and development at Federated Wireless Inc. In November, he presented on the topic of "DoD: The First Enterprise for 5G." D'Itri opened with an overview of the National Spectrum Consortium (NSC) ,explaining how it is focused on research and development and prototyping. With a membership consisting of Silicon Valley startups, academia and U.S. Defense Department leadership, it is the NSC's goal to foster an environment of collaboration where businesses can grow. The NSC can be leveraged for working groups, white papers, collaboration interchanges, Industry Day events and requests for prototype proposals (RPP). "5G encompasses almost everything at every level." With greater capacity and reliability, reduced latency and more devices, the new Cloud Native 5G provides more spectrum options and multiple connectivity methods such as 2G/3G/Wi-F ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/27/2020
For its October luncheon, the chapter hosted Capt. Glenn Hernandez, USCG (Ret). In his presentation, titled "Cyber Workforce Initiatives," Capt. Hernandez reviewed the Cyber Workforce programs developed across government and argued for the need to prioritize the development of the nation's cyber workforce, highlighting a previously unexplored link between the success of government initiatives and public spending on civic education.Among the largest concerns in the cyber and information technology (IT) industry are the lack of standardized role titles, job descriptions and education/skill set requirements for those positions. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, or NICE, is currently tasked with filling these gaps. Capt. Hernandez elaborated on their contributions: "They have been tremendous. Gathering the stakeholders in the community to drive a standard lexicon for the United States, and in part the world, to try and understand how we can look at workforce m ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 09/15/2020 The chapter welcomed Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, USN, director for intelligence, J-2, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in September to deliver a speech titled, "The Seven Myths of China." Speaking to a large audience via Zoom, Studeman addressed misconceptions some may have of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and how understanding these false notions can lead to more effective foreign policy for the United States and its allies. "Myth number one," Studeman began, "China seeks great power status. Incorrect. China seeks greatest power status. China hopes to dominate on any issue that counts in the international arena. China's 'dream' is to restore the status of the Middle Kingdom around which other nations must revolve or least defer greatly." Elaborating on the distinction, Studeman went on to describe how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is building up its comprehensive national power, often through lying, cheating and stealing, to become the most po ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 07/30/2020
The chapter's June luncheon featured Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., USAF, then-commander, Pacific Air Forces, who spoke about short-term goals and how industry partners can bolster Defense Department efforts and overcome networking and information assurance challenges.Gen. Brown talked at length about the need to move away from hardware solutions and focus more on creating a secure, redundant mesh network driven by software solutions that empower decision makers and connect the "right sensor to the right shooter." He also stressed the necessity of improving dialog between industry and warfighters. Looking ahead, he recommended that his relief focus on developing relationships with regional leadership, as well as make efforts to more fully understand China's strategic operations. He also recognized the greatest challenges will be in establishing strong, fast connections that allow multilevel access to data regardless of distance, much like commercial information in ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 04/05/2020 The chapter is pleased to announce a donation made to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) in support of COVID-19 supplies. Currently, there is a nationwide shortage of protective equipment which is essential for use by patrol officers and first responders. The World Health Organization has warned that the "mounting disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse is putting lives at risk from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases." According to Cory Lindo, chapter chairman, "AFCEA Hawaii was made aware that first responders from the patrol division of the Honolulu Police Department were at risk when responding to calls from potential COVID-19 infected residents due to a lack of personal protective equipment." This donation of $1,000 dollars will facilitate HPD's ability to procure additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and will be directly distributed to the patrol division. As of April 5, the Aloha ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 03/10/2020
Maj. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, USAF, director, Command, Control, Communications and Cyber (C4) for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, spoke at the chapter event in March.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 02/22/2020
In February, chapter officers gathered for an off-site strategy session.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 02/11/2020
At the February chapter event, Col. Joseph Delaney, USMC, assistant chief of staff, Information Environment Directorate, G-6, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific, discussed "Leading in the Information Environment."
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/08/2019
In October, the chapter hosted a special breakfast and panel discussion co-hosted by the Intelligence, Cyber and Young AFCEAN committees. Panelists included the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard and the National Security Agency.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 09/10/2019
Col. Glen M. Genove, USAF, is the deputy chief information officer and chief, C4 Strategy, Integration, Resources and Requirements Division, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. He is responsible for C4 support across the largest regional combatant command enabling joint and coalition operations. In this capacity, he leads U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's (USINDOPACOM's) digital strategy, technology roadmap, C4 resourcing and requirements programs supporting 375,000 joint warfighters at the headquarters, four component commands, four subunified commands and all joint task forces. Additionally, Col. Genove manages a $58 million information technology portfolio and oversees USINDOPACOM's cybersecurity, information and knowledge management, and command records programs to optimize operational effectiveness and efficiency throughout the full range of military operations.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 07/15/2019
In July, the chapter hosted a cyber workshop with the Saint Louis School, Honolulu, Hawaii, as a part of the Mark Leon Invitational 2019 Robotics competition. Bob Monroe, ISECOM, and Brandon Lester, chapter vice president of industry, taught an international audience, including teams from Asia, South America and Hawaii, how to stay safe on the Internet (Be Internet Awesome) and have a "hacker mindset" in robotics.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 07/09/2019
At the chapter's July event, Robert Stephenson, director for communications and information systems and chief information officer for Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet N-6, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was the special guest speaker. His speech was entitled Adaptive Force Packages: A New Model to Scale C4I Capability.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 06/18/2019
In June, guest speaker Col. Michael A. Boutet, USAF, individual mobilization augmentee (IMA), Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Command, A-3/6 director of Air and Cyberspace Operations, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, discussed data analytics: what they are and what they mean to leaders in the Department of Defense. Col. Boutet is responsible for a 256-person staff; directs 4,000 cyber airmen and manages a $2.5 billion portfolio and $40 million annual budget to provide integrated communications for 46,000 personnel across 10 bases. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Boutet was the IMA to the Air Force Reserve Command's director of communications and chief information officer, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He was responsible for operational policy, strategic guidance, planning and programming and computer and information management systems supporting the command headquarters, Air Reserve Personnel Center, and more than 684 reserve un ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 05/14/2019
In May, the chapter heard from guest speaker, Dave Stevens, director, University of Hawaii IT program and cybersecurity instructor, as he discussed open source intelligence (OSINT). OSINT is cyber intelligence information that is publicly available and gathered from radio, television, newspapers, commercial databases, electronic mail or portable electronic media. OSINT is tremendously useful when hackers need to gather the names and biographical information of relevant employees, such as CEOs, chief financial officers and those working in accounts receivable and payable, to execute a successful spear phishing campaign and access a company's data. These personal details lend credibility to the requests for information.Dave Stevens is the IT program director at the University of Hawaii Kapiolani Community College (KapCC) and the co-founder of Kapu Technologies LLC, a local cybersecurity company focusing on risk analysis and security governance. Dave is the faculty advisor ... READ MORE |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/09/2018
The chapter invited members from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the Defense Security Service (DSS), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI for an October panel discussion on insider threats. Christine Lanning, chapter vice president of programs, moderated the discussion and provided questions for the panel to answer. One panelist suggested that most organizations do not have a plan for insider threats and are more focused on workplace violence, active shooters and disasters. The panel mentioned that organizations may concentrate on identifying inside actors and mitigating their risks but forget about those suffering from mental health issues. Panelists agreed that organizations are obligated to get help for these workers rather than just fire them. The panelists also discussed how departing personnel believe that the information and data they produced or worked on becomes their personal property, and they may want to take it with them. But that ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 09/11/2018
The chapter's September luncheon speaker was Burt Lum, strategy officer for the Hawaii Broadband Initiative. A longtime supporter and collaborator with the industry and government sectors, Lum was adamant about how Hawaii needs to look at its critical data infrastructure to stay competitive for the future. He briefed the chapter on the Hawaii Broadband Initiative, which includes establishing the infrastructure to deploy a 5G network. A 5G network can provide more bandwidth, low latency and low power consumption. The Hawaii initiative started about 10 years ago as the Broadband Task Force with the key objectives to identify and form a forward-looking vision for the state's data needs. It looked to create a one-stop broadband authority, stimulate demand for broadband service and welcome trans-Pacific fiber cabling to Hawaii. Funding still must be approved and allocated. Because of this delay, Lum explained that many of today's cables for trans-Pacific broadband bypass Hawaii, and the ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 05/08/2018
The chapter's featured speaker in May was Capt. Herman Archibald, USN, commanding officer, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific (NCTAMS PAC). The station is the main command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) capabilities provider in the Pacific and, as such, works hard to drive technology trends and improvements throughout the enterprise. Capt. Archibald spoke proudly about how the station has improved the Authorized Service Interruption (ASI) process and was adamant that the service must run information technology networks like a business to "fight like a warfighter." He discussed how network robustness is only restricted by the dollars spent on the networks-the old adage "you get what you pay for." The captain mentioned that commercial satellite communications is a robust industry, and the government should invest more time and effort in learning how it could be transformational for the military. He also said network defense i ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 05/01/2018
Chapter President Lt. Col. Callistus Elbourne, USAF, attended the ROTC Joint Awards Ceremony in May at the University of Hawaii. The colonel presented AFCEA Honor Awards to Cadets Darius DeSpain, Air Force ROTC, and Dexter Manglicmot, Army ROTC.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 03/13/2018
The highlight of the chapter's March luncheon was the presentation of the Distinguished Life Member Award. Chapter leaders presented the honor to Lt. Col. Ed Ryglewicz, USAF (Ret.), AFCEA regional vice president for the Pacific region. The colonel is a longtime chapter member.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 02/13/2018
The featured speaker at the chapter's February luncheon was Mark Wong, chief information officer and director of the Department of Information Technology for the City and County of Honolulu. Wong has more than 40 years of experience in information technology. When Wong joined the City and County of Honolulu, he found antiquated systems and equipment. Three years ago, he and his team took on a total technology redesign, and the result was an enterprise operations platform called Lokahi. In Hawaiian, lokahi means people or things coming together as one-harmony and balance. The new system uses all the latest technology and includes more than 17,000 layers of data that can be viewed or displayed depending on the situation. The public sector uses this system to request services from the City and County of Honolulu with quicker and more efficient results. Wong and his team are designing apps to use with their system, and one of the more popular ones, HNL Info, keeps the public informed of ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 02/13/2018
Chaplain Steve Jensen with the Hawaii Wounded Warrior Battalion West presented a plaque to Chapter President Lt. Col. Callistus Elbourne, USAF, to thank the chapter for its support and donations over the years at a February luncheon at Fort Shafter's Hale Ikena. The Hawaii Wounded Warriors Program assists Marines who have been injured in combat or who are seriously ill as they face physical, mental and professional transitions. Jensen brings Marines transitioning from military to civilian life to chapter luncheons so they can network with representatives of groups that may be interested in hiring veterans. |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 01/09/2018
The chapter's January luncheon speaker was Brig. Gen. Paul Fredenburgh, USA, director, command, control, communications and cyber (C4) for U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). The general emphasized the size and importance of the command and the nations within its area of operations. He covered the elements of his three major responsibilities: assured command and control; conducting full-spectrum cyberspace operations; and collective cyberspace security and interoperability. In terms of cyber, the general says PACOM has been the most effective in which he has served. He emphasized the multilateral cyber relationships in the theater, with 20 nations participating in Exercise Pacific Endeavor. During a question-and-answer session, he addressed the cyber threats posed by China and North Korea and mentioned a need for more assets for training and near-term network investment. The chapter also recognized Allegra Palk of St. Andrew's Priory School as Student of the Month; Airman 1st Class Taylo ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/10/2017
The chapter's featured speaker for October was Col. Joseph Delaney, USMC, commander of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Pacific Field Command (PAC). The colonel's presentation showed that he is passionate about the DISA PAC organization. He gave an overview of the services that DISA PAC provides to its many customers in the Pacific area. He emphasized that DISA PAC is an enterprise solution provider supporting the warfighter. Col. Delaney spoke about improvements and new services DISA is working on. He mentioned that DISA is testing Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) technology. Li-Fi is 100 times faster than Wi-Fi. Li-Fi uses household light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs to transfer data at speeds of 224 gigabits per second. It is more secure than Wi-Fi because light does not pass through walls. The chapter also recognized Tiari Kau as Young AFCEAN of the Month and Greg Rebugio as AFCEAN of the Month during the luncheon.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 09/12/2017
Rear Adm. Vincent Atkins, USCG, commander, District 14, Honolulu, was the chapter's featured speaker at the luncheon in September. The mission of the United States Coast Guard is to ensure the nation's maritime safety, security and stewardship. The Coast Guard is both a military service and a law enforcement agency. The 14th District's boundaries of responsibility stretch from the Hawaiian Islands and across most of the Central and Western Pacific. The District Commander oversees 25 operational units ashore and afloat throughout the Pacific, which regularly perform missions in maritime safety, protection of natural resources, maritime security, homeland security and national defense. Adm. Atkins mentioned some of the challenges he's faced with one being an aging fleet of cutters. He informed the audience that the District 14 will be receiving several new fast response cutters, as well as a couple of national security cutters. This month, the chapter recognized Technical Sgt. Devonte ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 08/08/2017
The chapter welcomed Jody Ito as its featured speaker to the August luncheon. Ito is the information security officer for the University of Hawaii (UH). She was joined by Steve Auerbach, director, Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training (PCATT). Ito briefed the audience on the security risks she manages on the campus network at UH and their satellite campus' on island and throughout the outer islands. With so many students connecting to their networks, it is a daunting task to protect the network with the number of bring your own devices (BYOD) being used. She spoke of a shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals, which was a lead in for Auerbach to explain the programs being offered by PCATT. Ito and Auerbach took turns explaining the plans each of their organizations are offering to attract STEM professionals and the need to start grooming them at an early age, and to track their progress from the beginning and to follow them througho ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 07/11/2017
The chapter's luncheon in July featured speaker Col. Joseph Matos, USMC, senior information technology officer, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC). Col. Matos's presentation was about MARFORPAC's two-year strategic plan. He spoke about the number of personnel assigned to all the organizations that fall under MARFORPAC's area of responsibility and their operating budget. Col. Matos mentioned the Marine Corps has three cyber protection teams to help identify and mitigate risks within their cyber domain. He stated that you must know your network to defend it, and while you may believe you know your network you'll be surprised how much you don't know until a risk assessment is completed. He shared that he had an analysis and risk assessment performed on their network by one of the cyber protection teams and was surprised at the findings. He recommended everyone in audience consider having a risk assessment done on their respective networks. MARFORPAC is undergoing a reorganiza ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 06/13/2017
In June, the chapter welcomed Anabel Chotzen as its featured speaker. The topic was "Adapting to Change and Thriving in a Volatile Marketplace." Being able to adapt to change and learning how to thrive in uncertain times is very applicable and timely with the fast pace changes in technology, the country's current administration and the constantly changing world. It applies to all federal agencies, cybersecurity and technology companies. Chotzen said westerners often fear change. The Chinese symbol for crisis and opportunity is the same. The word for change in the Hawaiian language is "Ho'ololi. The Hawaiians believed in the importance of embracing change. Chotzen then told the chapter about the seven dynamics of change, the process of change, the reasons people resist change, ways to assess the difficulty of acceptance of change and strategies for getting others to accept change. Being an outstanding communicator is critical during times of change. Most people are not very good list ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 05/09/2017
The guest speaker for the chapter's May luncheon was Bryan Tepper, information assurance manager for the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO). Pepper retired from the FBI with 26 years of service, so it was only fitting that he begin his presentation with a kidnapping case he and his team worked on in Los Angeles. The case was solved in just 13 days. He moved right into his HECO presentation and spoke about how he and his team manage and protect HECO's infrastructure and power grids. Pepper discussed some of the daily challenges his organization faces, including load balancing. The company is focused on renewable energy and is currently between 25 to 26 percent. He and his team have managed to separate their LAN from the Internet. Some of the security measures in place to protect their infrastructure, power grid and information are remote key entry, firewall hardening, network segmentation and encryption of all personal identification information (PII) for employees and customers. Phish ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 05/09/2017
Last year's TechNet Asia-Pacific director Cynthia Pacheco and Chapter President Lt. Col. Calistus Elbourne, USAF, presented a $2,500 donation to Warriors in Transition during the May chapter luncheon at Fort Shafter's Hale Ikena facility. Chaplain Steve Jensen of the Wounded Warriors accepted the donation. Jensen said the funds will be used to supplement incidental expenses for families traveling with their wounded warriors from Japan. Staff Sgt. Brad Simich, USMC, and Sgt. Kyle Levea, USMC, both in the Warriors in Transition program, accompanied Jensen.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 04/11/2017
The chapter welcomed Col. Stephen Dawson, USA, commander, U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Hawaii as April guest speaker at the Hale Ikena at Fort Shafter. The colonel provided an overview of the USAG organization. Its mission statement is "a values-based organization that provides quality base operation services, facilities and infrastructure to enable all units to accomplish their mission; to enhance the well-being of our U.S. Army Hawaii community." The chapter recognized Krista Chang of St. Andrew's Priory and Tyler Wilfarht of Kailua High School as Students of the Month. Staff Sgt. Cory Habersham, USAF, from the 690th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, Joint Base Hickam Pearl Harbor, was Young AFCEAN of the Month. Col. Jason Winterle, USA, of DISA Pacific Command was the Senior Government Leader of the Month. Lt. Col. Callistus Elbourne, USAF, received an engraved photograph as a token of appreciation from the chapter in recognition of his service as the chapter's executive vice president.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 03/14/2017
The chapter welcomed Jicky Ferrer of the Defense Intelligence Agency as the March guest speaker. The annual membership business meeting was convened at this luncheon to vote on new officers and the board of directors. The outgoing officers were recognized during this luncheon and presented with a small token of appreciation. The chapter recognized Alex Yamada of Pearl City High School as Student of the Month; Tech. Sgt. Julie Levingston, USAF, Defense Information Systems Agency Pacific Field Command (DISA PAC), as Young AFCEAN of the Month; Senior Master Sgt. Sheldon Curl, USAF, DISA PAC, as AFCEAN of the Month; and Diane Stephens of Hawaiian Telcom as Executive of the Month.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 02/14/2017
Miyi J. Chung of the Defense Information Systems Agency Pacific Field Command (DISA-PAC) was the chapter's February luncheon speaker. Chung serves as chief of the agency's Capability Delivery Division. Her Valentine's Day presentation focused on the Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS). JRSS is a layered cyber defense system consisting of a base layer, an agency layer and a global layer. The system is designed to detect, protect, defend and deter cyber attacks. The JRSS is made up of virtual enclaves, allowing better role-based management. During the luncheon, the chapter also recognized Jacynth Tate Agraan of Farrington High School as student of the month; Master Sgt. Shamar Jones, USAF, as Young AFCEAN of the month; Marcus Yano, SystemMetrics, as executive of the month; and William Buck, chief information officer, Navy Health Clinic Hawaii, as senior government leader of the month. |
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 01/10/2017
The chapter's January guest speaker was Peter C. Oleson, Association of Former Intelligence Officers, board of directors and academic exchange. The topic was "Perpetual War." Oleson pointed out that the country faces a constant and escalating threat of cyber conflict. He said the most significant difference between interstate conflict today and during the Cold War is the cyber dimension. Cyber is nonkinetic, and both the Russians and Chinese have recognized its power and advantages. A weaker power can use it against a more powerful one thanks to the nature of the Internet, the major enabler of cyber operations. Cyber attacks are uncertain: "Their origin and sponsorship can be disguised" at least for a period of time, he said. Cyber attacks are psychological. They affect people's perceptions and attitudes. WIRED magazine predicts distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which are easy to conduct and will paralyze portions of the Internet. Cyber war has become acceptable because ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 11/28/2016
The chapter has lost one of its strongest members with the passing of Melvin Ing. Mel, born February 5, 1950, in Honolulu Hawaii, succumbed to brain cancer. Mel was a Distinguished Life Member, past chapter president, vice president and a chairman of the board of directors. He was a very active member and committee lead of many of the TechNet Asia Pacific Conferences. He also chaired the Annual AFCEA Hawaii Golf Tournaments in conjunction with TechNet Asia-Pacific. His extensive knowledge and involvement in the Hawaii business market and continuous support of DOD programs throughout the Pacific Rim, extended over 30 years of his professional career with AT&T Information and Government Solutions, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), CACI and American Electric Company. Mel is survived by his wife Christine, daughter Jennifer (Laureanoclaudio), son-in-law Luis, grandchildren Isaac and Faith, sister Pauline, and brother Benard Ing. He was an active member of First Pres ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/11/2016
The chapter welcomed guest speaker Maj. Gen. Vern Miyagi, USA (Ret.), administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, in October. He provided an overview of the organization and how the state seeks its services in times of disasters. The chapter also recognized Frank Genadio as AFCEAN of the Month and Dwight Bartlome as the Executive of the Month.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/11/2016
Matt Darnell, scholarship chairperson of the AFCEA Hawaii Education Foundation (AHEF), awarded two scholarships in October. The Lt. Gen. Thomas Rienzi, USA (Ret.), Scholarship went to Andrew Millard. Millard attends the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He is an Eagle Scout and a core member of the robotics team, leading the team to last year's state championship. Millard used wireless communication to control robots in training and competition. The Donna Russell Distinguished Service Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Scholarship for middle or secondary school STEM teachers in Hawaii went to Adria Fung. Fung is an incoming master's student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and her goal is to become an education specialist in the field of robotics engineering. She was given the chance to develop and lay the foundation at Maryknoll School's new Mx STEM and Aerospace Program.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 10/11/2016
The Distinguished Life Membership Award was awarded to Mel Ing in October. Ing is a chapter past president and has devoted a lot of time and effort to the success of the AFCEA Hawaii Program. Accepting the award on his behalf was Jen Ing, his daughter.
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 09/13/2016
The chapter welcomed Capt. Jody Grady, USN, liaison officer, U.S. Cyber Command, United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) to its September luncheon. The theme of his presentation was “Delivering Outcomes Through Cyberspace.” While most of USPACOM’s work is classified and cannot be discussed in a public forum, Capt. Grady was able to put in perspective the missions of his office and how it interacts with other agencies to deter cyber threats. USPACOM’s primary focus is to provide mission assurance to the combatant commanders. Capt. Grady’s office is motivated by mission, oriented towards outcomes and powered through partnerships. Its objectives are protect, project and partner. Collaboration is essential at all levels. During the luncheon, Chapter President Jim Muller recognized Erica Lee as Student of the Month; Lauren Estimada as Young AFCEAN of the Month; Diane Chong as AFCEAN of the Month; Ernesto Valentin as Executive of the Month; and Linda Fukuya as Senior Government Leader of ... READ MORE
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HAWAII CHAPTER - 08/09/2016
The chapter welcomed Jason Sewell, co-founder of DevLeague, a Honolulu-based web developer coding boot camp, as it August luncheon speaker. Sewell, also an instructor and curriculum designer at the academy, spoke about his background, education and experience that led to the company's founding. Also at the luncheon, Chapter Executive Vice President Lt. Col. Callistus Elbourne, USAF, recognized Michael Boutte, software engineer for Lockheed Martin, as AFCEAN of the Month and Sandra Ohara, director of corporate accounts for Adecco, as Executive of the Month. Chairman of the Board Cory Lindo thanked Barry Fong for five years of service as vice president of programs and presented him with an engraved photo of the American and Hawaiian flags. |
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