Erik Avakian is former state chief information security officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Erik has over 22 years enterprise experience in security and program management, strategy, service delivery, relationship management, cross-collaboration, program execution, and leading and mentoring teams.
Throughout his 12 ½-year tenure in a CISO role, spanning three different administrations, Erik has amassed a wide range of practical cybersecurity experience in organizational information security strategy, service design, technical standards, security policy, governance, risk management, and compliance. Erik has led numerous enterprise projects and strategic initiatives in areas including intrusion detection and prevention, multifactor authentication, endpoint detection and response, security awareness training, security information and event management, data protection, identity and access management, vulnerability management, digital forensics, and cyber incident response.

Nikhil is a leader in digital transformation, advocating for user-centric, accessible technology. Overseeing Georgia's AI program, he focuses on responsible applications that enhance workforce capabilities and public service. Recognized as a top innovator, he is a sought-after speaker and recipient of multiple awards, including Atlanta Business Chronicle's "40 Under 40." Nikhil holds master’s degrees in Human-Computer Interaction and Visual Communication.

Justin Fimlaid is the CEO of NuHarbor Security, a Vermont-based cybersecurity company that helps organizations protect what matters and get back on their feet fast when things go sideways. He’s spent more than 20 years in the trenches—building security programs and running security operations for well-known technology, consumer, and financial organizations, including Sun Microsystems, Keurig Green Mountain, and Colorado Business Bank.
Justin founded NuHarbor to give public agencies and regulated organizations the kind of security support that’s usually reserved for the biggest companies: clear advice, a steady hand during incidents, and a team that shows up, owns the outcome, and keeps things moving. He’s also invested in growing the next generation of defenders through higher-education partnerships, including work with Champlain College, where he serves on the Board of Trustees.

With over 20 years of experience, Adam has dedicated his career to ensuring that information systems and data are protected and available to meet the unique needs of government organizations. Currently serving as the Chief Technologist at Zscaler, a leading cybersecurity company, Adam plays a crucial role in helping state and local government organizations securely transform their systems. As a respected leader in the public sector market, his expertise and guidance are instrumental in ensuring that the systems that keep government running are not only efficient but also protected from cyber threats.
Prior to Zscaler, Adam served as Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Illinois. In this role, he had responsibility for cybersecurity for various agencies, boards and commissions under the Governor. During his tenure the State of Illinois modernized and grew its security practice to protect systems and data that drive critical services to Illinois residents.
In addition to serving State Agencies, Adam oversaw State and Local security partnership and collaboration efforts including operation of the Illinois Election Cyber Navigator program in coordination with the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Illinois State Police.
Adam joined the Office of the CISO as Security Engineering Manager in 2017 and also served as Deputy CISO prior to becoming CISO. Before coming to security, he spent more than 15 years in data center and wide area network engineering and architecture roles with the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology and the Illinois State Police.
Adam was named the 2023 NASCIO Thomas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award winner in 2023 and received a 2023 StateScoop 50 State Leadership of the Year Award.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Illinois College and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University.

Stanton Gatewood is a renowned cybersecurity strategist and executive with over 35 years of experience spanning the military, government, higher education, and global corporate sectors. He currently serves as the Cybersecurity State Coordinator & Cybersecurity Advisor for the Region 4-State of Georgia within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Career Highlights & Key Roles
Government Leadership: Served as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Georgia, where he was instrumental in establishing the Georgia Cyber Center, a $100 million facility dedicated to workforce development and innovation.
Academic Contributions: Held the role of CISO for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the University of Georgia, as well as VP for IT and CIO at Albany State University.
Military Service: A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a flight engineer and airborne communications officer.
Industry Recognition: A Distinguished Fellow at the Ponemon Institute and a nominee to the National Cyber Security Hall of Fame, Gatewood is recognized as a top global influencer in IT security.

Adam Ham serves as the Chief Technology Officer at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). With over two decades of experience, Adam has worn many hats, beginning his career as a database administrator and rising through the ranks to executive leadership. Today, he leads a team of IT professionals focused on streamlining technical operations and spearheading robust cybersecurity initiatives. His journey from the ground up reflects his dedication to the Training Center's mission of delivering innovative public safety training.
Adam recently earned his Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) credential through the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia GMIS. He is currently advancing his expertise by pursuing a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification. Throughout his career, he has successfully navigated numerous cyber threats, experience he now uses to mature the cybersecurity program at GPSTC. Adam’s strategic vision and hands-on technical background enable him to guide his team in effectively supporting the complex, evolving needs of the public safety community.

Keith Jarvis is a malware and threat intelligence analyst with the Sophos Counter Threat Unit (CTU). His focus is on analyzing technical evidence and building automated systems to track and understand the financially motivated cybercriminal threat landscape.

Ericka focuses her practice on cybersecurity and privacy, with significant experience leading global incident response, regulatory investigations, and litigation arising from data breaches and security incidents. As the former Global Cybersecurity Counsel for ByteDance, including TikTok and its other affiliated companies, she regularly advises clients in high-pressure moments following cybersecurity events, coordinating internal investigations, breach notifications, and multijurisdictional regulatory responses. Ericka also defends clients in enforcement actions brought by the DOJ, FTC, SEC, OCR, and state Attorneys General, particularly where privacy violations or disclosure obligations are at issue. In addition to her response work, Ericka provides proactive counsel on cybersecurity risk management, including leading tabletop exercises, advising boards of directors, and designing privacy and incident response programs. She has led cross-border incident response efforts and overseen global regulatory engagement for large, highly regulated organizations. She has also served as outside counsel to state and local governments, advising public agencies—including in healthcare and education—on cybersecurity preparedness and breach response. Ericka is also a reservist in the U.S. Marine Corps. During her active-duty service, she served as the principal cybersecurity legal advisor to the Marine Corps' senior uniformed attorney at the Pentagon, helping establish the legal specialty for cybersecurity. She also served as counsel for cyber and information operations during a combat deployment to Afghanistan. Ericka continues to serve as a Reservist in the Washington, D.C. area.

Mr. Johnson serves currently as the Chief Information Security Officer for the Georgia Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Information Technology (OIT). Before joining GA DHS/OIT, he served as the Corporate ISSM of Scientific Research Corporation (SRC). Prior to SRC, Mr. Johnsonserved as the Information Security Analyst at InfiStarCorporation. Mr. Johnson currently resides in central DeKalb county where his hobbies include ATLUnitedsoccer and spending time with family and friends.

Eric Logan is the Director of Information and Network Security for the DeKalb County School District. He has 26 years in the IT and cyber security field, where he has served in roles from desktop support to systems administrator to instructor to manager. Prior to coming to DCSD, Eric spent 11 years working for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in Atlanta where he provided leadership, mentoring, and coaching to various teams that included IT support technicians, SOC analysts, and GRC analysts.
Over the many years that he has worked in IT and cyber security, Eric has had a desire to advocate the importance of taking an action-oriented approach towards incorporating cyber security principles and ideologies to help organizations achieve their objectives by providing a clearer view of potential threats to assets. This results in creating secure and effective solutions which meet both customer expectations and cyber security objectives.
Eric earned his Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity from Excelsior University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Shorter University along with an Associate of Applied Science in Computer Networking from Clayton State University.

Jonathan Reich is the Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Secretary of State, bringing over 29 years of experience in information technology leadership across public and private sectors. He has led major digital transformation initiatives, including the implementation of Georgia’s comprehensive election management system (GARVIS) and statewide license management platform (GOALS). Jonathan actively collaborates with government agencies, nonprofits, and technology leaders to advance innovation in citizen services. He serves as Marketing Director for GMIS International and holds the Certified Government CIO (CGCIO) credential from UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute. A Georgia resident and dedicated volunteer, Jonathan is also an avid music enthusiast and audio engineer, and is currently pursuing his private pilot’s license.

Armin Smailhodzic is a cybersecurity professional currently working in Sales Engineering at SentinelOne. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Armin holds a diverse background that bridges complex technical theory with operational application. He began his career in academia, teaching physics at both the high school and collegiate levels.
Transitioning into cybersecurity, Armin spent several years in compliance before shifting to more technical roles. He advanced to become a SOC Manager, where he led security operations, before moving into his current role in Sales Engineering. This unique trajectory allows him to leverage his deep understanding of governance, operations, and instruction to effectively communicate security solutions.

Brian has spent the last 20 years in internal IT, the MSP space and now as a Sales Engineer Manager with Rubrik. With a systems and network architect background, Brian has always been focused on security. This evolved into being a part of Incident Response Teams that were tapped to assist with recovery from ransomware attacks. Since joining Rubrik, Brian is now on the leading edge of cyber recovery, data protection and helping clients increase their overall security posture.

Lawrence Williams is recognized as cybersecurity leader and currently serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) the Metropolitan Atlanta’s Transit Authority (MARTA) The eighth largest public transit authorities in North America. With over 20 years of experience in information security, incident response, risk governance, OT/ICS protection, and cybersecurity program development, Lawrence has successfully led large-scale security transformations across complex enterprise and operational technology environments.
He holds a Master’s in Information Science from Syracuse, a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and has architected multifaceted security programs in compliance with NIST 800-series frameworks, TSA security directives, and DHS grant requirements. His unique ability to fuse strategic vision with operational execution makes him a trusted advisor for organizations navigating regulatory pressure, digital transformation, and cyber resiliency goals.
In addition to his civilian role, Lawrence is a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve and a former commander of the 2nd Psychological Operations Group, overseeing over 2,500 personnel across 16 states. He brings a rare combination of military discipline, academic insight, and industry execution to the boardroom, offering deep expertise in cybersecurity leadership, federal grants, compliance, and enterprise governance. He has led multimilliondollar cybersecurity programs, mentored diverse technical teams, and advised executive leadership on emerging cyber threats, cyber insurance, and business continuity strategies.
An experienced IT Security consultant with extensive Department of Defense experience, a Colonel in the United States Army with 25 years of service, a former Department of the Army civilian in IT and cybersecurity, and a former federal contractor at the Army Materiel Command, Lawrence has the ability to communicate complex cybersecurity issues to any audience. Lawrence also has experience in the civilian cybersecurity space, working with the Cisco Security and Trust Organization’s global regulatory and compliance team with FedRAMP and CJIS efforts. Additionally, he has experience as a cyber planner for the Department of Defense Joint Staff, Program Management Lead for NATO Cyber Capability Development, Information Assurance Engineer, and Cloud Authorization Engineer.