VIP Lunch
The VIP Networking Lunch and Fireside Chat is an invitation-only gathering designed to extend the conversation from the morning conference in a more intimate setting.
Hosted by The George Washington University College of Professional Studies, in collaboration with The Cyber Guild, this curated experience offers participants the opportunity to share insights, deepen connections, and engage in thoughtful dialogue on the critical challenges shaping cybersecurity today.
Welcoming Remarks by GW President Granberg, CPS and The Cyber Guild
Dr. Liesl Riddle
Dean, College of Professional Studies,
The George Washington University
- Read Dr. Liesl Riddle's Bio
Liesl Riddle, Ph.D., is the dean of George Washington University's College of Professional Studies (CPS) and an associate professor of international business and international affairs. She oversees innovative programs designed to empower students in key industries and leads schools and centers such as the Graduate School of Political Management and the GW CyberForge. Previously, she served as vice dean for strategy at GW’s School of Business, where she launched top-ranked online programs and spearheaded significant enrollment growth. A renowned scholar, Dr. Riddle’s research focuses on diasporas' roles in economic development and international entrepreneurship, with numerous publications and consulting engagements worldwide.
Debbie Sallis
Founding Executive Director,
The Cyber Guild Foundation
- Read Debbie Sallis's Bio
Debbie Sallis founded The Cyber Guild, a nonprofit advancing diversity, inclusion, and leadership in cybersecurity through education, mentorship, and industry collaboration. She previously established Coaching Conversations, empowering leaders through inclusive, values-driven approaches.
With 30+ years of global leadership experience, including senior HR roles at BAE Systems and consulting at Telos Partners, Debbie is a recognized thought leader. She serves on boards including The Washington Center and the Technology Advancement Center.
Her leadership has been honored by Marquis Who’s Who and peer-reviewed awards, highlighting her impact on industry transformation.
Bryan Ware
Co-Chair, The Cyber Guild; Founder and CEO of GraySpace Technology
- Read Bryan Ware's Bio
Bryan S. Ware is a technology leader and entrepreneur with deep expertise in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. He is the Founder and CEO of GraySpace Technology, an AI-based cyber solutions company serving the national security community.
Previously, he co-founded Digital Sandbox, leading it until its acquisition, and served as the first Presidential appointee as Assistant Director for Cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Bryan has founded and scaled multiple companies, raised venture and private equity capital, and advised governments on emerging technologies. He serves on boards of leading AI and cyber firms.
Fireside Chat Q&A
The lunch will feature candid discussions with industry leaders from across the cybersecurity community, along with dedicated time for meaningful networking with speakers and fellow attendees. Our moderator and panelists include the following:
Stacy O'Mara
Senior Director, Cybersecurity Services Group, Venable LLP
- Read Stacy's Bio
Stacy O’Mara is a results-oriented professional with more than 25 years of experience navigating the cybersecurity, homeland security, and defense industries. She counsels clients on issues related to cybersecurity policy, incident response, and risk management. Stacy is a meticulous and insightful advisor whom her clients know they can count on for creative solutions to their most pressing cybersecurity and national security needs. She is passionate about providing a unique advisory perspective that enables her clients to engage with governmental and non-governmental organizations in a meaningful and productive way.Prior to joining Venable, Stacy was the Head of Advanced Cybersecurity Solutions and Partnerships for Mandiant, Inc., a global cybersecurity company, now part of Google Cloud, where she oversaw cybersecurity delivery and operational capabilities for U.S. public sector partners and partner nations. She represented Mandiant in a variety of public-private sector partnerships to develop and contribute to whole-of-community plans to defend against and respond to cybersecurity attacks. Stacy advocated for federal funding and policy to directly support strategic programs and initiatives, including for the Defense Department and Intelligence Community and all federal civilian agencies. In this role, Stacy monitored and analyzed a broad range of cybersecurity issues, including data breaches, elections security, data privacy, U.S. defense and response to foreign hacking, U.S. posture in cyberspace, cyber incident reporting, IoT, and AI.
Stacy began her career on Capitol Hill as a research analyst for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and since then has performed a variety of congressional, policy, and public relations functions for various agencies including the Defense and Homeland Security departments.
She also worked as an analyst at Bloomberg Government where she managed a portfolio of issues related to defense, homeland security, cybersecurity, intelligence, and foreign affairs.
Stacy has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Tech, a Master’s degree in Public Policy from George Mason University, and an Executive Master in Cybersecurity from Brown University.
Jason O'Connor
Intel Sector President,
Leidos
- Read Jason's Bio
Jason O'Connor is a corporate executive vice president of Leidos and serves as the president of Leidos' Intel sector. In this role, he leads over 5,000 professionals, developing a wide variety of programs for the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Department of War. He oversees programs that support classified U.S. programs including cyber, software development, cloud innovation, AI/ML, deep analytics, intelligence analysis and linguistics.
O'Connor brings over 30 years of experience in dynamic business leadership, driving innovation in technology and delivering mission-critical solutions to some of the nation’s most complex challenges. Prior to his current role, O'Connor held several senior leadership positions at Leidos, where he oversaw the company’s Cyber & Analytics, National Solutions and Homeland Security businesses. In these roles, he led the delivery of advanced software solutions, mission-enabling capabilities and analytic services to key agencies throughout the Intelligence Community.
O'Connor earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a master’s degree in telecommunications and computers from George Washington University. O'Connor is a prominent leader in the cyber and intelligence field and actively contributes as a member of the Billington CyberSecurity Advisory Board.
Vitaliy Panych
Chief Information Security Officer, State of California
- Read Vitaliy's Bio
Vitaliy Panych serves as the State Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for California, where he leads the strategic defense of the nation’s largest state digital economy. In this role, he oversees the California Department of Technology’s Office of Information Security, responsible for safeguarding the nation's largest collection of state digital assets across more than 140 departments and agencies.
Since his appointment by Governor Gavin Newsom, Mr. Panych has spearheaded high-impact initiatives to modernize the state’s defensive posture, including the development and execution of "Cal-Secure," California’s first multi-year cybersecurity roadmap. His leadership focuses on building resilience through inter-agency collaboration, strengthening the state’s cybersecurity workforce, and establishing governance for emerging technologies, including Generative AI.
Mr. Panych previously served as the Agency CISO for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. His work has earned him national recognition, including the NASCIO Thomas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award and the CyberScoop 50 Government Leadership Award.
Chris Rodriguez
Assistant City Administrator,
District of Columbia
- Read Chris's Bio
Dr. Christopher Rodriguez is the Assistant City Administrator for the District of Columbia. He is responsible for the cross-agency collaboration and results delivery for the Government Operations Cluster, which includes agencies like the DC Human Resources (DCHR), Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP), and Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). He works with District Government leaders at multiple levels to drive decision-making and enhance operational impact.
Prior to his current role in the Office of the City Administrator, Dr. Rodriguez was the Director of the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) from 2017-2023. In that role, he served as the Homeland Security Advisor and State Coordinating Officer for the District of Columbia, and the State Administrative Agent for homeland security federal grants funding for the District and National Capital Region. During that time, Dr. Rodriguez led the COVID-19 incident response for the District, which was recognized as among the strongest in the nation. He oversaw supply procurement, hiring and training response teams, and identifying physical space needed to carry out necessary activities such as testing, vaccine disbursement, and other essential community and business-related tasks. He also led emergency response operations for the District during the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Dr. Rodriguez’s career in public service began when he joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. As a senior analyst in the Counterterrorism Center, he monitored terrorist groups in the Middle East and South Asia to identify and counter threats to the US and its allies by closely collaborating across federal, state, and local levels. From 2009-2011, he was deployed to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels as a key U.S. interlocutor during the Euro crisis. He has also served as Director of New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
Dr. Rodriguez received a B.A. from Williams College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Notre Dame.
For more information about the VIP Luncheon, contact Jess Hyland at jesshyland1
gwu [dot] edu (jesshyland1[at]gwu[dot]edu).