Speakers

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 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.
 

Janet Rehberg leads the Strategic Initiatives Business Unit with responsibility for operationalizing longer-term strategies to position Chattanooga for the future through emerging opportunities.
 
With 20 years of leadership experience in the energy sector, her career reflects a depth of technical and operational expertise as well as a strong commitment to innovation, sustainable operations and community benefit. Before joining EPB, she served as Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President of Engineering for Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Aledo, Texas.
 
Rehberg holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tulsa and an MBA from Capital University. In addition, she has earned numerous professional certifications including Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Demand Side Manager (CDSM) and Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach (EQI).
 
Rehberg is a long-standing member of the Women’s International Network of Utility Professionals, serving as president in 2014 and winning the organization’s Honorary Life Award in 2021. She has also served on numerous non-profit, community and professional boards and has been recognized as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Project Mentor Match of the Year (2011) and as the Touchstone Energy Brand Champion in 2018.
 

Charles Tahan helps build quantum computers at Microsoft Quantum. Prior to joining Microsoft, he led the National Quantum Initiative as Assistant Director for Quantum Information Science and Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. From 2009 to 2024 Dr. Tahan worked at the National Security Agency's Laboratory for Physical Sciences in various roles including Principal Investigator, Program Manager, Office Chief, Technical Director, and Chief Scientist, ultimately overseeing programs in quantum computing, high performance computing, and sensors. He served as chief technical consultant for quantum information science and technology programs in DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) while at Booz Allen Hamilton from 2007-2009. His contributions to quantum computing have been recognized by the NSA Researcher of the Year Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, election as a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and as an ODNI Science and Technology Fellow.

Dr. Sharon Goldberg is a Product Director on Cloudflare's SASE team where she also leads efforts to deploy post-quantum cryptography in Cloudflare products. She has a PhD in cryptography and network security from Princeton University and is currently also a computer science professor at Boston University. She has authored multiple IETF standards, published over 30 peer-reviewed technical papers in cybersecurity, and has been awarded a NSF CAREER Award and a Sloan Fellowship. She was the founder and CEO of BastionZero which was acquired by Cloudflare in 2024.

Mary Evanston is a senior executive and strategic technologist with over 25 years of distinguished leadership in business development, capture management, and technical innovation within the federal technology market.

Currently serving as Federal Capture Executive in IBM’s Federal Technology Sales Team. Mary spearheads strategic initiatives across federal agencies, integrating advanced IBM technologies to secure high-value federal opportunities and drive organizational growth.

Mary's technical expertise is underscored by her continuous learning mindset including a rigorous foundation in Mathematics earned from Indiana University, a planned 2025 completion of a Master of Science in Data Science at the University of Virginia, and beginning her advanced studies in Computational Engineering – Quantum Computing at Purdue in Spring 2026. She futher achieved a professional certification in Quantum Computing from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), solidifying her command of emerging technologies and analytical methodologies. Mary also serves as an IBM Quantum Ambassador where she contributes to industry thought leadership and promotes awareness and adoption of quantum technologies to address federal and defense sector challenges.

Throughout her career, Mary has led teams to many billions of dollars in federal contract
awards, leveraging sophisticated solutions in advanced technologies. Her roles at leading
technology firms such as Lockheed Martin, AT&T, Booz Allen Hamilton, and CACI further highlight her consistent ability to innovate, strategize, and execute complex technology-
driven initiatives successfully.

Mary Evanston continues to serve as a trusted advisor, strategic leader, and technological
innovator, committed to advancing technical solutions at the forefront of federal
technological transformation.

Matt Mickelson is MITRE’s Senior Principal for Research in MITRE Labs’ Cyber Technology Office, and he leads MITRE’s work at the Post-Quantum Cryptography Coalition.  Mickelson has 25 years of experience conducting and coordinating research, and integrating emerging technologies including cyber, cryptography, AI, resiliency for critical infrastructure, and autonomy. He is responsible for the strategic guidance and execution of cross-cutting research and emerging technologies at MITRE. The Post-Quantum Cryptography Coalition is a community of technologists, researchers, and expert practitioners driving progress toward broader understanding and public adoption of post-quantum cryptography and the associated National Institute of Standards and Technology standards. 

Ryan McKenney is the General Counsel for Compliance and the Director of Government Relations at Quantinuum, a leading integrated quantum computing company. In these roles, he lead legal compliance efforts and direct government relations efforts from Quantinuum’s Washington DC office. Previously, Ryan McKenney was an attorney in the Privacy and Technology Transactions group at Orrick LLP where he focused on tech transactions, CCPA and GDPR Regulation, and cyber policy compliance.

Ryan is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US and CIPP/E) for both American Privacy Law and GDPR, and holds graduate certificates in AI and Business from Wharton and in Blockchain and Quantum Computing from MIT. He is a co-founder and chair of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C)'s Legal Committee and an adjunct professor of law at Loyola Law School, where he teaches classes about technology and privacy and AI, and Vanderbilt Law School, where he teaches courses on AI and Quantum Technology.

At Vanderbilt Law School, Ryan served as the Symposium Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and acted as student counsel in the Youth Advocacy Clinic. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with honors, where he was an Ingram Scholar.

Chris Teale is the managing editor for Route Fifty, where he covers state and local government technology.