Executive Leadership Forum

Tony Coulson leads cybersecurity education and institutional collaboration at California State University, San Bernardino, where he is a professor and executive director of the university’s cybersecurity center. He also leads the CAE Community National Center, supporting collaboration among colleges and universities engaged in cybersecurity education.

At CSUSB, he has directed more than 35 grant-supported cybersecurity projects with a combined value exceeding $75 million. He helped build an interdisciplinary cybersecurity program connecting business, computer science, national security studies, criminal justice, and public administration. The program holds a Center of Academic Excellence designation in Cyber Defense Education.

Coulson has advised Congress, federal agencies, and private organizations on cybersecurity matters. His professional background includes more than 17 years in industry as an executive and entrepreneur before entering academia. He earned his doctorate in Management Information Systems at Claremont Graduate University.

S. Terri Gómez became president of California State University, San Bernardino on August 3, 2026. A first-generation college graduate and Inland Empire resident, she brings extensive experience in academic leadership, student success, and regional educational partnerships.

Before joining CSUSB, Gómez served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Cal Poly Pomona, beginning in 2023. Her work addressed advising, student support, graduation outcomes, access, and institutional effectiveness. Her leadership also included academic innovation, artificial intelligence in teaching and learning, career-connected education, enrollment planning, and K–16 partnerships.

Gómez joined Cal Poly Pomona’s faculty in 1999 in Ethnic and Women’s Studies, later becoming a full professor and department chair. She subsequently held positions as interim associate dean, associate vice president for Student Success, and associate provost for Student Success, Equity and Innovation.

She began her college education at San Bernardino Valley College and earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in political science at UCLA.

Vice Admiral Pete Garvin graduated with merit from the United States Naval Academy in 1989 having earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics). He is a 2005 graduate of the National War College, earning a Master of Science in National Security Strategy and a 2015 alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI.

Prior to attaining flag rank, his operational assignments included service with the “Pelicans” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 45, where he was named the 1995 Association of Naval Aviation Pilot of the Year; department head with the “Mad Foxes” of VP-5; navigator aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), where he served as flag navigator for the embarked Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 6; executive officer and 59th commanding officer of the “Fighting Tigers” of VP-8; and commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 10.

Shore assignments include service as flag lieutenant to Commander, Patrol Wings Atlantic (CPWL), and Commander, Task Force (CTF) 84; instructor pilot at the P-3 Fleet Replacement Squadron, VP-30; Washington placement officer at the Bureau of Naval Personnel (PERS-441); executive officer to the Director, Operational Plans and Joint Force Development Directorate (J-7), Joint Staff; federal executive fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); undersea warfare branch head in the Assessments Division (N81) and deputy director of Unmanned Warfare Systems (N99) on the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations staff; and executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Flag officer assignments include service as the 22nd Commander of Navy Recruiting Command; Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group; the 20th Commander of Naval Education and Training Command; and, most recently, as the 58th President of the United States Naval War College.

His decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (five awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Air Medal (two strike/flight awards), and various personal, unit, and campaign decorations.

José-Marie Griffiths became chancellor of Dakota State University after serving for 11 years as its 23rd president. Her work focuses on partnerships, research, economic development, innovation, and public service.

During her presidency, DSU expanded its enrollment, research capacity, facilities, and relationships with government and industry, strengthening its role in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and technology education.

Griffiths has held presidential appointments to the National Science Board, the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee, and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. She also served on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, including as chair of its Workforce Subcommittee.

Her career includes projects for more than 28 federal agencies, collaborations with major corporations, and work in more than 35 countries. She serves on the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health board and as an independent director of Daktronics. She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Brandon Dues is the Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director for Cyber Workforce at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) where he coordinates U.S. cyber policy for workforce and innovation. Prior to joining ONCD, Brandon served in a variety of U.S. governmental roles for operations, strategy, and policy, including within the Department of War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the U.S. Export-Import Bank. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School and a master's degree in National Security Strategy from the U.S. National War College.

Mark Gorak leads strategic engagement between the Department of War (DoW) and academia as Director of the Cyber Academic Engagement Office and Principal Director for Resources & Analysis within the CIO organization. He oversees the CIO’s core functions, driving cyber workforce development in the DoW and ensuring effective planning, budgeting, and execution of the IT and Cyber Budget.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Gorak served as the Deputy Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). In this capacity he served as the senior advisor to the Director with a focus on attracting and cultivating mission-driven, world class talent to transform the Department of War through the integration of artificial intelligence.

From November 2019 to March 2021, Mr. Gorak served as the Director of People Analytics within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASA M&RA). As a senior advisor to M&RA, he was responsible for developing, managing, and synthesizing the research design, strategy, and policies to ensure Army personnel data is visible, accessible, understandable, trusted, interoperable, and secure.

Prior to entering civil service, Mr. Gorak served in the United States Army for over thirty-three years. He began his military service as an enlisted truck driver who was inspired to become an Army leader and later retired as a Colonel. As on officer, he served on the Joint Staff as a Division Chief responsible for implementing military and civilian personnel policy, talent management and readiness, reducing joint individual augmentees by 40% returning Service members back to Services, directly increasing readiness. He also served in the Office of the Secretary of War, Cost Assessment Program Evaluation (OSD-CAPE) as a program analyst. In this role, he established and led a DepSecDef wargaming group whose aim was to revitalize, synchronize and prioritize Department wargaming efforts. He founded the Department’s Defense Wargaming Alignment Group as well as the warfighting lab incentive fund, which provided operational concept innovation through experiments and demonstrations.

His previous military experience includes serving as an OH-58 Scout helicopter pilot in 1st Cavalry Division; C-12 King Air, fixed-wing aviator with XVIII Airborne Corps, commanding Charlie Company 228th theater aviation company; Headquarters, United States Military Entrance Processing Command serving as lead operations analyst; Army G-1 as branch chief for military personnel programs responsible for program and execution of military pay; and the US Army manpower analysis agency where he served as a senior analyst. He also served with Joint Task Force-Iraq (JTF-I) as Deputy J5 evaluating US force presence conducting strategic assessment of the theaters progress in achieving campaign objectives resulting in revisions to implementation plans.

In addition to his military assignments, Mr. Gorak has chaired various Military Operations Research Society working groups for over three years and is a six-sigma black belt. His education includes an MS in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School – National Defense University, an MS in Applied Mathematics from the Naval Post Graduate School and a BS in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from Marquette University.

His accomplishments include receiving the Superior Civilian Service Award; twice recognized by ASA M&RA, Legion of Merit; twice recognized, Defense Meritorious Service Medal; twice recognized, and the Meritorious Service Medal; twice recognized.

The Honorable Joseph S. Jewell, Ph.D., is the Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology (ASW S&T). As the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (USW(R&E)) on matters related to S&T, developmental prototyping, and experimentation he guides the Department’s science and technology strategy and investments, acting as a crucial link between fundamental scientific discovery and its strategic application in defense.

Dr. Jewell oversees and advocates for the entirety of the Department’s S&T enterprise, which includes its specialized workforce, laboratory infrastructure, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and University-Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs). His office also directs a diverse portfolio of critical S&T programs including hypersonics and biomanufacturing. Basic research, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, and the DoW Manufacturing Technology program, along with the nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs) also are within the S&T portfolio.

Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Jewell built a career at the intersection of academia and defense research. Most recently Dr. Jewell was the John Bogdanoff Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana where he served as Director of two hypersonic wind tunnels in the College of Engineering and the Purdue Applied Research Institute (PARI). Previously, Dr. Jewell was a research scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). In these roles, his work centered on hypersonic aerothermodynamics, analyzing flight test data, and operating uniquely capable hypersonic wind tunnels. Dr. Jewell has authored more than 150 published journal articles and conference papers in aerospace engineering and hypersonics and holds a U.S. Patent in hypersonic inlet design.

Driven by a passion to secure America's technological future, Dr. Jewell is committed to strengthening the nation's future by preparing students for vital science and engineering careers in the Department of War, national labs, and the defense industry. His research has directly advanced U.S. military capabilities, having led hypersonic test programs for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Dr. Jewell has been a member or chair of four NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) hypersonics working groups and was selected as a member of the Defense Science Study Group (DSSG) in 2024.

Dr. Jewell holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and History from the California Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan in Aerospace Engineering, as well as a Master of Science by Research from the University of Oxford in Engineering Science, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Additionally, Dr. Jewell received his Doctor of Philosophy from the California Institute of Technology in Aeronautics.

Dr. Jewell has received numerous awards including the NATO Panel Excellence Award, the National Institute of Aerospace Bo Walkley Best Research Publication Award, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Star Team Award (with R. Kimmel group, AFRL), the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Award and the NRC Research Associate Award. Dr. Jewell is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS), an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and a registered Professional Engineer (PE, Michigan).

Dr. Jewell and his wife, Katie, have three young sons.

Scott A. Nelson serves as the Acting Principal Director for the Department of Defense Cyber Academic Engagement Office, Workforce Innovation Directorate, in the Office of the DoW Chief Information Officer.

Before this appointment, Mr. Nelson was the Senior Advisor to the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Cyber National Mission Force, U.S. Cyber Command. In this capacity, he led pivotal strategic transformation efforts for Army Information Operations forces and launched the 3-Star Total Army Information Council. He also developed the Academic Engagement Strategy and managed a $58M initiative to establish Cyber Institutes at Senior Military Colleges.

A veteran of 32 years, Colonel (Retired) Nelson's military career included extensive command and leadership roles in Cyber Operations and Information Warfare organizations. His service also includes command of multiple Reserve and Guard elements at U.S. Special Operations Command, NORAD, and U.S. Northern Command.

In the private sector, Mr. Nelson was an executive at Norwich University Applied Research Institutes and the cyber education startup SecureSet.

He holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College and a master certification in Infrastructure Protection Management from the University of Washington. He is a trusted voice in national security, known for integrating strategy, education, and innovation across the cyber and information domains

Katherine E. Sutton serves as the Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy and the Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of War. In these roles, she establishes and oversees the Department of War’s cyberspace policy, strategy, and operations including integration with national cyberspace policy and guidance.  She also provides guidance and oversight on DOW cyberspace activities as they relate to foreign cyberspace threats, international cooperation, and implementation of DOW cyberspace strategy and plans, including those related to cyberspace forces, capabilities, and their employment. As the PCA to SecWar, she exercises authority, direction, and control with respect to administration and support of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM).

Prior to her appointment as Assistant Secretary, Ms. Sutton served as the Chief Technology Advisor to the Commander and Director of Pentagon Operations at United States Cyber Command. She advised the Commander on engineering strategies and policies related to key strategic initiatives, workforce management, capability development, acquisition, and budget control, ensuring alignment with broader strategic objectives.

Previously, Ms. Sutton served on the Senate Armed Services Committee as a Professional Staff Member, leading the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and managing the spectrum, emerging technology, and science and technology portfolios. She also served on the House Armed Services Committee's Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, focusing on cyber, information technology/cloud, and National Security Agency portfolios.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Sutton spent 15 years at Sandia National Laboratories, working on information assurance, cybersecurity, and non-proliferation projects. Her roles included managing a cybersecurity research and development team and serving as a Congressional Fellow to the House Armed Services Committee. She also served as a technical advisor detailed to the National Nuclear Security Administration for Space-Based Nuclear Detonation Detection. Additionally, she held several technical and leadership roles on the Global Burst Detector Satellite and Nuclear Weapons Use Control Systems programs.

Ms. Sutton is a recipient of the Joint Staff Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medal, the Military Cyber Professionals Association Gold Order of Thor Medal and the Secretary of Energy Achievement Award. She graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and holds a Master of Science from Stanford University in Electrical Engineering. She is active in the Military Cyber Professionals Association and the Capital Dog Training Club.

Mr. Brandon Pugh is the Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of the Army. He is responsible for advising the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff on all cyber matters, including issues of readiness, budget, capabilities and strategy.

Most recently, Mr. Pugh served as the director and a resident senior fellow for a DC-based think tank, focusing on emerging cyber and national security threats, data privacy and security, and artificial intelligence.

Mr. Pugh continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve as a national security law professor at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, having previously served as a paratrooper and international law officer. Mr. Pugh is also a nonresident fellow with the Army Cyber Institute at the United States Military Academy at West Point, a member of the International Association of Privacy Professional’s Research Advisory Board, a member of the Federalist Society's Cyber and Privacy Working Group, and a board member for a Governor’s Advisory Council.

Mr. Pugh’s past roles include serving as a fellow with the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Managing Editor of the Journal of Law and Cyber Warfare; Legislative Counsel for the New Jersey General Assembly Minority Office, handling nearly all policy and legislation on cybersecurity and emerging technology; President and CEO of a Homeland Security Advisory Firm; and member of the Rutgers University Cybersecurity Program Board.

Mr. Pugh also served as an elected and appointed official at the local, county, and state levels. This includes service as Vice President for legislation of the New Jersey School Boards Association, a quasi-governmental entity representing the state’s nearly 600 school boards. His early work was in emergency management and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents.

Mr. Pugh has presented and been published dozens of times; delivered congressional testimony; appeared on C-SPAN and other networks; contributed to the U.S. Army’s Critical Infrastructure Resiliency Project; and prepared cybersecurity guidance sent to thousands of public entities. He has received awards for his work from members of Congress and state legislators, among others.

Mr. Pugh holds a juris doctorate from Rutgers Law School and a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey. He is a master continuity practitioner through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a Certified Information Privacy Professional, and a fellow of information privacy. He is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and the District of Columbia, along with being admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Mr. Pugh lives in New Jersey with his wife, who serves as an Air Force pilot, and their two sons.

Ms. Anne Marie Schumann serves as the Department of the Navy Principal Cyber Advisor (DON PCA). In this role, she is responsible for advising the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Marine Corps on all cyber matters and implementing the Department of Defense Cyber Strategy within the DON. Prior to her current role, Ms. Schumann served as the Senior Cyber Threat Advisor to the Director for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers/Cyber and Chief Information Officer, Joint Staff J6. In this capacity, she advised the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff on cyber risk management and operations and ensured the Department’s critical communications systems were postured to meet warfighter needs.  Before serving at Joint Staff J6, Ms. Schumann was the Director for Cyber Operations and Intelligence in the Office of the Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense. She co-authored the Department’s first Cyber Posture Review, implemented the Department’s 2018 Cyber Strategy, and led key initiatives to improve Cyber Mission Force readiness and intelligence support to cyber operations. Ms. Schumann has over twenty years military, public service, and industry experience supporting national security. Her previous positions include Senior Intelligence Analyst for Cyber Threats to DoD Information Systems and Networks at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Program Manager for intelligence support to information operations, BAE Systems. She served in the Army National Guard for nine years as an enlisted allsource intelligence analyst and an intelligence officer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from New College of Florida, a Master of Arts degree in writing from University of Maryland and a master’s certificate from the National Defense University College of Information and Cyberspace. She is the recipient of numerous Joint, Army, Intelligence Community, and professional awards, and led a team that received the Director of National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation. She became an SES in April 2024.

Karen Wetzel is Director of NICE and Lead of the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In this role she provides oversight and sets strategy for the NICE Program Office in support of the advancement of cybersecurity education and workforce development as well as leads efforts around the development, improvement, and application of the NICE Framework in support of an integrated ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.

Karen specializes in community engagement and collaborating with stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop and communicate technology standards and guidance, tools, and resources. Prior to joining NICE, Karen held positions of Director of the Community Groups and Working Groups programs at EDUCAUSE and Standards Program Manager for the National Information Standards Organization (NISO).

Dr. Li Yang has been serving since 2019 as program director for the NSF CyberCorps and Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace programs, which seek to advance and bolster the U.S. cybersecurity education and workforce development. Prior to her tenure at NSF, Dr. Yang was a Guerry Professor and Director of the Information Security (InfoSec) Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC).

Dr. Yang's research encompasses network and information security, mobile security, big data analytics, massive data mining, bioinformatics, cybersecurity education, and engineering techniques for complex software system design.

Mr. Eugene Lee received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management of Information Systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He received a Master of Science degree in Science and Technology Intelligence, with a concentration in Cyber Intelligence and Information Operations from the National Intelligence University. 

Mr. Lee, a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service (DISES), joined the NSA Senior Executive Service in 2026. He possesses over 25 years of experience within the military and intelligence community (IC), spanning operational and support roles with a specialized focus on integration. Additionally, he has co-led several IC-level studies and working groups centered on big data, advanced analytics, and social media. Mr. Lee began his military career as a Surface Warfare Officer, commissioned through the Naval ROTC program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His early assignments included serving as the communications/Information Systems Officer aboard the USS Monterey (CG 61) and as the commissioning Combat Information Center/Assistant Operations Officer aboard the USS San Antonio (LPD 17). 

Mr. Lee is married with two children.

Rear Adm. Kevin Lenox is a native of Princeton Junction, New Jersey and a 1990 Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps graduate of Duke University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies, with distinction, from the U.S. Naval War College, and is an honors graduate of the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program.

As a Naval aviator, Lenox has more than 3,700 flight hours in the SH-60F and HH-60H Sea Hawk helicopters. His operational assignments include Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 8, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, embarked aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CVN 63), HS-4, and executive officer, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

His shore assignments include flight instructor duty with HS-10; team lead for all Naval Helicopter Weapon Systems at Naval Air Systems Command (PMA-299); director, Joint Forces Component Command for Space, Missile Warning Center inside Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, where he qualified to be a member of the Navy Space Cadre; deputy director of operations, J3, U.S. Central Command.

Command tours include tours with HS-7; USS Denver (LPD 9), forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan; USS Nimitz (CVN 68), where he completed a successful combat deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve; and commander, Carrier Strike Group THREE.

He assumed his current duties as chief of staff, U.S. Cyber Command, in July 2025. Lenox's awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Meritorious Service Medal along with various other personal, campaign, and service awards.

Dr. Zoe Fowler leads academic outreach and applied research for the Department of War (DoW) CIO Cyber Academic Engagement Office. Driven by an enduring curiosity for education, she is a recognized expert in developing innovative pedagogies and possesses a deep passion for advancing AI literacies across academic disciplines.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Fowler served as the Principal Researcher for the Careers Preparation National Center. In this capacity, she spearheaded strategic initiatives to develop experiential education and to forge student competencies in cyber across the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity.

Her academic background includes being a Professor of Communications and the Caragannis Fellow at Norwich University in Vermont, and research fellowships at the University of East London and Lancaster University. Internationally, Dr. Fowler provided strategic research consultancy services to the UK government and directed several multinational research initiatives. She began her career as a secondary school teacher in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Fowler holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of London, alongside Master’s degrees from both the University of Oxford and the University of London. She is a published author and actively serves her community as a foster mother, a food bank volunteer, and a mentor for local elementary school students.

Elizabeth M. Phu serves as Chancellor of the College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC) at the National Defense University (NDU), bringing 25 years of experience in U.S. defense policy and national security.

Prior to joining CIC, Ms. Phu served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) for Policy. A career member of the Senior Executive Service, she also held key leadership roles within OSD, including Principal Director for Cyber Policy and Principal Director for the Secretariat for Special Operations, where she oversaw the organization, training, and equipping of U.S. Special Operations Forces.

Ms. Phu has twice served on the National Security Council Staff, first as Director for Southeast Asia in 2007–2009 and then again as Director for Southeast Asia, Oceania, and East Asian Security Affairs in 2013–2015. Within the Department of Defense, she has held positions such as Director for Space Engagement Policy, Director for Global Threats, Country Director for Southeast Asia, and Assistant for NATO Policy.

She previously served as Assistant Professor of National Security Policy and Strategy and the OSD Chair at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at NDU. She was also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Ms. Phu is a graduate of the Eisenhower School, where she earned a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy and received the Commandant’s Award for Excellence in Research and Writing. She also holds a Master of Pacific International Affairs with a focus on Southeast Asia from the University of California, San Diego, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley.

Her service has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Presidential Rank Award in 2024, two Office of the Secretary of Defense Medals for Exceptional Civilian Service, and commendations from the National Security Council and the Department of the Treasury.

Ms. Phu was a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Michael Seymour has served as president of Alexandria Technical and Community College since July 2019. His leadership background spans academic programs, student services, finance, technology, and workforce partnerships at Minnesota higher education institutions.

Before becoming president, he was vice president of academic and student affairs at Lake Superior College, overseeing academic, enrollment, athletics, student services, and workforce initiatives. Earlier positions included senior leadership at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Anoka-Ramsey Community College. He has also taught at several colleges and universities.

Seymour’s work connects technical education with community and employer needs. He has served as a Higher Learning Commission peer reviewer and was appointed to its Institutional Actions Council for a four-year term beginning September 1, 2026.

His educational background includes degrees from Ferris State University and a graduate certificate in Management Information Systems from Metropolitan State University. He has also pursued doctoral studies at the University of South Dakota.

Mark R. Ginsberg became Towson University’s 15th president in October 2023. His career spans more than four decades in psychology, teaching, research, and executive leadership.

Before joining Towson, he spent nearly 14 years at George Mason University, serving as dean of its College of Education and Human Development from 2010 to 2020 and as provost and executive vice president from 2020 to 2023. Earlier, he led the National Association for the Education of Young Children and held faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins University, including service as chair of Counseling and Human Services.

Ginsberg has held leadership and board roles with educational, professional, and civic organizations. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Maryland Psychological Association and is licensed as a psychologist in Maryland.

He earned his bachelor’s degree at SUNY Cortland and his master’s and doctoral degrees at Pennsylvania State University, and completed a clinical psychology internship at Yale University School of Medicine.

Norma Krayem is a Vice President and Chair of the Cybersecurity, Privacy and Digital Innovation Practice at Van Scoyoc Associates. She brings more than 20 years of global experience having served in executive levels at the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, FEMA and Transportation. She created one of the first-ever cybersecurity practices in 2005 in an AmLaw 100 law firm and is an internationally recognized as an expert in cybersecurity, cyber education and workforce and critical infrastructure matters. Norma works on a daily basis with the White House, Executive Branch and Congress, and is well versed in the policies and politics related to Congressional appropriations, federal grant funding, the congressional authorization process. She is bipartisan in her approach, works with Members and Committees in the House and Senate, and has helped her clients secure hundreds of millions of dollars during this time. She is well known for her practical advice and pragmatic view of the best way to achieve success. Norma began her career in Connecticut working for the Speaker of the House and the Deputy Majority Leader, where she focused on higher-education issues, banking and financial services, as well as broader economic development issues. She understands the critical role that higher education plays as the foundational role to the success of our nation and how best to communicate that to Congress and other decision makers. She is a veteran of five presidential campaigns and two presidential inaugural committees. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s in Public Administration from George Washington University.