SecureWorld Kansas City 2025

Larry Wilson was formerly the Chief Information Security Officer for Sumitomo Pharma Americas, Inc., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Massachusetts (UMass) President's Office. In the CISO role, Larry was responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing compliance with the SMPA / WPI / UMass Information Security Policy and Written Information Security Plan (WISP). In addition to designing and deploying the respective cybersecurity programs, Larry has developed and delivered cybersecurity training at multiple industry events, workshops, training venues, etc. Courses include Designing and Building a Cybersecurity Program, Designing and Building a Ransomware Program, and Designing and Building a Third-Party Risk Program. Larry has also worked with multiple companies in multiple industries to help design, build, and maintain their Cybersecurity Programs, Ransomware Program, and Third-Party Risk Programs.

Glen Sorensen is a Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) with Cyber Risk Opportunities. He has worn numerous hats in his career, in areas such as security engineering and architecture, security operations, GRC, and leadership. He has held a variety of roles as an analyst, engineer, consultant, auditor, regulator, and information security officer for a financial institution.

Glen approaches problems with practical solutions that bring good business value and has worked across many sectors, including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and others. He has served as a consulting expert in a large legal case involving healthcare and cyber attack detection technology. He has been in IT and security for 15+ years, longer if you count years of misspent youth bending technology and countless hours of roleplaying games. He is a sucker for a good tabletop exercise and serves as an Incident Master for HackBack Gaming, the fun kind of TTX.

Yaron Levi is the CISO for Dolby Laboratories. Prior to joining Blue KC, he was CISO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City; a Director of Information Security for Cerner Corporation; an Information Security Business Partner for Intuit; an Information Security Architect and Product Manager for eBay; and a Director of Cloud Security for ANX. Yaron is a Research Fellow for the Cloud Security Alliance, serves as an advisory board member for several information security companies, and is co-founder of the Kansas City CISO forum. He graduated from the FBI CISO academy in 2018, and currently serves on the board of InfraGard KC.

As a classically trained attorney, Elizabeth advises and consults with leaders and teams to realign the disconnect between their stated values and goals and the operations and behaviors that represent them in the real world. She has guided some of Kansas City’s leading organizations through launching, preparing for growth and expansion, addressing COVID-19 and post-COVID challenges, reimagining their identity, restructuring operations, and rebuilding workplace culture.

She thrives on working with leaders, new managers, and their teams to build teamwork, align and operationalize core values, empower each other, and achieve collective success.

With over 20 years of experience as a corporate lawyer for some of Kansas City’s largest employers, she has seen firsthand how organizational health and alignment directly impact success. Her background as a collegiate and lifelong athlete underscores the vital connection between health and performance. Translating these principles into a business context revealed that an intentional commitment to core values, aligned with strategic goals, informs every decision and action of effective leaders and thriving organizations.

She founded What’s Next Biz to foster happier and healthier workplaces by bridging the gap between legal obligations and business operations & culture. This comprehensive approach emphasizes the importance of each step in a business’s journey, not just the end goal. As John Wooden famously announced to each of his freshman basketball players, "winning championships begins with learning how to tie your shoe laces."

Dr. Gardner is the Director of the Heartland Cyber Range at EnterpriseKC. Chuck develops a curriculum that provides an immersive cybersecurity learning experience, equipping learners with real-world defense skills and research capabilities. He plays a key role in identifying and nurturing high-potential cyber talent across the region.

Before joining EnterpriseKC, Chuck spent a decade in K-12 education, followed by nine years at CYBER.ORG, where he developed a national cybersecurity curriculum and supported educators, school districts, state departments of education, and regional and federal partners in building cybersecurity capacity. Since 2016, he has also led a landmark initiative with Virginia’s Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, delivering accessible cybersecurity education to more than 120 students statewide.

Dr. Cooper holds a doctorate in Computer Science. She holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Business Administration. She has earned several security certifications; Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Security Auditor (CISSA), and Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE). Dr. Cooper is employed with T-Mobile Corporation as a Security Risk Manager. She has 20 years of telecommunications and Cyber security experience. She is also an adjunct professor teaching course curriculum under Cyber Security degree programs with the University of Wisconsin and University of New York. She sits on multiple cybersecurity boards and is an advocate for equal opportunity for women and minorities in STEM careers. She is passionate about helping others and has demonstrated this through her community works, as well as being the recipient of multiple awards for being a champion and a bridge builder.

Naeem Babri is a cybersecurity practitioner who works at T-Mobile, focusing on cyber risk assessments, information security, and cyber security controls. Naeem has worked in IT and cybersecurity for the last 20+ years. His expertise in information security, IT operations, and support has led to various roles at T-Mobile, formerly Sprint. His various Board services include serving as President and advisor of ISSA-KC since 2014, board member for InfraGard, and as an advisor for various conferences. Naeem is an avid runner, enjoys photography, and is an arts patron in addition to his various community projects. He holds a Master's degree in Computer Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Mr. John Bryant serves as the Region 7 Acting Chief of Cybersecurity for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Integrated Operations Division in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Region 7 is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and serves the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. CISA is the Nation’s risk advisor, working with partners to defend against today’s digital and physical threats and collaborating to build more secure and resilient infrastructure
for the future. Mr. Bryant provides Cybersecurity resource briefings, Cybersecurity training, Cybersecurity assessments, and Incident Response planning to the nation’s sixteen critical infrastructure sectors and state, local, tribal, and territorial government entities.

Before his tenure with CISA, Mr. Bryant working for the U.S. Army as the Army University Chief Information Officer (CIO) with the main campus at Ft. Leavenworth and five remote campuses. Prior to joining the U.S. Army, Mr. Bryant began his career in U.S. Naval Intelligence, where he served nine (9) years. Following his Naval Service, he held various IT positions in both the Private and Government sectors, which includes 9 years in Cybersecurity, 8 years in IT Management, and 8 years as CIO for three different organizations.

He holds a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Development and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Technology from Upper Iowa University. He is a member of (ISC)2 and is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) in good standing for the past 12 years.

Mr. Ethan Cole serves as Deputy Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Region 7 in Kansas City, Missouri. In this role, he oversees a regional team serving Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The CISA Region 7 team provides expert advice on physical and cybersecurity risk assessment and mitigation; information sharing and outreach; training and exercises; chemical security; emergency communications; and infrastructure resilience.

Mr. Cole joined CISA in 2022 and has served in various federal leadership positions during his career. Prior to joining CISA, he worked at the USDA Farm Production and Conservation Business Center. Working in the Financial Management Division (FMD), he implemented FMD’s first three Robotic Process Automation (RPA) bots, coordinated the program delivery for multi-million- and billion dollar farm programs, and and served as the acting Accounting Policy Section Chief.

From 2012 through 2020, Mr. Cole served the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, National Records Center (NRC) in various leadership positions ranging from Administrative Manager, Chief of Staff, Deputy Director, and acting NRC Director. He led over 400 employees and 400 contractors at a level-4 secure facility responsible for the logistics, maintenance, and security of nearly 18 million classified and unclassified immigration records and ensured timely access to immigration records to nearly 300 USCIS offices worldwide while also leading the largest Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program in the federal government. While at USCIS, Mr. Cole completed the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society leadership program.

Mr. Cole started his federal career in 2002 as a Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) Intern with the U.S. Treasury, Financial Management Service (FMS), Kansas City Financial Center (KCFC). He spent over 10 years there and held various responsibilities at the KCFC. He started out conducting comprehensive international payments accounts reconciliations, teaching appropriations Law, and conducting public outreach and education for Treasury programs. Mr. Cole progressed into numerous leadership positions including international payments operations management, domestic payments operations management, and administrative operations management.

Mr. Cole went to college and played baseball at Southwest Baptist University while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Community Recreation, with a minor in Business Management. Ethan and his spouse, Ashleigh, live with their four boys in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Phil Kirk is the Region 7 Director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Region 7 is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and serves the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. CISA is the Nation’s risk advisor, working with partners to defend against today’s digital and physical threats and collaborating to build more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future.

Through leadership and management of field-based resources and capabilities, Regional Directors guide all of CISA’s numerous and varied programs. Mr. Kirk was selected as Regional Director of the Office of Infrastructure Protection in the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) of DHS in 2016, prior to the creation of CISA through the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Act of 2018. He then served as the Acting Director of CISA Region 7 for two years until his appointment to the Senior Executive Service in January 2021. He is the senior CISA official in the region and is accountable for the execution of programs to defend critical infrastructure against the threats of today, while coordinating and collaborating with partners across all levels of government and in the private sector to secure against evolving threats of tomorrow. He serves as the senior advisor and liaison between DHS and senior federal, state, local, and tribal governments and private sector officials on matters relating to the security and resiliency of nationally, regionally, and locally significant critical infrastructure. Mr. Kirk is also responsible for directing incident management activities as they relate to critical infrastructure restoration and resilience.

Previous to his tenure with CISA, Mr. Kirk spent over 20 years of his federal career in a diverse and progressive set of positions in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Region 7, most recently as the Federal Preparedness Coordinator and National Preparedness Division Director. In this position, Mr. Kirk served as a consultant and the principal advisor to the FEMA Regional Administrator regarding all preparedness matters. He led multiple programs and initiatives to strengthen, integrate, and operationalize the preparedness efforts of the region to build preparedness capabilities across all levels of government, jurisdictions, disciplines, critical infrastructure sectors, and citizen groups.

Before being named the first Federal Preparedness Coordinator in 2008, he served as the Chief of the Response Branch in the Response and Recovery Division. Prior to that assignment, Mr. Kirk was a Branch Chief in the Mitigation Division for five years. Mr. Kirk began his career in FEMA in 1994 as the Public Affairs and Congressional Liaison Officer.

In 1998, Mr. Kirk left FEMA and moved to Washington, DC, where he held the position of Intergovernmental Relations Manager for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, a then new independent federal agency, with the mission of ensuring the safety of workers and the public by reducing the number and severity of industrial chemical accidents. After serving a year in this position, Mr. Kirk returned to FEMA.

Prior to joining FEMA, Mr. Kirk was the District Director for a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Kansas and was employed by the Congressman for nearly six years, starting in 1989.

Mr. Kirk holds a Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University. Mr. Kirk and his spouse, Shelly Kirk, reside in Oak Grove, Missouri.

Caheen Murphy is a highly experienced Security and Network Solutions Architect with a strong background in Information Technology, specializing in Cybersecurity. His expertise spans SASE solution development, Zero Trust Architecture, DevSecOps, and IT services. He has deep knowledge of Cisco Security, Palo Alto Networks, Meraki, and Fortinet, as well as Governance, Risk & Compliance, Data Center networking, and Enterprise networking, including routing and switching.

Bill is an IT professional with over 20 years of experience driving DevOps, secure SDLC, cloud security, and security architecture initiatives. Holding both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, he brings a strong academic foundation to his work. Bill's certification portfolio includes CISSP and GWAPT, among others. As a recognized expert, he regularly shares his insights as a presenter at his company's Security Champions speaker series.

Alex K. Green is a distinguished cybersecurity leader who currently serves as the Chief Information Security Officer at Delta Dental Plans Association. With expertise in merging cybersecurity initiatives with business objectives, Alex leads comprehensive security strategy development and unifies diverse security teams toward common business goals. His professional background includes significant roles at DST Systems and H&R Block, where he developed his skills in cybersecurity operations and engineering team management. Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Alex is an entrepreneur who contributes as an advisor to startup companies and venture capital firms, driving support to those building innovative solutions in cybersecurity. His educational foundation includes an Executive MBA and a Master's in Intelligence Management, which complement his military experience in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, where he specialized in electronic exploitation.

Brittany Bodane is a Senior Product Marketer at AppOmni, where she works closely with security leaders, customers, and partners to better understand and communicate evolving SaaS security challenges. She translates these insights into strategies and education that help organizations secure their SaaS environments. Passionate about learning from security experts, she shares that knowledge to help protect user data and strengthen SaaS security practices.

Reanna Schultz, from Kansas City, MO, holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Cybersecurity. With over six years of professional experience, Reanna has contributed to various corporate environments, leveraging her expertise to strengthen cybersecurity practices.

Throughout her career, Reanna has worn many hats, including roles in Endpoint Security Engineering, Detection Engineering, and leading a Security Operations Center (SOC) team. In addition to her primary responsibilities, Reanna serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) and is also an entrepreneur.

Reanna is the founder of CyberSpeak Labs, a platform dedicated to fostering community engagement through collaboration. She hosts the podcast Defenders in Lab Coats, where she delves into cyber threats and occasionally invites passionate guests to share their insights.
Driven by her passion for cybersecurity, Reanna frequently travels to speak at events, sharing her industry knowledge and empowering others to improve their organizations' cybersecurity practices.

Cedric Leighton is a CNN Military Analyst and a retired United States Air Force Colonel. On CNN, he has provided incisive commentaries on the Israel-Hamas War, the War in Ukraine, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and numerous other conflicts around the world. His analysis has been seen by millions of viewers around the world and provided much needed context to some of the most pressing national security issues of our time. As a U.S. Air Force officer, Colonel Leighton served at U.S. Special Operations Command, the Joint Staff, and the National Security Agency, where he helped train the nation's cyber warriors. A Middle East combat veteran, he is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Bronze Star. After serving 26 years as a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer, Col. Leighton founded a strategic risk consultancy and became the co-founder of CYFORIX, where he advises multinational businesses on developing better cyber strategies designed to reduce risk and unpredictability.

Randy Raw is Chief Information Security Officer at Veterans United Home Loans in Columbia, Missouri. He has more than 25 years of experience in both public entities and private industry, having built several Information Security programs from the ground up. He is a proponent of risk-based, layered security measures that utilize both preventative and detective approaches to achieve the right solution for the organization. Randy is a CISSP and is active in the Central Missouri InfoSec community. He has spoken at SecureWorld on many technical topics and turns his focus towards helping others move from the technical trenches to a leadership role.

Donna Gomez, CRISC, is the Security Risk and Compliance Analyst at Johnson County (KS) Park & Recreation District. Previously, Donna served as the Critical Infrastructure Protection Senior Manager and Risk Compliance Analyst for a municipally owned utility. Donna has been an information security professional since 1999, where she began documenting processes for IT and customer support staff, then training people to not click on suspicious attachments in emails. She served as Past President of the InfraGard Kansas City Members Alliance and is past President of the Greater Kansas City Chapter of ISACA. Donna serves on several of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) Working Groups including the Metrics Subcommittee, Security Awareness, and Business Resiliency. Donna also serves as a member of the MARC Cybersecurity Task Force and volunteers with the ISACA Foundation as a mentor and promote diversity and inclusion in the Cyber Risk and Audit profession. She is the Director of Membership & Recruitment for the Kansas City Metroplex for Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS).

She previously served as a member of the ASIS Professional Standards Board drafting team developing the Security Awareness Standard published in 2020. Her passion is to continue expanding the information sharing community and build partnerships to help strengthen the security resiliency and awareness of anyone responsible for protecting the critical infrastructure.

Reanna Schultz, from Kansas City, MO, holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Cybersecurity. With over six years of professional experience, Reanna has contributed to various corporate environments, leveraging her expertise to strengthen cybersecurity practices.

Throughout her career, Reanna has worn many hats, including roles in Endpoint Security Engineering, Detection Engineering, and leading a Security Operations Center (SOC) team. In addition to her primary responsibilities, Reanna serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) and is also an entrepreneur.

Reanna is the founder of CyberSpeak Labs, a platform dedicated to fostering community engagement through collaboration. She hosts the podcast Defenders in Lab Coats, where she delves into cyber threats and occasionally invites passionate guests to share their insights.
Driven by her passion for cybersecurity, Reanna frequently travels to speak at events, sharing her industry knowledge and empowering others to improve their organizations' cybersecurity practices.

Konnor is the Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Partnerships at Zluri, an identity security platform helping IT and security teams manage and secure SaaS applications. With nearly a decade in tech sales and leadership—from early-stage startups to $10B+ public companies—he brings extensive experience in scaling teams and driving growth. Konnor is passionate about building high-performing teams and shares insights on leadership and team building in today’s dynamic workplace.

Jim Garrett is an IT executive, leader, architect, and governance expert with enterprise executive experience at the Saint Francis Health System, State of Missouri, New York State, 3M, Honeywell, Ingram Micro, Washington Mutual, and Maytag. Also significant healthcare consulting experience at MediSys Health Network, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Saint Luke’s Health System, University of Washington Medical School, and University Hospital Rutgers. Technical and process experience includes deployment of enterprise wide IT Applications, Cyber Security Frameworks, Awareness and Training, Incident Event Management (SIEM), Identity and Access Management (IAM), Password Access Management (PAM), 2FA, Security Operation Center (SOC), Unified Threat Management (UTM), Web Application Firewalls (WAF), Data Leakage Prevention (DLP), Anti-ZeroDay, and Encase Enterprise Forensic technologies in multi-national environments. Operational responsibility for SAP and EPIC security and system provisioning and compliance requirements. Lean Sigma and Six Sigma process improvement experience.

Maria Singh is a visionary cybersecurity and AI innovator at EnterpriseKC, leading transformative initiatives on the Heartland Cyber Range. EnterpriseKC is a business-led think-and-do tank driving enterprise development, innovation, and job growth. It maximizes regional prosperity by accelerating growth, retaining jobs and talent, expanding enterprises, and supporting startups and high-growth companies through targeted strategies and programs.
As the Cybersecurity Content Strategy Manager and Product Owner, Maria crafts dynamic training content and forges strategic partnerships with the government, industry, and academia. Much like the legendary Sword in the Stone, she is a beacon of transformation, countering emerging cyber threats and empowering the next generation of cyber practitioners to lead with resilience and vision.

An accomplished author, speaker, and mentor, Maria is deeply committed to inspiring future generations. She has a passion for increasing the representation of women in cybersecurity. She also lends her expertise to developing AI chat agents to streamline operations, personalize customer experiences, and accelerate value creation.

Aaron cofounded Tenfold Security after serving thirteen years as the Chief Information Security Officer of American Century Investments and Cboe Global Markets (previously Bats Global Markets). He joined Bats Global Markets in 2008 and built the information security program from the ground up. Following the acquisition of Bats Global Markets by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), he became the Global Chief Information Security Officer of the combined entity. In his role, he oversaw all information and physical security along with environmental, security compliance, personnel security, monitoring and policy/procedure.

Aaron holds an MBA and bachelor’s in education from the University of Saint Mary and a Bachelor’s in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University. He currently serves as a board member of the University of Saint Mary Board of Trustees and maintains a CISSP certification.

April Boyd-Noronha, also known as The STEM Broker, consults parents, educational and civic entities on actively engaging the NextGen as they pursue careers in STEM. She is currently the Global Diversity & Inclusion Advisor and Board Member of the XR Safety Initiative (XRSI), the first global non-profit with the mission of helping build safe and inclusive realities.

April has over 20 years of experience in academia and advanced technologies as an author, college professor, global keynote speaker and thought leader. Her expertise is on the future of work and emerging trends on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for persons of historically marginalized populations. She also is the new Global Security Awareness Manager for Cardinal Health. April continues to blaze a trail in equitable practices as the first Black elected school board member of the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) which is the 3rd largest school district in the state of Kansas. She is the parent of three children who all are pursuing a STEM career track in cybersecurity, engineering, and avionics (drones).

Britney began the first decade of her security career in the U.S. Army where she managed over 90 teams and traveled to assess the security of international government partners. She oversaw the Information Security Department for AMC Theatres where she was responsible for the development and implementation of the global strategy. She has since transitioned to Cardinal Health, initially leading Cyber Operations and now performing as the Director of Information Security Business Partnerships, providing Business Support, Security Awareness, and Compliance Operations across the Globe. Britney is a certified CISSP, CISM, PMP, SSAP. and holds certifications for CompTIA S+, CCSK, and IT Business Management. She holds a BS in Applied & Discrete Mathematics and an MS in Cybersecurity. Britney was also named an IT Security Power Player by SC Magazine and named as the Security Professional of the Year by ASIS Kansas City Chapter in 2020.

A seasoned information technology leader with over 25 years of information security experience. Capable of translating low level security details into executive level business decisions. Believes good compliance does not mean good security, nor does good security mean good risk management. Passionate for employee development. Experience includes healthcare cross-disciplinary compliance and privacy, software development, information security program management, cyber security managed services, federal government IT cloud deployments, global transition operations, and 20 years in the military.