2026 Federal Cloud & Data Forum

Lisa Rosenmerkel was sworn in as Executive Director for Data Governance and Analytics in the Office of Enterprise Integration on June 17, 2024. In this role, she serves as VA’s Chief Data Officer and is responsible for leading efforts across VA to use Veteran and business data to drive informed, evidence-based decisions, managing VA data assets and guiding operational and strategic improvements to lifecycle data management. In her role as the co-chair of the VA Data Governance Council and the VA/DoD Joint Data and Analytics Executive Committee she collaborates with Departmental and Federal partners in data governance, ensuring data quality and developing joint requirements and standards. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Rosenmerkel served as Deputy Executive Director for Data Governance and Analytics since September 25, 2022.

Ms. Rosenmerkel joined the Federal government in 2002. Prior to joining the Department of Veterans Affairs, she supported the Treasury deployment of the American Rescue Plan, distributing more than $240 billion to state, local, and Tribal governments across the country to support their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Ms. Rosenmerkel received the OPM Presidential Management Fellow Mentor of the Year Award in 2019. She is a graduate of the 2020/2021 Treasury SES Candidate Development Program.

Kevin Murphy serves as NASA’s acting chief data officer, acting chief super intelligence officer, and the chief science data officer for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. He also leads the agency’s High End Computing Capability Portfolio.

As acting chief data officer and chief super intelligence officer, Murphy provides strategic leadership to the agency’s application and use of data and AI at a critical juncture where demand and adoption are rapidly increasing. He works to align NASA’s AI strategy with enterprise data governance to ensure responsible, transparent, and secure development, deployment, and risk management across the agency.

As the chief science data officer, Murphy works across NASA’s five science divisions to advance super intelligence, cloud computing, and data science for the agency’s scientific data. He oversees the strategic planning and implementation of NASA’s data and computing ecosystem, including high-end computing and cloud resources, ensuring these critical capabilities are efficient, reliable, and aligned with mission priorities. This stewardship enables gold standard, reproducible science while also supporting mission-critical engineering, modeling, and analysis activities across the agency for programs such as Artemis and future Moon-to-Mars exploration. Murphy’s leadership ensures NASA’s scientific data remain openly accessible and preserved for long-term discovery and innovation.

Previously, Murphy managed the data systems programs responsible for the production and distribution of data from NASA’s fleet of Earth-observing satellites to users around the world. He initiated the Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition Program and led the Satellite Needs Assessment Working Group. During his tenure at the Goddard Space Flight Center, he developed and managed projects including near real-time science data production systems, search engines, scientific data visualization systems, and Your Gateway to NASA Earth Observation Data | NASA Earthdata.

Murphy’s leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement for Engineering, Charles S. Falkenberg Award, and Fed 100, and the 2025 AGU Open Science Group Award among others.

He holds a master’s degree in Geographic Sciences and has completed coursework for a doctorate in Geography from the University of Maryland.

Michelle Zebrowski is the inaugural Chief Data Officer (CDO) for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), bringing nearly two decades of dedicated service to the agency. As CDO, she spearheads efforts to cultivate CBP’s data ecosystem, ensuring data accessibility, discoverability, and its strategic application for informed decision-making. This year, under her leadership, a data catalog has been deployed, encompassing over 95% of OIT-managed datasets, totaling more than 50 petabytes of data and nearly 300,000 data assets. Her leadership is pivotal in positioning CBP at the forefront of artificial intelligence adoption within the federal government, overseeing a portfolio of over 100 AI use cases, including the deployment of ChatCBP, which is transforming how 60,000 employees accomplish their daily work.

Michelle’s commitment to excellence has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the CBP Commissioner’s Award in both 2020 and 2024. She was also honored as the 2021 Commissioner’s Employee Spotlight for her volunteer efforts in animal welfare and received a CBPeople Spotlight Award. Additionally, Michelle received the 2026 Fed100 award and has been featured in CDO Magazine’s Global Data Power Women list for both 2024 and 2025. Her other honors include the 2024 GTSC Homeland Security Today – Holiday Hero Award for MVP Data Advancement, the 2025 GTSC Homeland Security Today Trailblazer Award, the 2025 Orange Slices National Security Award, and the 2024 Engage Homeland and National Security 100: Driving Innovation Forward award.

Cristina Genoese-Zerbi is the Director of the Department of the Navy’s Neptune Cloud Management Office (Neptune) and is leading the transition of all enterprise cloud services to the Neptune-managed Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) task orders. Cristina also serves as the Product Manager for the Cloud Agile Release Train (ART) within PAE Mission Systems.

Nicole Thompson joined FedRAMP in January 2025 as the FedRAMP Security Director. She has over 15 years of experience in cybersecurity, specializing in hardware/software integration, vulnerability management and remediation, and penetration testing.

Nicole previously worked at the Defense Digital Service as the cybersecurity engineer running the Hack the Pentagon program.

She is passionate about improving risk management decision processes by relying on more meaningful security metrics.

David Raley is the Chief Digital Business Officer at Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), where he leads enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives that directly impact the quality of life for Marines and their families. As the founder of MCCS’s innovation capability and the architect behind its customer experience (CX) modernization strategy, David has redefined how mission-critical services are delivered across the Marine Corps.

He is the visionary behind Operation StormBreaker, a pioneering DevSecOps and pipeline-as-a-service framework that accelerates secure software delivery across the Department of Defense. Under his leadership, MCCS achieved the Marine Corps’ first authority-to-operate (ATO) via automated continuous delivery—setting a new benchmark for speed, compliance, and agility in government software development.

David’s work has been featured in FedScoop, Federal News Network, GovCIO Media & Research, and the ATARC Federal IT Newscast podcast, where he shares insights on agile ATOs, CX innovation, and cloud modernization. His efforts have saved MCCS an estimated $100K per application per month by reducing the cost of delay and streamlining acquisition and accreditation processes.

A frequent speaker at DoD and federal IT events, David brings a mission-first mindset to every conversation—bridging the gap between emerging technology and operational impact.

Leslie Nettles serves as the Acting Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for the Information Security and Privacy Group (ISPG). Leslie holds dual master’s degrees in Digital Forensics/Cyber Investigation and Business Administration from University of Maryland Global Campus, with expertise in Governance, Risk, Compliance, Data Privacy, and Breach Response.  Leslie currently leads privacy oversight at CMS as the Senior Official for Privacy and Director of the Division of Security and Privacy Policy and Oversight, drawing on broad experience across defense and civilian sectors to strengthen the agency’s security and privacy posture.

With over 22 years of experience supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Adina Pantella currently serves as the Executive Director of the Passenger Systems Program Directorate (PSPD) in the Office of Information and Technology (OIT). In this role, she leads the development and delivery of innovative technical solutions that strengthen border security and enhance traveler processing at U.S. ports of entry. Previously, as a leader in the Targeting and Analysis Systems Program Directorate (TASPD), she directed large-scale programs focused on passenger targeting, risk assessment, and officer safety, spearheading efforts that significantly improved CBP’s targeting and vetting capabilities and fostering interagency collaboration. Ms. Pantella is recognized for her strategic leadership, commitment to innovation, and dedication to mission success, driving the advancement of integrated technology solutions for border security and traveler facilitation.

Kevin Walsh is a Director in GAO’s Information Technology and Cybersecurity team. He oversees work related to AI, Census, CIO authorities, legacy modernizations, and satellite and space systems. He has led reviews covering topics related to the authorities of federal Chief Information Officers, management of legacy IT systems, coordination of IT contracts, and assessments of IT-related risk.

Kevin joined GAO in June 2006, and led projects related to FITARA and GAO’s High Risk area on Improving the Management of IT Acquisitions and Operations.

Kevin earned a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Tech. Kevin earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Wade Zarriello is the Director of Infrastructure & User Services Group at CMS.

Joe Croghan is the Associate Director of Informatics at the Office of Cyber Infrastructure and Computational Biology at NIAID.

Kimberly M. Watson is a seasoned federal technology and acquisition leader with over 16 years of experience driving enterprise IT modernization, contract management, and strategic program execution at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As the Deputy Division Director for the Division of Technology Portfolio Management, she provides executive leadership and acquisitions support over a large-scale portfolio delivering enterprise infrastructure services, including hybrid cloud, application hosting, telecommunications, and end-user support.

Ms. Watson co-leads execution of a $420 million annual budget and leads a team of Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) responsible for administering a complex portfolio of IT infrastructure contracts. She is recognized for her ability to align technology investments with mission priorities, optimize resources, and implement governance frameworks that promote innovation, efficiency, and continuous improvement. Her leadership supports CMS’s broader modernization efforts, ensuring scalable, secure, and cost-effective IT solutions for one of the nation’s most critical healthcare agencies.

A FAC-COR Level III certified professional with over 14 years of acquisition experience, Ms. Watson has deep expertise across the full contract lifecycle, including acquisition strategy, source selection, contract negotiation, performance management, and financial oversight. Over the past three years, she has personally served as the Contracting Officer Representative for the Hybrid Cloud Products and Tools (hCPT) contract – one of CMS’ largest IT investments, valued at approximately $1.2 billion over five years. In this role, she has led contract oversight, vendor performance management, and financial optimization initiatives, including Cloud FinOps strategies that drive cost savings through rightsizing, reserved capacity, and elimination of waste. This includes executing the AWS OneGov agreement where CMS became the first federal agency reported to realize measurable savings through the program. She also played a key leadership role in the successful recompete of the CPT contract in February 2025, ensuring continuity of services while enhancing contract structure, competition, and value to the government.

Throughout her career, Ms. Watson has demonstrated a strong ability to bridge business and technology stakeholders, translating complex requirements into actionable acquisition and program management strategies. She has led integrated project teams, chaired technical evaluation panels, and advised senior executives on procurement decisions, budget planning, and IT investment priorities. Her work has directly supported major CMS initiatives, including cloud adoption, enterprise hosting services, and infrastructure modernization.

A strategic thinker and collaborative leader, Ms. Watson is passionate about advancing federal IT innovation, strengthening acquisition practices, and delivering high-impact solutions that improve mission outcomes and customer experience.

Dr. Miller was appointed Senior Advisor for Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), National Digital Exploitation & OSINT Center, in June 2025, where he serves as the senior substantive authority on all issues related to the collection of publicly available information and OSINT activities, policies, tradecraft, training, and technical capabilities. Before this assignment, Dr. Miller served as the Assistant Director of Intelligence for Analysis at U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), Stuttgart, Germany, as well as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Representative to USAFRICOM. From 2017-2019, he served as Division Chief and Senior Intelligence Officer for Political-Military Analysis at USAFRICOM, RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom. Before joining the command, he served as the Managing Editor of the Defense Intelligence Digest (DID), DIA’s flagship daily intelligence product, from 2013-2016, where he conducted the most significant transformation of the product line since its inception. The improvements in tradecraft and style he forged greatly increased the readership of the DID among the senior most policymakers.

From 2012-2013, he completed a Joint Duty Assignment at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a content editor on the President’s Daily Brief Staff, serving as the only non-CIA analyst on the editing staff. From 2007-2012, he held senior analytic and management positions in DIA’s Counter-Narcotics Trafficking Office, where he led, among other initiatives, the first-ever National Intelligence Estimate on the Afghan drug trade and DoD’s analytic effort on an interagency assessment of the West African drug trade. He began his DIA career as a Russian strategic forces analyst in the Directorate of Analysis. Before joining DIA, he held academic and policy positions including: national security analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Research Associate at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at George Washington University, civil-military consultant at the Joint Forces Staff College, and international affairs analyst with the U.S. Coast Guard. He taught undergraduate courses on International Relations and Comparative Politics at Christopher Newport University and Old Dominion University.

He is the author of To Balance or Not To Balance: Alignment Theory in the Commonwealth of Independent States and numerous scholarly articles and commentary on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy in leading publications such as Defense News, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, Jane’s Intelligence Review, Navy Times, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Problems of Post-Communism, and Security Studies. Dr. Miller received a Ph.D. and M.A. in International Studies from Old Dominion University, a M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida. He also studied Russian Politics at Kazan State University in Kazan, Russia. He is a graduate of the Defense Senior Leadership Development Program and has received numerous DNI awards for analytic excellence and intelligence integration.

Dr. Miller resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife, Dr. Daneta Billau.

Dr. Steevenson Nelson is a distinguished biochemist and seasoned management analyst currently serving as a Lead Management Analyst at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the Office of the Director, Executive Office.

Dr. Nelson earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2001. He then pursued his doctoral studies at North Carolina State University, where he obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 2005 under the mentorship of Dr. Dennis Brown. His doctoral research concentrated on the production of truncated viral proteins for structural analysis and subunit vaccine development. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Nelson joined the NIH as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Ted Pierson in late 2005. He went on to serve as a senior staff scientist in the laboratory of Dr. Rafael Casellas at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) from 2009 to 2015.

In 2017, Dr. Nelson transitioned from research to administrative roles through the NIH Management Intern Program. He has since been instrumental in the development and expansion of the Data Analytics and Business Intelligence Branch (DABIB) within the Office of the Director’s Executive Office.

Katie Chrisman is the Team Lead for Federal Solutions Engineering at NinjaOne, where she guides federal customers to adopt and scale IT operations. Her career has centered on bridging technical expertise with the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Prior to NinjaOne, she led commercial and federal partnerships at Shift5 and spent nearly four years at Recorded Future, first as a Solutions Architect for the U.S. Public Sector and later as a Senior Sales Engineer supporting DoD and IC customers with adopting and integrating open source threat intelligence. Katie began her career as an analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Will Erb serves as Managing Director of Filevine Federal, where he executes the strategic vision for bringing Filevine’s AI-native platform to the federal government. In this capacity, he leads the division across go-to-market strategy, procurement vehicle positioning, and delivery, and drives federal product development, shaping platform capabilities to meet the operational and mission-specific demands of government customers. He oversees Filevine’s positioning at the frontier of agentic AI, advancing autonomous, operational AI agents that execute complex case, matter, document, and workflow tasks within the customer’s own security boundary, without data extraction. This next-generation capability replaces fragmented point solutions with a single configurable platform where AI acts, not just assists, positioning Filevine as one of the fastest-growing startups in the world, at the center of real innovation across the AI sector.

As a leader and entrepreneur, Will’s career spans early-stage technology startups, investment firms, and federal contractors, working across the intersection of commercial innovation and applied AI. His work designing and developing AI-enabled platforms during the formative period of applied enterprise AI grounded his conviction that the organizations who win are those that unify their operations around intelligent systems rather than bolting AI onto fragmented legacy tools. He now applies that thesis at federal scale, translating the pace of commercial innovation into solutions that meet the accountability standards of government missions.

Michael Hardee is the Chief Architect at Red Hat.

Since 2021, Jeff Malec is the Lifecycle Subject Matter Expert and Technology Evangelist for HP. Through 1:1 consulting, webinars, showcases, executive briefings, and Channel engagements, Jeff is driving adoption of the modern workplace, Windows 11, HP AI, and the related lifecycle elements.

After managing the Microsoft and HP relationship for nearly 8 years, and a 21+ year career with Microsoft, Jeff is an expert in go to market plans and customer adoption strategies.

Jeff holds multiple technical certifications from Microsoft and is a guest lecturer with Florida Atlantic University and Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Anish Patel serves as the Head of Federal at Cloudflare, with a mission of helping to build a better Internet for everyone. Since joining in 2022, Anish has led go-to-market for Cloudflare’s Federal business and his team is making it easier for government to build, secure and deliver the services that our citizens and service members depend on.