Speakers

Jeffrey C. (“J.C.”) Dodson is Vice President and Chief Security  Officer (CSO) for BAE Systems Inc. He is responsible for  corporate security strategy, operations and assurance. His  risk management portfolio includes all elements of  industrial, international and cyber security for U.S. and overseas operations. Dodson also has operational oversight of the corporation’s Special Security Agreement with the U.S. Government. 

Prior to his CSO role in 2020, Dodson was BAE’s Global Chief Information Security Officer  (CISO). He has served in a variety of executive positions with advanced technology  program management, strategy, business development and security. He joined BAE  Systems in 2002 following a 22-year career with the U.S. Air Force that included flying  operations, weapons system acquisition management, and command assignments. 

Dodson currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Defense-Information  Sharing and Analysis Center (ND-ISAC). He is a member of the Department of Homeland  Security’s Defense Industrial Base Sector Coordinating Council and an industry  contributor/advisor to numerous U.S. Government national security policy studies and  initiatives. He is a former appointee to the U.S. Government’s National Industrial  Security Program Policy Advisory Committee and the Commonwealth of Virginia Governor’s Cybersecurity Commission. He also served as Chairman of the Aerospace  Industries Association’s Industrial Security Committee for two terms.

Michael Baker is an accomplished cyber security executive passionate about building high performing teams and transforming the way cyber risk is managed within the business.  Michael currently serves as the IT Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for DXC Technology delivering security operations, identity, risk management, and architecture to protect customer and company data and reputation.  Michael brings over 21 years of experience in the field across cyber strategy, operations, talent development, risk management, audit, and compliance as CISO along with a variety of clients as a cybersecurity consultant. 

George Jackson is VP of events at GovExec – the largest and most-influential media company in the public sector marketplace. He joined the company in 2020 to enhance the scale of their events and audience experiences. In 2021, George launched GovExec TV (streaming video content) and received the company’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, part of their first-annual Icon Awards.

George graduated from The Ohio State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in English. In 2006, he earned his master’s in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

George spent the first five years of his journalism career at WJHL-TV in Johnson City Tenn. – beginning as an overnight producer for the station’s 6 a.m. broadcast. He advanced to lead on-air reporter for WJHL’s 11 p.m. newscast.

As a reporter, George examined the earnings of two non-profit hospital systems, felony charges filed against a local sheriff, predatory paving companies, a health benefits backlog for local veterans, and a series of cold-case murder investigations. He received an honorable mention for Best TV Reporter in the 2011 Tennessee AP Broadcast awards and won a Best Investigative Reporting award from Media General in 2010.

George joined DC’s ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in 2012 to produce Capital Insider, which won him an Emmy award. One year later, he developed and recorded the pilot episode of Government Matters – a program about the business of government. It debuted as a weekly show on Sunday, August 4th of 2013. George led Government Matters through September of 2020, expanded its reach to a daily worldwide audience, and produced its first feature-length documentary The Dawn of Generation AI.

George is from Toledo, Ohio. He lives with his wife, twin daughters, and a pair of rescue dogs in Northern Virginia.

Mr. Travis is the first chief executive officer of the Cyber Accreditation Body (the Cyber AB). Previously, Travis served as the first deputy director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the nation’s leading civilian cybersecurity agency. There he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the $2+ billion, 2000+ employee organization across the full range of its mission in cybersecurity, infrastructure protections and emergency communications. Prior to this position, he was the deputy undersecretary for national protection (NPPD) within the Department of Homeland Security.

Before entering government service in 2018, Travis served as vice president of homeland security for Cadmus, a security, energy, and environmental professional services firm. He joined Cadmus when the security consultancy he co-founded, Obsidian Analysis, Inc., was acquired by Cadmus in 2016.

A former naval officer, Travis served as an engineering auxiliaries officer aboard the guided-missile frigate U.S.S. CARR (FFG 52). He then served a tour as White House Liaison to the Secretary of the Navy and was also a White House Military Aide. He is a 1991 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds a master’s in national security studies from Georgetown University.

Kyle Gingrich leads the creation and build-out of training and certification programs to enable the CMMC framework. The programs are focused on ensuring availability of validated, skilled assessors and assessment instructors in the CMMC ecosystem, who can certify that DIB companies meet necessary cybersecurity requirements.

Ms. Gingrich is a highly resourceful product executive with 20+ years of experience in delivering impactful results for bridging the gap between employers and individuals, through training and certification initiatives or by delivering innovating technology solutions. Prior to joining the Cyber AB, Ms. Gingrich was Senior Director of Products at leading global employment service provider Monster Worldwide, where she was responsible for the strategic vision, planning and delivery of Monster’s $90M portfolio of employer search products. Her tenure at Monster also included responsibility for the strategic vision and creation of software products and services for State and Local government agencies.

Prior to Monster, she served as Vice President Product, IT and Certification Content and Delivery Technology for top eLearning training solutions provider Skillsoft, where she was responsible for the overall strategy, marketing and delivery of Skillsoft’s $100M IT content and solutions portfolio. She also previously served as Vice President of Learning Innovation at CYPHERPATH, a provider of cybersecurity training and technology solutions. Earlier in her career, she was Senior Director of Products and Services for global trade association CompTIA, where she was responsible for the creation and maintenance of all of CompTIA’s international certification programs and the creation of the CompTIA continuing education program.

Ms. Gingrich holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Human Resource and Organizational Management from Loyola University, and is Pragmatic Marketing Certified – Level II. She also serves as Chair of the Academic Advisory Council for the Cyber AB.