Annapolis, MD |  June 5 – 6

The 2023 Maryland Defense Forum will be a unique professional development opportunity for leaders from installations, defense communities and defense-related industries across the Old Line State. It will be a unique opportunity for military community representatives to meet with their on-base counterparts and state and federal officials to focus on resiliency, mutual support and coordination on key issues and mission assurance.

Who Attends?

Stakeholders from across Maryland and the greater Mid-Atlantic region

Community leaders committed to supporting installation missions, service members, military families and veterans

Military installation leaders from Maryland bases

Federal and state government collaborators

Defense Industry Partners and Federal Contractors

KEY TOPICS INCLUDE:

Defense budget issues at the state level

Emerging military legislative themes in Maryland

Best practices for military-civilian support organizations

Maryland military infrastructure challenges

Federal grant opportunities

Identifying greatest needs

Community-installation partnership case studies

Agenda

Monday, June 5

8:00 AM

Registration Opens

9:00AM – 9:45AM

General Session Opening

Welcoming Remarks

  • Governor Wes Moore (recorded message)

10:00AM – 11:45AM

The Intersection of Technology Innovation and Workforce

#1 Session: Workforce Attraction and Retention

Moderator:

  • John Zuknick, VP of Business and Industry Solutions, Anne Arundel Workforce Development

Panelists:

  • Jennifer Hill, Chief of Staff to the Chief Talent Management Officer (CTMO), DoD
  • Dawn Pulliam, Lead, Lockheed Martin Sustainment Institute
  • Mary Hubbard, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)
  • Angie Lienert, CEO, IntelliGenesis

    #2 Session: Innovation Collaboration – Academia and Industry

    Moderator:

    • Dr. Christopher Wilhelm, Program Manager, NSWC Indian Head Division

    Panelists:

    • Dr. Eileen Abel, Executive Director, University of Maryland at  Southern Maryland (USMSM)
    • Dr. Joseph Teter, Director of Technology Transfer, NAVSEA Carderock  Division
    • Dr. Rosemary Shumba, Chair of Computer Science Department, Bowie State University
    • Mary Keller, Special Grants Administrator, EARN Program; Maryland Department of Labor
    • Sonny Sandelius, Director, SANS Workforce Development; SANS Institute

    #3 Session: Creating the Technical Workforce of Tomorrow

    Moderator:

    • Jill McClune, Army Alliance, Co-Chair of MMIC Workforce Working Group, MD Labor Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Council

    Panelists:

    • Gina Best, Program Manager, Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program (MATP), Maryland Department of Labor
    • Jennifer Brown, Workforce Development and Programs Director, The Patuxent Partnership, SoMD 2030
    • Shomari Zachary, P-TECH Coordinator Joppatowne High School, Harford County Public Schools
    • Kevin Wajek, Director of Instruction, Anne Arundel County  Public Schools
    • Niki Falzone, Executive Director, Platoon 22

    12:00PM – 1:00PM

    Keynote Speaker Luncheon

    More information coming soon.

    1:15PM – 2:45PM

    Strengthening Maryland's Defense Industrial Base

    #1 Session: Achieving Supply Chain and Revenue Diversification

    Moderator:

    • Mike Kelleher, Executive Director, MD Manufacturing Extension Partnership

    Panelists:

    • Ella Herz, Executive Vice President, Orbit Logic
    • Elizabeth Hines, Vice President, Maritime Applied Physics Corporation
    • Ron Huther, Director for International Business Development, Thales Defense & Security
    • Jerry Chao, Senior Director, Global Supply Chain & Strategic Sourcing; Northrop Grumman Corporation

    #2 Session: Small Business Engagement

    Moderator:

    • Mark Amtower, Founding Partner, Amtower & Company

    Panelists:

    • Sean Dennis, President & CEO / Co-Founder, US Bomb Technician Association (USBTA)
    • Tamera Rush, President & CEO, TENAX Technologies
    • Melissa Peterson, CEO, Blue Sky Innovative Solutions
    • David “Dave” Busigo, Jr., (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP)

    3:00PM – 4:30PM

    Future Technology Capability Needs

    #1 Session: Hypersonics, Directed Energy, & Advanced Materials

    Moderator:

    • Dr. Daniel Cole, Program Manager, Mechanical Behavior of Materials, US Army Research Office, FCDD-RLR-ET (TE); U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory

    Panelists:

    • Dr. Trevor Hedman, Senior Technical Lead, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)
    • Dr. Brandon McWilliams, Deputy Program Manager, Weapons and Materials Research; U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory
    • Dr. Jeff Maranchi, Acting Program Manager for Signature, Electromagnetics, and Energy Research; Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
    • Marshall (Steve) Hynes, Senior Scientist/Technical Manager for Aero Mechanics and Hypersonics, NAWCAD
    • Wade Griswold, Director, Propulsion Systems & Controls Strategy & Business Development, Northrop Grumman Corporation
    • Dr. Gianna M. Valentino, Assistant Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Maryland

    #2 Session: ChemBio, Human-Machine Interface, and Trusted AI & Autonomy

    Moderator:

    • Mary Hubbard, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)

    Panelists:

    • Matt Scassero, CAPT USN (ret), Director of Operations and Outreach, UMD MATRIX Lab at USMSM
    • Dr. Jim Dillman, Chief Science Officer, US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense
    • Dr. Amar Marathe, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory
    • Dr. Greg Gremillion, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory
    • Dr. Nicole Rosenzweig, Chief, CBRNE Assessment Division; U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Chemical Biological Center

    #3 Session: C5ISR, Microelectronics, and Quantum Science

    Moderator:

    • Krist Zimmerman, 316 WG Community Planning Liaison, Joint Base Andrews

    Panelists:

    • Dr. Albert Davydov, Group Leader, Material Science and Engineering Division at NIST; Co-Lead, Quantum Materials Workgroup at Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance
    • John Monk, Director Micro Systems Technology Center, Northrop Grumman Corporation

      5:00PM – 7:00PM

      Reception

      Tuesday, June 6

      8:00 AM

      Registration Opens

      8:30AM – 10:00AM

      Creating Installation Resilience

      Track 1: Installation and Community Engagement: Federal Resources

      Moderator:

      • Claire Reynolds, Associate Vice President, Federal Infrastructure Asset Management Division, Salas O’Brien

      Panelists:

      • Patrick O’Brien, Director, DoD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation
      • Ivan Bolden, Chief, Army Privatization and Partnership Office
      • Paula Monachelli, Director of Basing, Office of the Assistant Secretary
        of the Navy (EI&E)
      • ToniAnn Fisher, Director, Air Force Partnerships & Mission Sustainment Office

      Track 2: Installation Resilience Planning: Federal Resources for Resiliency Projects

      Moderator:

      • Jill McClune, Army Alliance, Association of Defense Communities

      Panelists:

      • Patricia Gray, Program Lead, Compatible Use, DoD Office of Local  Defense Community Cooperation
      • Elizabeth Kendrick, Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program Analyst
      • Lt. Col. Jake Bowen, USAF SAF/IE, Finance First USAF Energy Resilience Pilot Program
      • RADM Mark Belton (Ret.), Project Partner, Throwe Environmental

      Track 3: Increasing Military Value: Your Defense Community

      Moderator:

      • Dawn Gile, Maryland State Senator and Military Spouse

      Panelists:

      • Kathy Roth-Douquet, Co-Founder and CEO, Blue Star Families
      • Besa Pinchotti, CEO, National Military Family Association
      • Dr. Becky Porter, President & CEO, Military Child Education Coalition
      • Gina Stewart, Chair, Fort Meade Community Covenant Council

      10:15AM – 10:30AM

      Networking Break

      10:30AM – 11:45AM

      Building Resilience from Within

      Track 1: Installation and Community Engagement: State Resources

      Panelists:

      • Tom Sadowski, Executive Director, MEDCO
      • Lisa Swoboda, Senior Director, Office of Military & Federal Affairs, Maryland Department of Commerce
      • Kim Mozingo, Director of Federal Programs, TEDCO
      • Pamela Minor, Procurement Counselor, Maryland APEX Accelerator

      Track 2: Installation Resilience Planning: Community Partnerships in Action – MIRR Case Study:  NSA Annapolis

      Moderator:

      • Cyrena Eitler, Strategic Planning Advisor, Stantec

      Panelists:

      • Zoe Johnson, Community Planning Liaison Officer, NSA Annapolis
      • Jacqueline Guild, Deputy City Manager: Resilience & Sustainability, City of Annapolis
      • Dan Nees, Director, Policy and Finance, Throwe Environmental

        12:00PM – 12:30PM

        General Session Closing Remarks

        • ADC President Karen Holt

        Register

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        Does your organization want to play a larger role at the Maryland Defense Forum?

        There are multiple opportunities for organizations to get maximum visibility at this important event. For more information, please contact Maggie McAlexander at mmcalexander@defensecommunities.org.

        Event Location

        Westin Annapolis
        100 Westgate Cir, Annapolis, MD 21401

        Room block is sold out.

        Westin Annapolis

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