David Jeffrey Green has been named Director of Business Development (BD). In this role, Green works across the AIS organization and supports the various business lines in the identification and capture of new opportunities, products and services. He builds key business relationships and marketing strategies in the cybersecurity market space, specifically, the operational cybersecurity components of the Department of Defense. Additionally, Green is involved in the development of new cybersecurity solutions.

Green is a successful executive leader and systems engineering expert with 38 years of government and government contracting experience. He has managed multi-million-dollar programs for Lockheed Martin and the Titan Corporation. He specializes in large scale architectures, system of systems design and software and hardware development. He has served as Solutions Architect for Navy Special Warfare, national and tactical intelligence and collection systems, air and ground intelligence assets and unmanned systems. Green is a Shipley trained capture professional that has won government contracts of up to $1.2 billion for USCENTCOM.

Green holds a bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. Green has affiliations with several schools and universities including University of Michigan M-PACT, LSA, College of Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Space Based Radar and National Security Agency, Cryptologic School ELINT/TECHELINT. Green is on the Board of Directors for The Perduco Group.

AIS is pleased to announce that Sean O’ Keefe and John J. Young, Jr., have been appointed to the AIS Board of Directors.

“To say that we’re honored to add Sean and John to the AIS Board of Directors would be an understatement,” said Charles Green, Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AIS. “The insight and expertise they will bring to the board will ensure that we continue to steer AIS in the right direction through sound strategic planning and decision making. It’s a true privilege to be working with professionals of this caliber.”

Sean O’Keefe, Former United States Secretary of the Navy

A longtime public administrator, national security, financial management and aerospace industry veteran who has held leadership positions in the U.S. government, higher education and business, Sean O’Keefe has been appointed to the AIS Board of Directors.

On four separate occasions, O’Keefe served as a presidential appointee. He served as 69th Secretary of the Navy for President George H.W. Bush after joining the Administration in 1989 as Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer of the Defense Department. He later served as 10th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) following a year on the White House staff as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Deputy Assistant to the President in 2001 in the George W. Bush Administration.

In October 2009, the European Aerospace Defense and Space (EADS) corporation named O’Keefe as CEO of the North America subsidiary, and later as the unit’s Chairman of the Board which was renamed Airbus Group in 2011. Prior to joining Airbus, O’Keefe was the 7th Chancellor of Louisiana State University, and previously, a Vice President of General Electric.

Currently, O’Keefe is a University Professor at Syracuse University, only the 17th person in Syracuse University history to hold the senior faculty title. He is also the Howard & Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership as a faculty member of the Syracuse Maxwell School’s Department of Public Administration and International Affairs, and a Distinguished Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC.

O’Keefe is the recipient of the Defense Department’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the Department of Navy’s Public Service Award and has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from five higher education institutions. On three occasions, Irish American Magazine designated O’Keefe as among the Top 100 Irish Americans. He began his career in the first class of Presidential Management Interns in 1978, as a Navy budget analyst, and on the staff of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee before service at the Pentagon a decade later.

O’Keefe is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and serves on the board of directors of the Partnership for Public Service. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana and master’s degree from the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

“I had heard about AIS by virtue of the cybersecurity space and how well regarded the company is within government and commercial circuits,” said O’Keefe. “I’ve had the privilege to have served and led large organizations in both the public and private sectors, which has given me a unique appreciation for the work AIS does and its significance for our nation. Cybersecurity is evolving constantly, and the proficiency of adversaries is growing as they learn more and more how to distort capabilities that we depend upon. AIS technologies are helping to ensure we’re staying ahead of these threats, which are infiltrating every industry. I am very honored to have even been considered to join the AIS Board of Directors and I’m eager to learn more about how I can contribute to the great work they’re doing.”

 

John J. Young Jr., Former United States Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

John J. Young Jr. has been appointed to the AIS Board of Directors. Young’s distinguished career includes his time as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, overseeing $200 billion of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) research, development, procurement and logistics programs. He has served as the Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) and as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.

Young’s experience also includes 10 years as a senior staff member with the U.S. Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Young is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. During his Pentagon tenure, he was awarded the DoD, Joint Chiefs of Staff and Army Distinguished Civilian Service Awards as well as the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award.

Young currently serves as Founder and Principal at JY Strategies, LLC, where he provides strategic insight to companies on business development strategies, congressional relations and program management and formulation.

Young serves on various boards including Saab Defense USA, SRI International, Ultra Electronics, Tenax Aerospace, Satelles and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He serves on the advisory board of Georgia Tech Research Institute and Stevens Institute of Technology Acquisition Innovation Research Center, and he is a Senior Fellow and a member of the Board of Regents of the Potomac Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and a master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in Stanford, California.

“During my Pentagon tenure, I visited Rome Lab,” said Young. “Though it was many years ago, I remember the day because I saw some amazing capabilities in development, things that we needed for activities in Iraq and Afghanistan right then and there. Early AIS team members were the technical talent behind those very special capabilities that I saw. Joining the board was an easy decision, since I have seen firsthand what AIS can do. I have a unique background with both Capitol Hill and Pentagon experience – about 10 years of congressional experience and eight years of executive branch experience on defense R&D and procurement programs. I feel confident I can help AIS navigate the Pentagon and the Hill and collaborate with other defense industry partners. The United States desperately needs the offensive and defensive cyber capabilities developed and envisioned by AIS to regain the high ground in cyber warfare. I want to thank AIS employees for tackling these tough issues and I’m looking forward to learning more about the team and AIS technologies.”

AIS is pleased to make the following staff announcements:

Eric Thayer has been named Chief Engineer.

In this position, Thayer leads research and drives innovation by building the company’s network of technical talent, overseeing the Internal Research & Development (IRAD) Program, advising on patents, publications and white papers and supporting the development of AIS’s technology roadmap.

Thayer joined AIS in 2002 and has 24 years of experience in the cybersecurity field, performing security assessments and security related research for government agencies, state organizations and commercial entities. Thayer holds several certifications and has contributed to the research associated with three publicly disclosed vulnerabilities.

Thayer holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Utica College of Syracuse University in Utica, New York.

Michael Sieffert has been named Chief Engineer.

In this position, Sieffert leads research and drives innovation by building the company’s network of technical talent, overseeing the Internal Research & Development (IRAD) Program, advising on patents, publications and white papers and supporting the development of AIS’s technology roadmap.

Sieffert started his career at AIS in 2003 as a junior developer and would eventually work for several groups within AIS, including the early Computer Architecture Group, SAE and most recently, Agile Cyber Solutions (ACS). He holds two patents, one related to Secure Boot processes and one on hypervisor-assisted security update mechanisms.

Sieffert holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York and a master’s degree in Computer Science from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. He recently enrolled in an online Electrical Engineering degree program.

AIS is pleased to make the following staff announcements:

Blaine Klusky has been named Chief Financial Officer (CFO) through an outsourcing agreement with Hearken Advisors, Inc. an innovative provider of strategic, operational and financial advisory services with deep government contracting and compliance expertise.

In this position, Klusky leads AIS Finance, which includes the functions of Finance & Accounting, Treasury, Risk Management & Compliance and Strategic Financial Planning & Analysis.

An accomplished and dynamic client-centric senior global executive, Klusky has more than 30 years of experience in industry and consulting across institutional investment management, alternative investments, finance, banking, insurance, energy and government contracting.

Klusky earned a bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizational Behavior and an MBA in Finance and Marketing with a concentration in International Business from New York University Stern School of Business.

Jeffrey Dailey has been promoted to Chief Information Officer (CIO).

In this position, Dailey is responsible for Information Technology (IT) and Security. This includes IT Enterprise Support, IT Enterprise Infrastructure, IT Cybersecurity, IT Business Systems and Security.

Dailey most recently served as Director of IT at AIS and was responsible for the delivery and management of IT solutions and infrastructure that supported business functions across the company. Prior to joining AIS, Dailey served as Senior Director of IT Solution Delivery at National Grid.

Dailey holds an associate’s degree in Computer Programming from Bryant and Stratton College in Syracuse, New York and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia College in Syracuse, New York.

Christopher Ficke has been promoted to Vice President of Finance & Controller.

In this position, Ficke is responsible for managing the Finance & Accounting Team to achieve corporate goals, while processing the financial activities of the organization to maximize profits and plan for growth.

Prior to joining AIS, Ficke was a Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), specializing in forensics and government services. Ficke has served companies in an extensive range of industries, from Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, to Utility, Aerospace and Defense and Entertainment. He will utilize his more than ten years of professional experience to enhance and optimize financial operations at AIS.

Ficke holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Accounting and Professional Consulting from Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

Larry Harris has been appointed to the AIS Board of Directors.

Harris has served as a corporate executive and CFO in the aerospace and defense sector with 40+ years of experience. His formative years were spent at General Electric, where as a graduate of their Financial Management Program, he spent ten years in a multitude of financial and contractual assignments. In 1992, Harris joined Sensis Corporation, a startup founded by former GE executives. Sensis was sold to Saab Aerospace and Defense, a $4B multinational A&D company, in 2011. Harris was named the EVP and CFO of Saab’s US Operations after the Sensis acquisition.

Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Cornell University and has firmly put his roots in Central New York (CNY). Over the years Larry has served on the Finance and Audit Committees of Syracuse Stage, the Salvation Army, the Francis House, Upstate Medical University Foundation and the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. Today, Harris sits on the Board of ICM, a manufacturer of industrial controls. In 2009, Harris was named CFO of the Year in CNY.

AIS is pleased to make the following staff announcements:

Christopher (Chris) Ficke has been named Controller.

In this position, Ficke is responsible for ledger accuracy, budget implementation and the coordination of financial audits. He will lead the administrative, financial and risk management operations of the company and will serve as back-up to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Prior to joining AIS, Ficke was a Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), specializing in forensics and government services. His expertise includes compliance examinations, investigations, litigation and dispute analysis, cost accounting, Deltek-Costpoint implementation and contract analysis. Ficke has served companies in an extensive range of industries, from Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, to Utility, Aerospace and Defense and Entertainment. He will utilize his ten years of professional experience to enhance and optimize financial operations at AIS.

Ficke holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Accounting and Professional Consulting from Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

Diana Wolgemuth has been named Director of Organizational Development and Culture.

In this position, Wolgemuth will lead and implement strategies for telework, leadership development, culture, employee experience, change management and diversity and inclusion. She will work with our leadership team and employees to create programs and initiatives that ensure the company’s culture is scalable, adaptable and continuously improving.

Prior to joining AIS, Wolgemuth was the Director of Professional Development at Dale Carnegie of Central New York (CNY). While there, she worked to identify development needs and implement programs that increased efficiency, strengthened employee knowledge and abilities, and improved leadership to support and maintain the overall health of organizations she partnered with. With more than 15 years of professional experience working in this field, Wolgemuth will draw on her expertise to drive employee engagement through the refinement, maintenance and evolution of our AIS culture.

Wolgemuth holds a bachelor’s degree in German and Liberal Arts from Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, New York. She is a member of both the CNY and Mohawk Valley Societies for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and was a board member for CNY Sales & Marketing Executives, CNY Works and CNY Association for Talent Development.