Startfield is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization on a mission to level the playing field and increase diversity in the tech industry by creating equitable access to career discovery, education, and mentorship opportunities for historically underrepresented communities.

Leveraging my work experience in both industry and academia, I assist individuals from populations historically excluded in tech in identifying the knowledge and skills necessary to launch a career in the IT and cybersecurity workforce through one-on-one coaching, career development workshops, and partnership development between workforce stakeholders.

• As a founding member, led the development and implementation of a 3 customized virtual training program that provided intensive instruction in cybersecurity fundamentals and the NIST Risk Management Framework to prepare diverse populations of adult learners to earn industry certifications and secure roles in the cybersecurity field.• Setup and managed the program's learning management system, virtual cyber range, and other instructional resources ensuring they provided a robust and inclusive training environment for individuals from marginalized communities, military veterans, and women. • Collaborated with the executive management team, key industry sponsors such as Cisco, and HBCU partners to align the training programs with regional and national workforce needs.• Designed and delivered 70+ virtual training sessions to over 100 learners on topics spanning the breadth of information security, NIST RMF, IT auditing, social engineering, and ethical hacking; resulting in more than 85% completion rate and over 60% earning an industry certification within 6 months of completion.

• Provided technical and policy guidance to the Associate Deputy CIO and IT staff within the Office of the Commissioner, Office of Criminal Investigations, Office of Regulatory Affairs, and Center for Veterinary Medicine to ensure IT systems and applications are compliant with NIST 800-53 and all other applicable agency and federal information system security policies and laws.• Supported the development and completion of Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms) to remediate known system and application vulnerabilities within acceptable timeframes and budget constraints.• Reviewed and approved IT security documentation to include Systems Security Plans, Account Management Guides, Information System Contingency Plans, and Security Assessment Reports.

• Led strategy development and implementation of a regional college readiness and workforce development initiative to enhance K-12 STEM learning and drive enrollment in STEM degree programs across Northern Virginia, particularly Fairfax County. • Partnered with tech giants such as Google, Northrop Grumman, Neustar, and Cox Communications to launch an award-winning after-school program and summer coding camp which included student competitions, teacher training, and mentor program.• Secured $45K in corporate and grant funding to launch the county’s largest co-curricular, competitive robotics program for 200+ students and largest multi-location summer STEM camp, serving over 420 students.

Assistant Project Manager (2008-2013) • Managed project activities in support of a $12M IT modernization effort for the Office of the Director.• Reviewed and negotiated IT service level agreements in excess of $2M, keenly focusing on optimizing expenditures and mitigating risks to the secure infrastructure.• Spearheaded efforts to partner with other internal IT providers to formulate an implementation strategy that would leverage existing resources and enterprise-wide initiatives, thereby reducing duplication of effort and overall project costs.Information System Security Officer (2004-2008)• Managed all administrative and programmatic tasks associated with coordinating the agency’s information security council meetings & activities (i.e. scheduling briefings, capturing minutes, tracking action items, and transmitting official correspondence).• Collaborated closely with other agency divisions to initiate technical exchange meetings, enforce compliance with IT security policy, and develop cyber security awareness campaigns.IT Relationship Manager (2001-2004)• Analyzed and resolved a wide range of workstation, network, and application functionality issues for a 300+ domestic and overseas user base.• As a system administrator with privileged access, monitored and operated a highly sensitive electronic messaging and emergency communication system; performing routine backups, system audits, and account management activities.• Received an Exceptional Performance Award and commemorative medallion recognizing my outstanding service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.