Speakers

Robert (Bob) Costello is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). As the CIO, he leads the Agency’s efforts to develop, deploy, secure, and support technology solutions for the agency.

Prior to this, he was a Public Sector Civilian Strategic Advisor at World Wide Technology. In this role, he engaged with federal government customers to identify and solve their most complex challenges, leveraging his extensive federal agency experience to develop and deliver innovative solutions that meet their needs and serve their mission.

Bob brings a wealth of experience serving over 13 years at DHS, both at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. He also served as the Senior Executive Service as the Executive Director (XD) of the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) Enterprise Networks and Technology Support Directorate (ENTSD) at CBP, as well as serving concurrently in the role of Acting XD of the Border Enforcement and Management Systems Directorate. During his tenure in ENTSD, he oversaw the modernization of the largest data network in DHS, improved connectivity to cloud service providers, and dramatically increased the agency’s usage of mobility platforms. He also oversaw the agency’s movement to the TIC 3.0 framework and implemented zero trust solutions at the network level. He led the operations of the agency’s land mobile radio network, the National Law Enforcement Communications Center, and maintenance of the non-intrusive inspection systems utilized at all ports of entry. He also directed all software development for the U.S. Border Patrol, and all of the agency’s mission support systems, moving over 100 applications to a SECDEVOPS development methodology. He was also heavily involved in implementing IT solutions for COVID-19, redesigning remote access solutions and deploying several new applications.

Earlier in his career, Costello served as the Deputy Executive Director (DXD) and acting XD for OIT’s Field Support Directorate (FSD) supporting information technology, radio systems, and enforcement technologies worldwide, as well as worked at ICE as the Director of Network Engineering overseeing networks worldwide and implementing solutions for mobility and datacenter migrations, e-discovery, and collaboration solutions. Costello is a nine-year veteran of the U.S Air Force and U.S. Air Force Reserves. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Fordham University and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and Project Management Professional.

Matt Gilkeson brings 15 years of proven leadership in information technology with a talent for coalition building, identifying complex organizational priorities, advocating change management and directing resources to recruit, engage and lead diverse teams to exceed goals in product delivery. He is innovative in identifying solutions in design, development and delivery through creative emerging capability and technology systems integration. 

In 2024, Matt was appointed to the role of Chief Technology Officer/Chief Data Officer, a new TSA Senior Executive Service position created to strengthen data governance, data sharing, technology innovation and TSA’s use of Artificial Intelligence. The role will provide leadership, a comprehensive data strategy and parody across the federal government and private sector for that responsibility, given TSA’s heavy reliance on data.

From 2019-2023, Matt served as the Division Director for the Innovation Task Force (ITF) within the Requirements and Capabilities Analysis (RCA) at TSA. The ITF fosters innovation by integrating key stakeholders in the identification, demonstration, and characterization of emerging solutions in an effort to increase security effectiveness and improve passenger experience. As a founding member of ITF, Matt helped lead the rapid strategy and delivery of enhanced security screening technology by deploying over 170 automated screening lanes. The new technology has increased efficiency by up to 30% and saved over $120 million in federal budget costs. 

Prior to joining TSA, Matt astutely achieved collaboration across the functional advocates for the United States Marine Corps Training and Education Command. He capitalized on his domain expertise in delivering strategic information technology solutions to enhance the Marine Corps Training Information System interface with the Defense Readiness Reporting System – Marine Corps. In 2016 and 2019 Matt received the DHS Secretary's Award for his work on the Innovation Task Force. He is a graduate of James Madison University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in integrated science and technology.

Mr. Marlan Macklin is the Deputy Principal Director for FutureG in the Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). The FutureG Office guides
DoW research, funding, and execution of programs developing 5G and future generation wireless technologies. In his current position, Mr. Macklin is responsible for ensuring the office’s strategic alignment, overseeing budget execution, and providing program execution oversight.

Mr. Macklin’s career is deeply rooted in international cooperative defense acquisition
programs. Prior to joining the FutureG Office, he served at the U.S. Mission to NATO as Chief of
the Communications & Electronics Division, advising on acquisition strategies, emerging
technologies, and U.S. industrial base engagement in Europe. As a Country Programs Manager
within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
(OUSD(A&S)) and former Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology
& Logistics, he advanced cooperative programs, negotiated international agreements, and
enabled foreign industrial participation with allies across the Indo-Pacific and Middle East.

During the pandemic, Mr. Macklin served as the OUSD(A&S) representative on the Secretary of
Defense’s COVID-19 Task Force supporting DoW’s contributions to domestic and international
COVID-19 response activities. In other assignments throughout his career, Mr. Macklin
advanced Foreign Military Sales, armaments cooperation, and security assistance policy in U.S.
Army organizations including the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Defense Exports & Cooperation; the Program Executive Office for Command, Control,
Communications-Tactical; the Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command;
and the Army Materiel Command.

At U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Dr. Edward J. Mays currently holds the Senior Executive Service position of Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC), Infrastructure and Support Services (ISS), Chief Enterprise Infrastructure Officer (CEIO), and Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) for the Office of Information and Technology.

Dr. Mays has over 30 years of experience in delivering IT business systems, applications, and infrastructure in the Marine Corps, industry, and the federal government. Dr. Mays (Colonel USMC, Ret.) served many years working with Information Technology (IT) and Software Development for logistics and intelligence programs supporting the U.S. Marine Corps operational forces. He created a major Marine Corps logistics system used in the Marine Corps for over 25 years and is a veteran of numerous combat actions across the globe. In 2008, Dr. Mays became the Director, Effects Based Operational Assessment for Multinational Forces, Al Anbar, Iraq, where he played a substantive role in the return of Anbar Province to the government of Iraq. He also served in the U.S. Operations in Afghanistan, delivering IT capability, and supporting the Afghan National Acquisition Agency.

Dr. Mays earned a Bachelor of Science from University of Florida and a Master’s Degree in Information Technology from the University of Southern California. Additionally, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School and earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Science with a focus on artificial intelligence and robotics. He also obtained a Doctor of Information Technology from Capella University in 2020.

In 2016, Dr. Mays was selected as the Executive Director for the Enterprise Data Management and Engineering Division in OIT. In this role, he engineered cost effective, secure, and reliable IT solutions, and built the framework for Cloud computing at CBP.

In March 2022, Dr. Mays was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for OIT’s Infrastructure and Support Services organization, which combined three infrastructure organizations under his purview. The organizations have an enterprise focus: Field Support Directorate (FSD), Enterprise Infrastructure Operations Directorate (EIOD), and Enterprise Cloud Services Division (ECSD). The new organizational structure created internal efficiencies and executed the new ECSD to complete CBP’s migration to the Cloud more affordably, effectively, and securely. Ultimately providing a modern, reliable IT infrastructure (Cloud, Networks, Mobility, etc.) and 24/7 year-round support services serve as the backbone for technology solutions that deliver critical capabilities at the speed of mission.

Dr. Mays also serves as the OIT Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE), aligning IT investments (digital services) across the overall IT Portfolio. He has served at levels allowing him to excel as The Chief Enterprise Infrastructure Officer (CEIO), bringing IT Service Management, IT Operations Management, IT Service Delivery (automation focused – digital services delivery), Technology Business Management, and the Agile Methodology together in a synergistic manner to meet the complex CBP mission.

In January 2024, Dr. Mays was presented with the 2023 Federal 100 award, a prestigious honor awarded to leaders in the federal IT community to those who have made the greatest impact. He was selected from a panel of government and industry senior executives resulting from the difference he’s made in the way IT is used to advance vital government missions.

Robert “Bob” Osmond was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Commonwealth of Virginia by Governor Glenn Youngkin in April 2022. In this role, he leads the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), overseeing the state’s IT strategy, operations, and innovation efforts. 

Bob brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors. Prior to his appointment as CIO, he served as Chief of Technology and Business Strategy at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), where he led IT initiatives, process improvement, and strategic innovation. He previously served as the Division Administrator of VDOT’s Information Technology Division. 

Before his tenure at VDOT, Bob was an executive partner at IBM where he led national practices focused on application development, organizational change management, and human capital management. He has advised Fortune 500 companies and federal cabinet-level agencies on strategic planning, business transformation, and global process improvement. 

Bob earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Virginia Tech and is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He is also a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute and has taught at the George Washington University School of Business. 

In recognition of his leadership, Bob received the State Executive of the Year award from StateScoop in both 2023 and 2025. 

Amy Ritualo is currently the Deputy Chief Data and AI Officer and Statistical Official of the Department of State. Prior to joining the Department of State and Center for Analytics, Ms. Ritualo served as the Deputy Chief of the Office of Performance and Quality at the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In this capacity, Ms. Ritualo managed several enterprise-wide portfolios, including forecasting and staffing allocation models used to inform the agency’s resource allocations and fee rule, and the agency’s internal and external data and statistical reporting on immigration benefits. She earned a DHS Secretary’s Award for her role in promoting transparency and open data through the launch of the H-1B Employer’s Data Hub. Ms. Ritualo began her USCIS career in 2016 in the Office of Policy and Strategy as the acting division chief of the Research and Evaluation Division. In this capacity, she managed several research and evaluation programs and partnerships.

Prior to joining USCIS, Ms. Ritualo managed numerous research and evaluation projects of multimillion-dollar school feeding, agricultural development, and trade programs in the Foreign Agricultural Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also managed research and evaluation projects to advance the evidence base and development of statistical methodologies for measuring child labor and force labor in the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking at the U.S. Department of Labor. In this capacity, Ms. Ritualo served as the lead U.S. delegate and drafting committee member of the first statistical resolution on child labor at the International Conference of Labor Statisticians. She also earned a DOL Secretary’s Exceptional Achievement Award for her contribution to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in cocoa producing areas in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.  Amy lived and worked in Geneva, Switzerland while serving as a researcher at the United Nations International Labor Organization. 

Ms. Ritualo has a graduate degree in Demography from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Western Washington University. She lives in Rockville, Maryland with her husband and two children, a senior at Walter Johnson High School and junior at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Mr. Smith is the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer’s General Counsel and a member of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s AI Taskforce. In this role he authors handbooks, guidance, and internal training materials for DC government personnel, and serves as the legal and technical expert on AI for other executive leadership within DC government. He has taught continuing legal education courses covering, inter alia, AI governance at the state level, the responsible use of AI tools, fundamental limitations in the faithful explanation of neural networks’ hidden layers, the legal risks arising from the existence of large Rashomon sets, adversarial attacks on neural networks, the due process implications of the use of AI tools in adjudication, emerging technology in the area of AI, and the technical foundations of language models, synthetic agents, computer visions systems, and neural networks generally.

With 20 years of data industry experience in both the public and private sectors, Matt Sokol focuses on improving data for organizations with people, process and technology through team building, data strategy and governance. 

Currently serving as the Chief Data Officer for the DC Government Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), his portfolio includes GIS, Big Data and Data Integration, Data Visualization and Analysis and Data Strategy. Matt supports the city through a unified data approach, by breaking down silos to implement enterprise solutions that will benefit the District residents, businesses, and visitors. For multiple fiscal years, he has chaired DC’s Information Technology Investment Review Board, aimed at informing city leadership on the high profile and large budget IT projects. Matt is also a member of the Mayor’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force, advising OCTO and Mayor Bowser on AI solutions and their alignment with DC’s values on AI. He was a key leader in the creation of DC Compass, DC government’s first generative AI solution, built on top of the Open Data DC platform.

Dr. Sterling Thomas is GAO’s Chief Scientist in Science, Technology
Assessment, and Analytics.

Prior to joining GAO, he was the Chief Scientist at Noblis, a Reston, VA
based research institute overseeing their applied research programs for
the past 13 years. Sterling has also served as a principal investigator for research programs
funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Advanced
Research Projects Activity. His work has included creating new methods regarding synthetic
biology, strategies for decoupling qubits for improving error correction in quantum computing,
methods for using artificial intelligence to detect decentralized coordinated cyber-attacks, and
network-based optimization algorithms to detect abnormalities in public equities markets.

He also worked with the institute’s executive council to develop their five- and ten-year research
strategy. Sterling also served as the Deputy Chief Technology Officer and collaborated with the
institute’s professional development department to create data science and cyber analytics
training programs in partnership with George Mason University (GMU) and George Washington
University. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at GMU, sits on the Dean’s Advisory Board at
GMU’s College of Engineering and Computing, along with sitting on Virginia Commonwealth
University’s Center for Biological Data Science Advisory Board.

Sterling’s contributions have been recognized across industry including by Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers for best paper utilizing machine learning methods in detecting breast
cancer, and at his former institute where he received the Science and Technology Achievement
award. He has also been awarded four patents and has multiple pending patent applications.
Sterling earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Life Sciences from VCU, a Master of
Business Administration from Columbia University, and Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion
University.

Kevin Walsh is a Director in the Information Technology and Cybersecurity team at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Since joining GAO in June 2006, he has overseen work on various critical areas, including artificial intelligence, Chief Information Officer authorities, the Census, cybersecurity, cyber insurance, global cybercrime, the Department of Defense's financial management, legacy IT systems, and major modernization efforts across the government.

His leadership has significantly contributed to GAO's High Risk areas, notably in Ensuring the Cybersecurity of the Nation and Improving IT Acquisitions and Management. Additionally, Walsh has highlighted the challenges associated with modernizing the Federal Aviation Administration's IT systems, highlighting that such efforts will require substantial time and financial investment.

Prior to joining GAO, Kevin worked as a financial analyst. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in economics and received a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Tech. He currently resides in Maryland with his wife and children.

Joe joined AMD in 2024 and currently serves as Senior Director, U.S. Public Sector. Prior to joining AMD Joe was Vice President and General Manager for HPE’s Global 500 business across United States from 2021 to 2024. Joe also led HPE’s U.S. Public Sector from 2013-2021 leading the team to more than double the annual revenue to over $2.5B.

Joe also worked at Dell from 1999 to 2012 growing through multiple leadership roles from Regional Manager through Vice President & General Manager for Dell’s U.S. Federal business. 

Prior to joining Dell, Joe held various leadership positions with the U.S. Army as an aviation officer.

Joe resides in Oakton, Virginia with his wife Lisa and their three children, Austin, Ashley, and Alex. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Management from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. His military training includes Flight School, Ranger, Airborne, and Air Assault.

Mike Raker is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Maximus, joining in April 2024. As CTO, he leads the Technology and Innovation organization within the Office of the Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) to set strategic technology direction for the company. Mike is a technology executive with experience in large defense and government contracting across the globe. He is highly experienced in developing innovative technology-driven business strategies to transform businesses at scale, ranging from foundational research, internal innovation, acquisitions, venture fundraising and business exits, and establishing mutually beneficial relationships across large and small organizations.

Prior to joining Maximus, Mike was CTO at Improbable Defence, a U.K.-based defense unit (now Skyral). He led all product development, strategy, governance, roadmap development, and alignment with an international business development pipeline and numerous other aspects of the business, including foundational contract wins. He also forged major partnerships and funding strategies for small to large businesses across multiple business lines. Before that, Mike worked at Leidos in several leadership positions, including CTO, Chief Engineer for C4IRSR Systems, and Vice President and Director of Software, overseeing the development of the technology and innovation strategy for a large and diverse international software and solutions pipeline.

Mike is deeply involved in the University of Virginia (UVA) as an Entrepreneur in Residence for UVA’s Licensing and Ventures Group and serving on the Board of Trustees for UVA’s Engineering Foundation. He advises the University and the UVA Seed fund (a venture capital fund with university focus) on the commercialization of academic research and innovation with an emphasis on engineering and the public sector/national security, as well as life sciences and other pan-university applications.

Jon Huang leads Outbound Product Management for ServiceNow App Engine, a market leader in low-code, process automation, and agentic AI app development. He drives GTM strategy, customer adoption, and product alignment for the platform, with a current focus on enabling agentic AI apps that reason, act, and collaborate autonomously across enterprise workflows.

With over 25 years in enterprise software, Jon has deep expertise in product management, solution development, and platform strategy. Previously, he was Senior Director of Product Management at Oracle, where he led global strategy and GTM for Oracle Integration, powering SaaS applications including ERP, HCM, and CX.

Jim has been in the technology field since the beginning of his career, and he was in the first class at his college to matriculate with a Computer Science degree.  Jim spent the first 10 years of his career as a Computer Programmer and then moved on to roles as a Product Manager, Pre-Sales Consultant and now as a Sr Manager.  In 2007 Jim joined Pegasystems as a Solutions Consultant and then a Solution Consulting Manager before joining ServiceNow in 2021 as a Sr Manager in Solution Consulting.

Natalie Alms is a staff reporter at Nextgov/FCW covering federal technology policy, service delivery, customer experience and the government's tech workforce. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (N.C.) Post.

David DiMolfetta covers cybersecurity for Nextgov/FCW. Previously, he researched The Cybersecurity 202 and The Technology 202 newsletters at The Washington Post and covered AI, cybersecurity and technology policy for S&P Global Market Intelligence. He holds a BBA from The George Washington University and an MS from Georgetown University.

Edward Graham is a technology reporter for Nextgov/FCW, where he reports on national security technologies and policies, the Department of Veterans Affairs and election security issues. He received his master’s degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University in 2016. 

Aaron Heffron has nearly 30 years of experience in research and analysis in various industries and sectors, including the federal government, trade associations, technology, television and radio, and telecommunications. As President for Insights and Research for the GovExec Media Group, Aaron brings together various research and information sources across the organization including international aerospace and defense trends with Forecast International and Military Periscope and branding, marketing and sales strategy insights from Market Connections and the Government Business Council to help clients get the information they need to make good business decisions.

Prior to its acquisition by GovExec, Aaron was President of Market Connections, a market research company providing qualitative and quantitative research services and strategy advice to the government contracting community. He is a regular speaker on topics of federal, state and local government business trends as well as marketing and communication strategies and prides himself in working collaboratively to develop product, marketing and program plans based on sound information.

Prior to joining Market Connections, Aaron worked with The NPD Group, Inc. (now Circana) integrating syndicated consumer data with federal, state and local government agencies. He founded some of the first public/private partnerships with the U.S. Department of Commerce and Bureau of Labor Statistics to improve economic indicators and data gathering practices. As Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Research for Harris Interactive he facilitated a multi-continent strategic planning process for the US Department of State, ran product trials for the Open Mobile Video Coalition and facilitated focus groups with first Americans in Alaska and South Dakota.

He has his masters degree in public policy (MPP) from Georgetown University and a BA in leadership studies and economics from the University of Richmond in Virginia.

Alexandra Kelley reports on emerging technology for Nextgov/FCW. Her most recent post was covering breaking news for The Hill where she focused on a variety of quantitative subjects, including Big Tech and the economy, in addition to covering the coronavirus pandemic since late 2019. She graduated from Kenyon College in 2017.

Kaitlyn Levinson digs into how data and analytics are used by state and local governments to boost efficiency, streamline operations and improve services delivery.