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INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER NEWS [Signal](Signal Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) EDITORIAL POLICY: Chapter News must be received by the 20th of the month two months prior to publication date. Alaska JBER IT Expo The chapter, in coordination with FBC Incorporated, sponsored the 7th Annual IT Expo at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. The event brought vendors together to provide information on their products to the military sector in Anchorage. Cisco and McAfee provided presentations on current information technology issues, awarding continuing education units for those in attendance. The night prior to the expo, FBC hosted an evening social event for vendors and AFCEA Alaska members at the Glacier Brewhouse, a popular restaurant. Alaska Communications and Verizon started the upcoming 2015 STEM fundraising cycle by presenting sponsorship checks to Lt. Col. David Elder, USA, chapter president. The 2015 STEM event will be held in April of next year. Annual STEM Night The chapter, in cooperation with the University of Alaska-Anchorage (UAA), held its annual STEM night in April at Gorsuch Commons on the UAA campus. Bob Whicker, the director of the Consortium for Digital Learning at the Association of Alaska School Boards, was the keynote speaker. He described real-world projects throughout rural Alaska, where students are collect-ing data for NASA, flying unmanned aerial vehicles, measuring ice depths, forecasting earthquakes and participating in other projects that serve their community's needs. Lt. Col. David Elder, USA, chapter president, presented seven STEM grant checks for $ 1,000 each to Kathy Baker from Anchorage Christian School, Kayla Wind from Big Lake Elementary School, Bryan Schneck from Faith Lutheran School, Katie Schroeder from Mears Middle School, Gerald Cyphert from Wasilla High School, Scott Hickox from Girdwood K-8 School and Michael Backus from Twindly Bridge Charter School. STEM sponsors this year were Alaska Communications, GCI, Teamsters, Copper River IT and New Horizons Telecom Incorporated. Lt. Gen. Tom Case, USAF (Ret.), UAA chancellor, provided the facilities for the evening. Argentina Science Teaching Tools Award Goes to Navy School In May, the Military Naval Lyceum Almirante Storni in Misiones won the 2013 Science Teaching Tools Award for "Restoring Science Laboratory." Rear Adm. Emilio Nigoul, ARA (Ret.), chapter president, presented a check and certificate to Rear Adm. Ricardo R. Christiani, ARA, director general of education of the navy, on behalf of teacher Carlos A. Tykal. The project will allow the school to recover and restore lab equipment to provide a space where cadets can apply knowledge of physics, chemistry and biology. Atlanta Air Force Reservist Receives Scholarship The chapter awarded a $1,500 scholarship to Cadet Peter Holloway, USAF, at its May luncheon. Cadet Holloway is in his third year at Southern Polytechnic State University, majoring in mechatronics engineering. He is in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and pursuing a commission through ROTC. Both his father and grandfather served in the Air Force. As a reservist, he was deployed to Bagram Airfield with the 755th Civil Engineering Squadron. While there, he taught local Afghans basic carpentry skills, enabling them to find future employment. Atlanta Hosts FEMA Region IV DCO Col. Jan Apo, USA, defense coordinating officer, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IV, spoke at the chapter luncheon in May at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. Col. Apo works directly with FEMA and is the U.S. Defense Department representative during planning and, more importantly, during disaster periods. Her job is to ensure affected people and property are rendered safe as soon as possible after an event. Region IV is the largest of the eight FEMA national regions. Col. Apo has a tremendous communication capability to coordinate with active-duty bases and forward basing stations. She sometimes finds her duties placing her on site in specialized communications vehicles such as the Emergency Reaction Vehicle (ERV). The colonel and her staff provided the chapter with a hands-on tour of this powerful communication command node after the lunch. Bonn e.V. Young AFCEANs Meet Up at Bonn TechExpo German Young AFCEANs teamed up again for a joint event at this year's AFCEA Bonn TechExpo in May. With Master Sgt. Todd WeingerofF, USAF, of the Kaiserslautern Chapter, exhibitors and visitors had the chance for an exclusive Young AFCEAN guided tour, the third Young Leadership Forum and a reception. The meeting in Bonn was part of a series of joint events of Young AFCEANs from all of the German chapters. Young Leadership Event in Bonn About 30 young professionals and leaders discussed careers in the military, academia and industry at the third Young Leadership Forum in May. Every other year, the Young AFCEAN Council of the Bonn e.V. chapter organizes this forum. With high-ranking officers and industry leaders as well as professors, the group had the chance to get firsthand insights on how to work on their personal careers. Central Maryland 7th Annual Race for Excellence The chapters 7th Annual Race for Excellence 5K & Fun Run was held in May at Leidos in Columbia, Maryland. The race benefited the AFCEA Central Maryland STEM Scholarship Fund, which provides merit-based college scholarships to local high school seniors. Thanks to the support of the 956 participants, 25 race sponsors, volunteers and many local companies donating their time and resources, the race raised more than $55,000 for the scholarship fund. Sixty-two teams participated this year to compete for the coveted team awards. Tiber Technologies won Fastest Team, with its four fastest runners finishing the 5K in a combined 1:34:45. Varen Technologies Incorporated won Largest Team for the third year in a row, with 94 participants in the 5K. WIIG Spring Speaker Event In April, the chapter's Women in Intelligence Group (WIIG) held its Spring Speaker event featuring guest speakers Dr. Deborah Frincke, associate director for education and training, National Security Agency/ Central Security Service; Dawn Meyerriecks, deputy director for science and technology, CIA; and Christina Monaco, deputy director, Office of Corporate Communications, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Nearly 100 industry representatives attended the event, hosted by Raytheon, with the topic "The Leadership Toolbox." The speakers' candid discussions surrounding the tools necessary for leadership was compelling to those in attendance. One attendee stated, "It is wonderful to attend events with very powerful, highly respected women and know that they have faced and continue to face the challenges each of us do on a daily basis. Hearing their stories and what the^ were able to accomplish ... is an inspiration: Another attendee expressed, "... As someone in the beginning of my career, I loved hearing about how they handled struggles and that they truly did face the same decisions many of us do." Czech Multimedia Communication and Security The Czech Cyber Security Working Group, AFCEA and the Police Academy organized the 47th Security Seminar, focused on "Multimedia Communication and Security," in June. Fifty experts, mainly from government and academia, attended the seminar. Because multimedia data can be shared easily, the need to ensure their secure transmission and usage has become urgent. Multimedia communication has become an important part of daily life. The wrong security techniques can burden the data with excessive impact to business. Three industry representatives from ATS Telcom, TTC Telekomunikace and Cisco Systems and two representatives of academia presented their views about potential threats, multimedia solutions, security and legal aspects. The organizers offered two students, who are members of AFCEA student clubs, the opportunity to speak. Lubomir Aimer from the University of Defense focused on security for PDF files and how to analyze them against malware. Alena Pejcochova from the Police Academy focused on cellphones as evidence in crime investigations. First CEE Student Symposium In May, a two-day conference, "Cyber Security-Results and Challenges," was held at the International Best Western Hotel. The event was preceded by a tour around the National Cyber Security Center. The tour and both days of the conference were attended by Josef Pozar, Ph.D., dean of the Faculty of Security Management, National Police Academy of the Czech Republic. He was joined on day two by the vice dean of the same faculty, Oldrich Krulik, Ph.D., and five students. The second afternoon was marked by the first "international" meeting of AFCEA student club members in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The event was held at the University of Defense in Brno. Students from the Police Academy of the Czech Republic, University of Defense and Armed Forces Academy or General Milan Rastislav Stefánik gave presentations. Greater Omaha Speakers Discuss Developer-Client Relationship In May, Rex Brown, program manager, and Carolyn Wendover, senior data analyst of OxBow Data Management Systems, Omaha, Nebraska, discussed the company's development methodology with the chapter. Brown discussed the significance of fostering open dialogue between developer and client. He said the rate of development needs to be streamlined because it's imperative to put something out the door that is current and usable. The company utilizes a six-step process for its development: conceptualization, collaboration, development, internal beta, external beta and software launch. Brown elaborated that during the internal/external beta approach, they use three different models (small, medium, large), where three trusted clients are given 60 days to test the tool. Wendover commented that the company must practice discipline in customer engagement; it only wants to refine features and not add new requirements. In parting, Brown clarified the biggest challenge as building a quality product as quickly as possible. Hawaii Luncheon Features Cybersecurity Speaker In June, the chapter welcomed Sanjeev "Sonny" Bhagowalia, chief adviser on technology and cybersecurity to the governor of Hawaii. He spoke about establishing Hawaii as a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in the Asia-Pacific region. For the seventh year in a row, AFCEA International recognized the chapter as a Model Chapter of the Year. Executive of the Month for May was Epooni Perkins, director of sales for national accounts, Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa. Senior Government Leader of the Month for May was Bob Marcial, chief spectrum manager, U.S. Pacific Command J-613. AFCEAN of the Month was Jake Ross, Computer Network Defense section chief, U.S. Pacific Command. Young AFCEAN of the Month was Senior Airman Jacob Dean, USAF. Senior Government Leader was Lt. Col. Scot Hodgdon, USA. Signal Command Presentation In May, the chapter welcomed Maj. Gen. James T. Walton, USA, commanding general, 311th Signal Command (Theater), who spoke on building partner capacity and cyber engagements. Three chapter members were recognized by AFCEA International in 2014. Cathy Burtless, AFCEA Hawaii Educational Foundation chairperson, received the Meritorious Service Award for meritorious contributions to AFCEA and to the community. Jane Ferreira, AFCEA Hawaii Educational Foundation executive director, received the Medal of Merit for her dedication to the association. Cory Lindo, chapter president, received the Leadership Award for his sustained contributions to the association and leadership skills. The chapter recognized Elise Uyehara and Daniel Kimoto, both from Hawaii Baptist Academy, as Students of the Month. For creating 30 training videos used across the Air Force, Senior Airman Patrick Orr, USAF, was recognized as the Young AFCEAN of the Month. For her dedicated volunteerism with the AFCEA Hawaii Educational Foundation, Moune Tabalno, Verizon, was recognized as the AFCEAN of the Month. STEM: A Wine-Tasting Event In April, the AFCEA Hawaii Educational Foundation (AHEF) held its inaugural fundraising event. The well-attended event was a wine tasting and silent auction gala at the Plaza Club in Honolulu. The evening was emceed by Gunnery Sgt. Patrick Tyrrell, USMC (Ret.), and included wine tastings and pupus (appetizers), live music by Brian Chang and Michael Chung, raffles and a silent auction. Funds raised will be used to support scholarships and grants awarded to deserving students and educators. Special thanks goes to: Farrah Burke, AHEF secretary; Cathy Burtless, AHEF chairperson; Craig Chang, AHEF treasurer; Jane Ferreira, AHEF executive director; Adm. Richard Macke, USN (Ret.), AHEF director; Danny Matsushita; Moune Tabalno; and Natalie Young-Aranita, AHEF marketing and communications director, for organizing a great event along with volunteers Russell Au, Dave Burtless, Dave Grumling, Cory Lindo, Susie Macke, Gary Murakami, Shelley Rowley, Donna Russell and Eddie Saridell. Lexington-Concord Speaker Discusses Acquisition The chapter hosted a breakfast at the DoubleTree Bedford Glen Hotel, Bedford, Massachusetts, in May. Bud Vazquez, chapter president, welcomed participants and introduced featured guest speaker Richard Lombardi, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. Lombardi provided an update on the Air Force budget to attendees, noting that the service is facing tough choices. It must absorb billions in reductions by seeking efficiencies, eliminating redundant capabilities and cutting overhead while balancing capability, capacity and readiness. Lombardi emphasized that initial requirements and strategy will determine program success or failure, so it will be even more critical for the Department of Defense and industry to continue to communicate openly and often. Los Angeles Air Force Base CCAF Graduation Ceremony At the Los Angeles Air Force Base Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) graduation ceremony in May, the chapter awarded scholarships totaling $3,000 to four airmen. Each airman also received a complimentary one-year AFCEA membership. The recipients of the scholarships were: Senior Airman Levi Mburu, USAF; Staff Sgt. Amanda Holmes, USAF; 1st Lt. Justin Tullos, USAF; and Staff Sgt. Raymond Ball Jr., USAF. Monterey Marine Captains Receive Awards The chapter presented the 123rd quarterly Electrical & Computer Engineering and 25th annual Joint C4I AFCEA John McReynolds Wozencraft academic honor awards in June at the historic Hotel Del Monte McNitt Ballroom to two Marine captains, Capt. Douglas Columbus, USMC, and Capt. Kevin McMullen, USMC, who earned two Master of Science degrees. Montgomery Education Foundation Recognizes Local Students In May, the chapter's Education Foundation hosted its Annual Awards Luncheon in conjunction with the Montgomery Information Technology Summit (MITS). The chapter awarded High School Information Technology Summer Internships to five graduating high school seniors: Evan Brand, Taylor Hopper, Jared Hunter, Guillermo Ravelo and Jayron Wilkerson. Each winner received a $2,500 college scholarship, an HP laptop and a 10-week paid internship with one of the following companies: Array Information Technology, Disruptive Technology, eSolution Architects, Integrated Computer Solutions and IndraSoft. The chapter awarded an Education for Industry scholarship valued at $5,000 each to the following four rising college seniors: Gerard Crawford, Troy University; Cordarius King, Alabama State University; Keimargeo McQueen, Troy University; and Brianna Moore, Alabama State University. The chapter also awarded a $5,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scholarship to Dr. Melvin A. Lowe III, education coordinator and work force development administrator, Macon County Career and Technical Education Center. The chapter awards concluded with the presentation of donations valued at $2,500 to deserving robotics programs at Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School and Floyd Middle Magnet High School. MITS Conference Boasts Impressive Presentations, Attendance In May, the chapter hosted its annual Montgomery Information Technology Summit (MITS) at the Renaissance Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, Montgomery, Alabama. The event drew a diverse crowd of more than 700 professionals from industry and government and featured an impressive lineup of speakers discussing the topic "Navigating Todays DoD Information Maelstrom." The conference agenda included speakers from leadership positions within the U.S. Defense Department information technology community, current and former military operators and intelligence professionals, and lively panel discussions. Conference presentations began after a brief introduction by Chapter President Lt. Col. Leonard Boothe, USAF. Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, USAF, chief, Information Dominance, and chief information officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, kicked off the day's agenda, followed by Maj. Gen. Steven Kwast, USAF, commander, Curtis E. Lemay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and vice commander, Air University; Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess Jr., USA (Ret.), Auburn University; Col. Stephen Monks, USA (Ret.), Defense Acquisition University; Herbert Hunter Jr., director, Air Force Enterprise Service Division; Andrew White, research vice president, Gartner; and Maj. Gen. Craig Olson, USAF, program executive officer for C3I and networks. In support of the Education Foundation, the chapter also hosted its Annual Tom Brantley Charity Golf Tournament at Wynlakes Golf Club. Donations generated from the event totaled more than $140,000 for the Education Foundation to put toward supporting various science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives. More than 50 companies made charitable donations and attended the event in support of the Education Foundation. Northern Virginia Naval IT Day Content Creates Huge Draw The chapter hosted its 13th Annual Naval IT Day in June. Attracting both government points of contact and industry, the program presented some of the best networking the federal market has to offer. Both small businesses and large prime contractors benefited from presenters, including Vice Adm. Ted Branch, USN, deputy chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance and director of Naval Intelligence, and Terry Halvorsen, acting Defense Department chief information officer, who outlined Naval priorities and answered questions from the audience. 2014 Golf Tournament Raises $30K for STEM In June, the chapter hosted the 2014 Golf Tournament at Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge, Virginia. This event provided an excellent opportunity for industry and government points of contact to network, share ideas and have fun. This event raised more than $30,000 for the chapters science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scholarships and grants. Ottawa Luncheon Focuses on Cybersecurity In June, the chapters professional development luncheon focused on the "Cyber Security Challenge," specifically, on the topic "Anatomy of a Cyber Attack." The speaker was Tom Levasseur, an expert in information technology security on a ¿obal level. Annual Charitable Golf Tournament The chapter presents special Corporate Awards each year at its annual golf tournament, this year in May. Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre The chapter's May professional development luncheon explored the topic of the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre going forward, looking at how Canadian computer emergency and incident response capabilities nave emerged since the center's change in mandate in 2012, and what lies ahead. Gwen Beauchemin, director of the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre, was the speaker. Portugal Seminar Addresses Information Security and Risk Management In May, the chapter and IDC Portugal organized a seminar on "Information Security and Risk Management in the 3rd Platform" at the Joint Defense Institute (IESM) in Lisbon. The event attracted more than 200 attendees, including members of the armed and security forces, government organizations, academia and research centers, and industry. José Torres Sobral, National Security Authority, delivered the keynote address, showing the status in the development of the newly created National Cyber Security Center in Portugal. Paulo Amaral, chapter vice president and professor at Catholic University, spoke about "Intelligence and Counterintelligence in Economic Security," pointing out that the economy depends on businesses, and if they are attacked, the economy will be compromised. Other speakers included Orlando Fontan, a consultant in project management and information security and professor at European University; Carla Zibreira, information technology security director at Praesidium; Timoteo Figueiro from IDC; and Dinis Fernandes from Unisys Portugal. Rocky Mountain Chapter Gives Back to Community With STEM Scholarships In May, the chapter held its Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner at the Colorado Springs Antlers Hotel. Paula Miller, executive director, Pikes Peak Library District, spoke on the importance of lifelong learning and the library's cultural and practical role in facilitating it within the community. She also previewed the opening of the country's most innovative library; Library 21C opened June 21 in Colorado Springs. The evening's highlight was the presentation of more than $100,000 in scholarships and grants. Eight high school students received renewable $2,000 scholarships to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees. Three airmen received $2,000 scholarships and two teachers received $5,000 scholarships toward STEMbased education degrees. The most farreaching award was the $30,000 in grants. This year the chapter supported 12 El Paso County high schools. The grants covered telescopes, microscopes, math textbooks, gas chromatographs, forensics kits, graphing calculators and robotics kits. Finally, three local science fair winners were honored. Rome Security of Territory. Methodologies and Technologies In June, the chapter held a conference, "Security of Territory: Methodologies and Technologies for Disaster Prevention and Emergency Management," at the National Firemen Corps High School, organized with Sapienza Rome University and the Geomatics Laboratory of the University of LAquila. The audience was provided with a comprehensive overview of the main topics related to disaster prevention and, in case of seismic risks, to disaster management and mitigation actions. Lt. Gen. Pietro Finocchio, ITAF (Ret.), chapter president, welcomed the audience. A speech from professor Massimo Guarascio highlighted the need for suitable prevention and planning in case of natural disasters such as earthquakes. Maria Zucconi, University of Rome, illustrated the benefits of using geographic information systems (GIS), by land mosaic, for supporting rescue activities. Professor Massimo Buscema, Semeion, gave the final speech, describing how complex mathematics could help with new information gathering, beginning with data enabling system behavioral model definition. Slovak Event Focuses on Cyber Policy In May, more than 90 cyber experts discussea cyber and security topics during Defense Fair-IDEB 2014, organized in Bratislava, Slovakia. The seminar focused on cyber policy and strategies and international cooperation. It brought attention to important security topics and helped maintain networking between cyber experts on the national and international level. Paul A. Schneider, former deputy secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, opened the seminar, focusing on the vision for cyber, future challenges and international cooperation. Chris Stace, senior project manager, European Defence Agency, who provided an overview of European cyberdefense strategy, opened a session on cyber policy and international cooperation. A panel discussion on international cooperation with Dr. Radim Polcak, Masaryk University of Brno, and Dr. Miroslav Brvnistan, National Security Authority, Slovakia, followed. The last session focused on cyber forensics and special solutions. Representatives of AFCEA student clubs also attended the event, providing a great opportunity to share information between experts and future professionals. South Carolina Low Country Chapter Awards Scholarships to Charleston-Area Graduates The chapter awarded more than $45,000 in academic scholarships to 15 college-bound Charleston-area students during its May luncheon meeting. The chapter raises funds for the scholarships through its spring and fall golf tournaments, actively supported by its more than 300 members and industry supporters. The 2014 scholarships were awarded to: Matthew Alford, Stratford High School; Sean Carter, Pinewood Academy; Caroline Churchill, James Island Charter High School; Olivia Coyle, Pinewood Academy; James Duncan, Northwood Academy; Alta Hiott, First Baptist School; James Huey, Porter-Gaud School; Morgan Ingerson, Stratford High School; Lauren Jackson, Berkeley High School; Bryce Kunkle, Berkeley High School; Samuel Lopez, Pinewood Academy Jessica Mack, Fort Dorchester High School Michael Marshall, Ashley Ridge Fligh School; Vijay Soni, Hanahan High School; and Mary Welsh, Summerville High School. The chapter has provided scholarship awards in the past several years to local Charleston-area high school students who chose to pursue undergraduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Tidewater Member of Congress Speaks The chapter was honored to have Rep. Scott Rigell (D-VA) of the commonwealths 2nd District speak at its May luncheon. Rigell spoke about several concerns that impact the Hampton Roads area, including budget deficits, fiscal year 2014-2015 funding and defense spending. The chapter also said farewell to president Col. Glenn Powell, USAF, and thanked him for outstanding leadership. Steve Kelley, AFCEA Virginia regional vice president, was on hand to swear in the chapters new president, Col. Rick Folks, USAF. Tidewater STEM Events Matt Wilbur, the Menchville High School robotics coach, and Justin Langley, the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) coordinator for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Systems Center, provided an update on the schools "Triple Helix" robotics team in May. The robotics program provides students with a fundamental background involving engineering, fabrication, electronics and computer programming. The chapter and Aaron Mills of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing participated in the "Science of Flight" event at Calvary Christian Academy. Another Successful TechExpo Bonn E.V. About 2,000 visitors and exhibitors visited the Bonn Bonn E.V. town hall for the 28th AFCEA Bonn TechExpo in May. The event was bigger than ever before, with 111 exhibitors showing their solutions for the armed forces and homeland security organizations. This year's symposium focus topic was interoperability. High-ranking speakers of the German armed forces, NATO, federal police and academia presented their views and solutions on this topic. Maj. Gen. Erich Staudacher, GEAF, chapter president, stated: "All the technological solutions are important, yet the lack of communications makes interoperability a challenging task." Chapter News Online For extended articles and information on how your chapter can be published in SIGNAL, visit ?; r www.afcea.org/signal/chapternews (c) 2014 Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association |