JROTC-CS

Greg Bianchi

Senior Program Officer for Microsoft Philanthropies

Greg Bianchi is a Senior Program Officer for Microsoft Philanthropies, where the mission is to empower communities and nonprofits to realize the promise and potential of technology. This includes increasing equitable participation in high-quality computer science education so that all youth are future ready. Prior to joining Microsoft, Greg worked in the K-12 system and with nonprofit organizations on both district and statewide Computer Science and STEM initiatives.

Tina Boyle Whyte

Project Director, JROTC-CS CSforALL

I am Tina Boyle Whyte, the Project Director. I am excited to bring my knowledge and insight to this project, from 30 years experience in the United States Air Force, 20 years as a business/technology teacher and 5 years as a Computer Science Teacher in an urban classroom. For more questions, reach out to me at Tina@csforall.org.

John Cook

DoD oversight Representative

Mr. John Paul Cook is the Director for Outreach, Policy & Programs for the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Civil-Military Programs (CMP). CMP is comprised of: the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs; STARBASE a K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program; Youth ChalleNGe helping secondary shool students not been attending school regularly develop responsible habits and graduate high school; and Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) that supports using community improvement projects as military training experiences. Prior to becoming a DoD Civilian, Mr. Cook was an Army Reserve Officer and a contracted policy advisor and program manager.

In 1988, Mr. John Paul Cook was commissioned as an Army Reserve Transportation Corps Officer specializing in movements planning, coordination, and oversight. Although always “a traditional reservist”, he spent a lot of time on Active Duty. During the 1990s he was repeatedly sent to Europe to realign Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS) and retrograde excess “Cold-War” materiel to the US. Mr. Cook also helped plan and execute transportation missions supporting the Balkan peace keeping operations, and, as a Captain, had the distinction of being the first foreign officer embedded in the Austrian Ministry of Defense. After the attacks on 9/11 2001, Mr. Cook was again mobilized, this time to the Pentagon. Initially to the Logistic Operations Center’s “Crisis Action Team”, and then as Project Manager for two APS equipment sets. His skillful management of these critical APS sets under war-time conditions enabled them to support the pivotal “Surge” operations in Iraq. Mr. Cook left the Logistics field to become the Chief, Active/Reserve Component (AC/RC) Integration for the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Manpower & Reserve Affairs (ASA (M&RA)). In this position, he facilitated codification of the Operational Reserve within Army’s Total Force. He also championedseveral other initiatives to support RC members, families (especially the geographically remote), and civilian employers. Most notable were his efforts to align military occupational specialty (MOS) schools credentialing with their civilian vocational counterparts. In coordination with the Department of Transportation, his reciprocal Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) effort has been recognized as a “Gold Standard” with over 38,000 Veterans obtaining CDLs. During this time, Mr. Cook performed several temporary assignments within the office of ASA (M&RA) including a Congressional Fellowship (Rayhall, WV-3), Special Advisor to the Reserve Forces Policy Board, and Military Executive to the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee.

After leaving full-time active duty in 2013, Mr. Cook became an independent consultant working with several companies and clients. While supporting the Air Force Community Partnership Program, he championed a reform of the Air Forces Primary/Secondary Education Policy. Next he provided work force reform recommendations to Veteran Affairs, followed by supporting the Suitability, Security & Credentialing Line of Business’ (SSCLOB) holistic reform of how the Federal Government assesses and vets employee suitability, continuous evaluation, and adjudicates insider threats. Mr. Cook’s final contracted position was as the Senior Analyst for the Army Protection Program’s (G34) Critical Infrastructure Risk Management (CIRM) team where he oversaw implementation of strategic level Mission Assurance and pioneered counter unmanned aerial systems (cUAS) in the Homeland.

His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal (4 oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (4 oak leaf clusters), the Army Staff Identification Badge, and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold),

Mr. Cook is married to the former Ms. Shelly A. Good of Edinburg, Virginia. They have two children; Anna Christa (17) and Alexandra (16).

Rebecca Dalton

Director of Program Engagement, CyberPatriot (AFA)

Rebecca has been with CyberPatriot since 2013. In her current role as Director of Program Engagement, she oversees the outreach efforts for increasing participation in CyberPatriot’s various programs.

Ruthe Farmer

Founding Member, Chief Evangelist, CSforALL

Ruthe Farmer is a national advocate for gender equity and diversity in technology, and has focused her efforts on diversity in technology and engineering since 2001. At CSforALL, she serves as Chief Evangelist, working to invite new stakeholders to the CSforALL table - and make the table bigger. Prior to joining CSforALL, Ruthe served as Senior Policy Advisor for Tech Inclusion at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy focusing on President Obama’s call to action for Computer Science for All, led strategy and K-12 programs at the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), and implemented national tech and engineering programs at Girl Scouts of the USA. She has launched multiple national inclusion programs including Aspirations in Computing, TECHNOLOchicas, the AspireIT outreach program, Lego Robotics for Girl Scouts, Intel Design & Discovery and more. She served as 2012 Chair of CSEDWeek, was named a White House Champion of Change for Technology Inclusion in 2013, received the Anita Borg Institute Award for Social Impact in 2014, and the UK Alumni Award for Social Impact in 2015. Ruthe holds a BA from Lewis & Clark College and an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Oxford.

Brian Gonzalez

Senior Director, Public Sector Policy, Intel Corporation

Brian Gonzalez is the Senior Director for Public Sector Policy within Intel’s Government Affairs team based in Washington, DC. Brian started at Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California in 2000 and has taken on a range of senior leadership global roles. Most recently he was General Manager for Intel’s Global Education Sector; where he led a global business development team driving large scale national programs with partners to accelerate educational outcomes through technology adoption that covers the full spectrum of learning scenarios, including: university student innovation, teacher professional development, K-12 student learning technologies and personalized learning infrastructure.

Brian has traveled to over 100 countries; he is a frequent speaker on technology infrastructure for improved outcomes and global collaboration as a core competency of high performance teams. He was awarded Intel’s highest recognition: Intel Achievement Award in 2011 for his contributions to global education transformation.

Oona King

VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Snap Inc.

Allyson Knox

Senior Director of Education Policy, Microsoft

I am the DC education policy lead for the Microsoft Philanthropies team. I manage STEM education (particularly computer science), technology in education, and student privacy policy issues at state and federal levels. Testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education during a hearing, “How Emerging Technology Affects Student Privacy” in 2015 and the U.S. Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade during a hearing “Our Nation of Builders: Training the Builders of the Future” in 2013. At the state level - testified or engaged in public meetings in New York, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Ohio, and Alabama state capitols.

Karen Lanning

Executive Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy, The College Board

Sarah Lee

Director of School of Computing Sciences & Computer Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi

Sara Lee is the Director of the School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi. Previously, Sara was the assistant department head and an associate clinical professor in the department of Computer and Information Science in the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. She was also, Co-Director and Co-Founder of Bulldog Bytes, a K-12 teacher education and student outreach program for CS and cybersecurity learning.

While at MSU, she launched multiple programs to increase the participation of females in computing. In 2013, she initiated the Mississippi Affiliate Aspirations in Computing award program, in collaboration with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), for girls in grades 9 -12 in the state. Since then, multiple young women have been recognized and awarded scholarships through this program both at the state and national level.

Sarah was recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top in Tech award program in 2019. In 2016, she received the President’s Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Faculty Woman award at MSU. Her contributions were also recognized by her induction into the BCoE Academy of Distinguished Teachers in 2016 and with the BCoE Service Award in 2014. She was selected as an Inspiring Women in Stem by Insight into Diversity Magazine, in 2015.

Sarah holds a BS in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems from the Mississippi University for Women and a master’s degree in computer science from MSU. She earned her PhD in computer science from the University of Memphis. She is married to David M. Lee Sr. and has two children.

Erin Madden

Community Affairs Consultant, Capital One

Erin Madden leads Community Affairs for Capital One’s Design, Digital, Technology, Legal, and Staff Groups teams building community programming for over 12,000 Associates. Her team leads both philanthropy and volunteerism with a distinct focus in skills based volunteerism. Capital One’s giving strategy, Future Edge, helps communities prepare for the jobs of today tomorrow, with a philanthropic focus on 21st century skill development, small business development, financial well-being, and affordable housing. Erin supports key volunteer programs including the Capital One Coders program as well as Capital One’s HR Employment Readiness Program “HEART.” To date, Capital One Coders spans 10 cities and mobilizes Capital One Associates to inspire Future Software engineers through a 10-week coding program delivered to Middle Schools. Prior to Capital One, Erin spent 8 years leading Corporate Partnerships for Year Up, a leading workforce development organization focused on closing the Opportunity Divide. Erin graduated from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education with a BA in Human Development/Human Resources with a minor in Faith, Peace, and Justice. In addition, she holds her SHRM-SCP certification.

Kevin Nolten

Director of Academic Outreach, Cyber Innovation Center; Director (Outreach), CYBER.ORG

Kevin Nolten serves as Director of Academic Outreach for the Cyber Innovation Center and CYBER.ORG. With 13+ years of education management experience, six of which in K-12 education, Kevin is responsible for the operations of CYBER.ORG, an organization funded by a multi-million-dollar federal grant, charged with developing STEM, cyber, and computer science curricula, professional development, and other resources for K-12 educators, school districts, and state departments of education across the country. Kevin’s visionary passion and philosophy has led to the expansion of Cyber Innovation Center’s workforce programs to communities across the county – all with the goal of developing the next-generation cyber-literate workforce through community engagement. Kevin has been appointed to the Education and Workforce Development Committee of the Louisiana Cyber Commission, as well as the Louisiana Education and Technology Strategy Task Force. Outside of Louisiana, Kevin has been a pivotal part of state level Computer Science and Cybersecurity initiatives. Prior to joining the Cyber Innovation Center, Kevin served as an Assistant Principal of a K-8 school in Louisiana. Kevin is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master’s in Business Administration.

Alan Paller

Founder and Research Director, SANS Institute

Alan Paller founded SANS, a professional cybersecurity training school that trains more than 52,000 advanced cybersecurity technologists each year. He is also president of SANS Technology Institute, the nation’s first regionally accredited cybersecurity-only college and graduate school. Alan created the US Cyber Challenge and the U.S. CyberStart programs that enable high school and college students to discover whether they have an aptitude for successful cybersecurity careers and inspires and supports those who do as they develop their talent. He oversees a global program that identifies and celebrates people responsible for remarkable improvement in cyber risk reduction and chairs the annual RSA keynote panel on the “Five Most Dangerous New Attacks.” He has testified before the US Senate and House of Representatives and was an initial member of the U.S. President’s National Infrastructure Assurance Council. He was chosen by OMB and the Federal CIO Council as the 2005 Azimuth Award winner, a lifetime achievement award recognizing outstanding service of a single, non-government person to improving federal information technology. In 2010, the Washington Post named him one of seven people “worth knowing in cyber security.” Alan co-chaired the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Committee’s 2012 Task Force on Cyber Skills and headed the Task Force on Best Practices in Cybersecurity for the FCC Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council. Earlier in his career Alan helped build one of the first large software companies, took it public, and merged it into a larger company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He earned degrees in Engineering and Computer Science from Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sean Perryman

Director of Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Counsel, Internet Association

Sean Perryman is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Counsel at Internet Association. He is responsible for leading IA’s policy efforts around artificial intelligence (AI), diversity, inclusion, and immigration-related policies at the local, state, and federal level.

Prior to joining IA, Sean served as Counsel on the House Oversight Committee, Democratic staff where he conducted investigations and advised on technology policy including AI, cybersecurity, and privacy issues. Before working on the Oversight Committee, Sean practiced civil litigation both in Texas and D.C.

Sean earned his B.A. from City University of New York- Baruch College. He received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Dr. Davina Pruitt-Mentle

Lead for Academic Engagement of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Dr. Davina Pruitt-Mentle serves as Lead for Academic Engagement of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Prior to joining NICE, she was a senior researcher and policy analyst for Educational Technology Policy, Research and Outreach (ETPRO) and served as the Co-PI for the National Science Foundation (NSF) supported National Cyberwatch Center (NCC). Previous to NCC leadership, she served as faculty within the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, and served as Director of Educational Technology Outreach within the College of Education at UMCP from 2001-2008. She has spent the past 20 years conducting research on student and educator cyberawareness, and developing programs to help increase the cybersecurity workforce pipeline. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Technology Policy from the University of Maryland, her M.Ed from Lynchburg College, and her B.S. from Virginia Tech.

Maureen Reyes

Executive Director of AP Program Management, The College Board

Maureen Reyes is the Executive Director of AP Program Management at the College Board where she led the largest course launch in AP’s 60-year history, AP Computer Science Principles. She is committed to giving all students the opportunity to develop a passion for computer science. Under her leadership, there has been a 300% increase in Black and Latinx students participating in AP CS and a 250% increase in female participation since 2016. Her current responsibilities include leading new program and course development initiatives and managing new AP programs like AP with WE Service Learning and AP Mentoring. Maureen holds an MBA from Fordham University and a BA in Psychology from New York University.

Joe Rice

Director of Government Relations, Lockheed Martin Space

Joe Rice is the Director of Government Relations for Lockheed Martin Space. He is a Colonel in the Army Reserve with five combat tours of duty in Iraq and one peacekeeping tour in Bosnia. Joe is on the Board of the Colorado Space Business Roundtable and is active with the Colorado Space Coalition and Citizens for Space Exploration. He also serves as an appointee of Governor Hickenlooper on the Colorado Aeronautical Board. He is a former member of the Colorado State House of Representatives, and a former mayor of the City of Glendale, Colorado.

Dr. Chris Stephenson

Head of Computer Science Education Strategy, Google Inc.

Dr. Chris Stephenson is the Head of Computer Science Education Strategy at Google. In this role she works with internal Google teams and external computer science organizations globally to support rigorous education research and to improve computer science teaching and learning. Prior to joining Google in 2014, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Computer Science Teachers Association, launching the organization in 2004. Stephenson has numerous research publications in computer science education and has written several high school textbooks. Stephenson is the co-chair of the ACM Education Board and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for Inroads Magazine. She is a Distinguished Member of ACM.

Todd Taylor

Founding Member, Chief, Program Development National Director, Air Force Junior ROTC

Todd Taylor is the National Program Development Director for Air Force Junior ROTC. In this role he oversees Outreach and Engagement, the Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy and Cadet Leadership and Development Requirements. Mr. Taylor is responsible for program development at approximately 900 high schools and 125,000 students worldwide. Todd began his military career in the Alabama Air National Guard. He entered Active Duty as a commissioned officer in 1990 as a Distinguished ROTC Graduate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He holds a Master’s Degree in International relations from Troy University and a Certificate in Financial Planning from Georgetown University. He is a Senior Pilot with over 2,200 flying hours in rotary and fixed wing aircraft. During his career, he held various operational, training, diplomatic, and command assignments. Mr. Taylor retired from the Air Force in December 2014 in the grade of Colonel. He spent two years in the financial industry before joining Air Force Junior ROTC. He and his wife Shelaine have been married for 23 years and have two children.

Tony Woods

Fellow, Schmidt Futures

Tony Woods is a Fellow focused on addressing the National Security risks posed by emerging technologies and building strategic partnerships that enable Schmidt Futures to execute its vital work. Previously, he worked for The Boston Consulting Group and served as a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration.

Monica McGill

President/CEO, CSEdResearch.org

Dr. Monica McGill started her career at the National Computer Security Center, which later became integrated with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). Since then, she has worked in industry and academia, where she taught computer science and interactive media for 15 years. Currently, she heads the non-profit CSEdResearch.org, continuing in her work researching and evaluating K-12 computer science education and is the ACM-W North America Chair (2019-2021). She serves as the Program Evaluator for the JROTC-CS project.