IT Leaders Tackle Future Defense at AFCEA West 2025

Vice Adm. Craig A. “Clap” Clapperton is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He was commissioned in 1989 and designated a naval flight officer in 1991. In 2008, he earned a Master of Arts in National Strategy and Security Studies from the Naval War College with highest distinction and was a member of the college’s elite Stockdale group. He is a distinguished graduate of the Navy Nuclear Power Training Command and completed nuclear power training in 2010. In June, 2021, Clapperton assumed duties as Commander, Combined Joint Task Forces, Cyber, Tenth Fleet.

Clapperton completed operational flying tours in both the A-6E Intruder and EA-6B Prowler and has amassed over 2,800 hours in the Intruder, Prowler and EA-18 G Growler. His squadron assignments include tours with the Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34) Blue Blasters, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ-139) Cougars, and Wizards of VAQ-133.

Clapperton commanded the Shadowhawks of VAQ-141, the U.S. 6th Fleet and NATO command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), and Carrier Strike Group TWELVE. Additionally, he served as executive officer aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). During his command tours, his ships and squadron supported Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, New Dawn, and Inherent Resolve, and operated in the Baltic, Black and Mediterranean Seas and Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

During his tours ashore, Clapperton served as aide to Deputy Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; flag lieutenant to Commander, U.S. Second Fleet/Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic; flight instructor, Prowler Fleet Replacement Squadron; on the staffs of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and Commander, Naval Air Force Pacific, Deputy Director, Operations, J3, U. S. Cyber Command, and Commander, Joint Task Force – Cyber, U.S. 10th Fleet.

He assumed command of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet in August 2022.

Clapperton’s awards include from each of his commands, the Battle E and Chief of Naval Operations Retention Excellence Awards. In September 2007, Clapperton was awarded the prestigious Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.

Mr. Gaurang R. Dävé serves as Cyber Technology Officer for the Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC). In this role, he serves as the principal cyber advisor and technical expert to the Commander, Executive Director and Chief Engineer, MCSC; and Program Executive Office Land Systems (PEOLS) and subordinate activities, for Cyberspace, Cybersecurity, and information technology (IT).

Mr. Dävé previously served as Cyber Advisor at MCSC. In this role, Mr. Dävé provided technical cyber Subject Matter Expertise (SME) for cyber policy, budgeting, evaluating new technologies, representing command senior leadership at DoD, DoN, and within USMC for cyber related matters.

Prior to joining MCSC, Mr. Dävé served as Senior Cyber Technical Advisor and Cybersecurity Program Director for Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren. In this capacity, Mr. Dävé led the Navy’s combat systems cybersecurity portfolio across the Warfare Systems Program Office. Mr. Dävé provided technical leadership, guidance, and program management leadership. Prior to that, Mr. Dävé served as Cybersecurity Risk Posture lead for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, OPNAV N2N6 Cybersecurity Division at the Pentagon. His contributions included synchronizing cyber strategy, standards and requirements, evaluating and prioritizing investments, providing oversight, and resource sponsorship.

Mr. Dävé began his career as a software engineer and served in technical, program management, and supervisory positions across the joint services. Mr. Dävé led the Chemical, Biological, Radiological (CBR) Analysis, Testing, and Systems Engineering Branch at NSWC, Dahlgren Division. Under his leadership, the branch provided SME in CBR modeling & simulation, threat analysis, executed White House initiatives for Medical Countermeasures, and led several ACAT-3 efforts. Mr. Dävé served as CBR Thrust Area Manager for Major Defense Acquisition Program at Joint Science & Technology Office led by US Army. Prior to joining government service, Mr. Dävé worked in private industry at International Business Machines (IBM). As a Security Software Engineer, Mr. Dävé led several software security program development efforts designed to protect the company’s network.

Mr. Dävé holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Biochemical Pharmacology from State University of New York at Buffalo. Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering with focus in Operational Research from George Mason University. Graduate degree in Cyber Engineering from University of Maryland. He is DAWIA Level III certified in Systems Engineering.

Mr. Mark Gorak is the Principal Director for Resources & Analysis in the office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). Key responsibilities include monitoring and analyzing congressional activities and legislation; serving as the DoD CIO focal point for planning, programming, budgeting and execution processes; DoD CIO administration and management; and DoD’s digital and cyber workforce policy and development integrator.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Gorak served as the Deputy Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). In this capacity he served as the senior advisor to the Director with a focus on attracting and cultivating mission-driven, world class talent to transform the Department of Defense through the integration of artificial intelligence.

From November 2019 to March 2021, Mr. Gorak served as the Director of People Analytics within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASA M&RA). As a senior advisor to M&RA, he was responsible for developing, managing, and synthesizing the research design, strategy, and policies to ensure Army personnel data is visible, accessible, understandable, trusted, interoperable, and secure.

Prior to entering civil service, Mr. Gorak served in the United States Army for over thirty-three years. He began his military service as an enlisted truck driver who was inspired to become an Army leader and later retired as a Colonel. As on officer, he served on the Joint Staff as a Division Chief responsible for implementing military and civilian personnel policy, talent management and readiness, reducing joint individual augmentees by 40% returning Service members back to Services, directly increasing readiness. He also served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Cost Assessment Program Evaluation (OSD-CAPE) as a program analyst. In this role, he established and led a DepSecDef wargaming group whose aim was to revitalize, synchronize and prioritize Department wargaming efforts. He founded the Department’s Defense Wargaming Alignment Group as well as the warfighting lab incentive fund, which provided operational concept innovation through experiments and demonstrations.

His previous military experience includes serving as an OH-58 Scout helicopter pilot in 1st Cavalry Division; C-12 King Air, fixed-wing aviator with XVIII Airborne Corps, commanding Charlie Company 228th theater aviation company; Headquarters, United States Military Entrance Processing Command serving as lead operations analyst; Army G-1 as branch chief for military personnel programs responsible for program and execution of military pay; and the US Army manpower analysis agency where he served as a senior analyst. He also served with Joint Task Force-Iraq (JTF-I) as Deputy J5 evaluating US force presence conducting strategic assessment of the theaters progress in achieving campaign objectives resulting in revisions to implementation plans.

In addition to his military assignments, Mr. Gorak has chaired various Military Operations Research Society working groups for over three years and is a six-sigma black belt. His education includes an MS in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School – National Defense University, an MS in Applied Mathematics from the Naval Post Graduate School and a BS in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from Marquette University.

His accomplishments include receiving the Superior Civilian Service Award; twice recognized by ASA M&RA, Legion of Merit; twice recognized, Defense Meritorious Service Medal; twice recognized, and the Meritorious Service Medal; twice recognized.

Mr. Gorak and his wife celebrate over 30 years of marriage and five children. He is an active youth soccer and basketball coach in support of his children and enjoys traveling around the country as an NCAA soccer referee. Lastly, he is a Wisconsin native, local supporter and prideful part owner of the Green Bay Packers.

Ben Motten is the 5.0 Deputy Assistant Chief Engineer, leading our digital engineering transformation for C4ISR, IT, and Space Systems.

With a stellar career at NAVWAR, he’s worn many hats, including Deputy Assistant Program Executive Officer for Engineering, NAVWAR CIO’s Enterprise Architect, and ONE-Net IT Specialist at NIWC Pacific.

Ben’s also a huge advocate for small businesses, having served on the San Diego Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the San Diego Workforce and Advisory Committee.

Kaitie Penry is the inaugural Director of Research Innovation at the Naval Postgraduate School. In this role, she oversees the development of NPS’ enterprise innovation process and prototyping portfolio, supporting the Secretary of the Navy’s initiative to establish the Naval Innovation Center at NPS.

‍Penry joined the NPS team in May 2023 from the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), a program office within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering. At NSIN, Penry was the Bay Area Regional Engagement Principal focused on building relationships with early-stage startups and academia in order to develop novel solutions for national security problem sets. She was also a National Security Fellow at UC Berkeley. Prior to this, she was the NSIN Deputy Education Portfolio Manager focused on design and execution programming.

‍Penry also worked at Headquarters, Marine Corps for eight years on related strategic areas to include logistics, crowdsourcing/ideation, rapid prototyping, security cooperation, and technology concepts. She earned a master’s in foreign policy from American University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis in International Relations.

Ms. Rathbun currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Information Warfare and Enterprise Services (DASN IWAR) on the staff of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. She is also dual-hatted as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) on the staff of the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer.

As DASN IWAR, she supports an $8+B portfolio of programs and projects that deliver the systems for information-centric capabilities, services, processes, and security, including Command and Control; Communications; Networks; Cloud; Cyber; Intelligence; Meteorology and Oceanography; Spectrum; Position, Navigation and Timing; Productivity; Logistics; Personal; Acquisition; Financial; and many other enterprise services. In addition to program support Ms. Rathbun drives key software acquisition reforms and is the Navy’s IT Acquisition Workforce lead.

As CTO she is focused on leveraging modern principles and technologies to drive the modernization of key elements of the DON’s IT Infrastructure to include the establishment of a unified network architecture, movement to a culture of enterprise cloud services and execution of zero trust principles through identity services to enable a mobile, agile, secure and interoperable operational force in meeting their mission.

Prior to selection as DASN, Ms. Rathbun served as the Deputy Director for Defense Business Systems in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for C3, Cyber, and Business Systems (DASD C3CB) within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. She was responsible for shaping the acquisitions of the Department’s major Defense Business Systems and Enterprise IT Infrastructure Services investments, a portfolio valued at over $15B, impacting the readiness of every soldier, sailor, airman and marine, their dependents and military retirees. In addition, she led multiple process improvement efforts focused on modernizing and optimizing the acquisition of business and IT services, software acquisition methods and tools, cloud services, and the management and governance of Defensewide capabilities.

Ms. Rathbun has had a diverse career in the government. Her assignments include: the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces; the Office of the Secretary of Defense Program Analysis and Evaluation as an operations research analyst for readiness and PPBS reform; HQ NASA where she served as a change lead on the SAP enterprise resource planning solution implementation and the Acting Director of Resources, NASA Comptroller; Chief of Staff for the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed initiative, Institutional Reform and Governance Roadmap, where she guided a cross-department team through development of management reforms including implementation of a Capability Portfolio Management process; AT&L as Special Assistant to the Director of Portfolio Systems Acquisition for Program Management Empowerment and Accountability implementing Weapon System Acquisition Reform Act initiatives; Acting Division Chief for the Strategic Capabilities Office in the J1/8 Resources Directorate, United States Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, leading analysis of assessment of command operations, and alignment and advocacy of resources to the Command Strategy; and Chief of Staff to the DASD C3CB, facilitating the coordination and synchronization of cross-DASD efforts, requirements, and resources, identifying opportunities for process and management improvements focused on optimizing the delivery of program support and advocacy.

Ms. Rathbun received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from John Carroll University and a Master in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She has earned top civilian service awards for her various efforts and contributions. Ms. Rathbun is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certified – Program Management, Level III.

David Reaves leads Verizon’s Navy/Marines sales organization. Verizon has a long history in delivering mission oriented-solutions globally. Most recently, in 2023 and 2024 David oversaw the military and defense health verticals for Verizon Public Sector. And with over 10,000 veterans currently employed at Verizon and five years of us being ranked a top-three military-friendly company, you know you’re getting support not just from technology experts, but from people who understand how they can best help and support you.

David has over 25 years in telecommunications and technology, with over 15 years focused on providing best in class technology solutions for the public sector. David has led, strategized and provided the solution architecture in support of the Navy NGEN contract, working in tandem with Leidos providing unified communication and transformation initiatives while also delivering professional services to the US Navy.

David’s experience supporting other military departments will help deliver Navy-centric mission outcomes.

Reaves holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University and has won numerous awards including U.S. Treasury’s Small Business Advocate of the Year, State, Local, Education Partner of the Year (Cisco) and Federal Partner of the Year (Equinix).

Ann Rondeau is a visionary leader with broad executive experience and a track record of achieving results. She has a reputation for acting with integrity, for asking hard questions, and for building strong and enduring avenues for collaboration. A former United States Navy Vice Admiral, her distinguished career includes responsibilities for complex operations afloat and ashore in the United States, Europe and Asia, as well as experience in strategy development and policy advisory roles at the highest corporate levels of the Department of Defense. Her post-Navy career continues her record of influencing transformative change and opportunities. She is collaborative and relates amicably and effectively across personalities and cultures. She has been privileged to lead organizational and cultural transformation in diverse and complex environments. With keen instincts in dynamic environments, she sees through problems, identifies opportunities, and builds consensus. While building a reputation leading troubled organizations to safer waters, Ann also adeptly leads healthy organizations to anticipate future opportunities to build financial, political, and moral support for change.

In addition to experience in multiple Navy operational domains, including antisubmarine warfare, air operations, maritime and joint transportation, logistics and sealift, Ann has extensive experience running the business operations of the Navy, ranging in value from $300M to $2B annually. She successfully led the redesign and repurposing of military installations to accommodate significant changes in lines of business, while continuing to meet on-going functions and missions. Responsibilities included oversight of facility construction projects ranging in value from $300M in Millington, Tennessee to more than $1B in Great Lakes, Illinois. Projects were completed on time, on budget, and in sequence, while government and contractor workforces were transformed to be ready to meet new workload requirements.

Throughout her Naval career Ann served in various strategic concepts and planning roles, including as a Navy staff officer working on the maritime strategy, the CNO’s Strategic Studies Group, and the OSD policy planning, policy analysis, and Africa Region offices.

As a White House Fellow at the Department of Justice and at the request and direction of the United States Attorney General, Ann served as the AG’s National Security Advisor for two years. Her ability to negotiate creative solutions and discern and design complex policy issues enabled the AG’s office to shape outcomes throughout the U.S government interagency, including FEMA, DEA, INS and FBI, the White House, the Department of State’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and High Commissioner for Refugees, the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the broad interagency network.

Ann served as the Commander, Naval Service Training Command (Great Lakes) where she led mission of all Navy accessions commands, including the Navy’s only boot camp, as well as NROTC, NJROTC, and all officer accessions except for the Unites States Naval Academy. The team was highly successful in resetting all metrics in the right direction. In this job, Ann oversaw the $1.5B recapitalization of Great Lakes Training Command.

As Deputy Commander, United States Transportation Command, she coordinated with federal, state, local, and international authorities to enable successful execution of $30B annual global logistics operations in response to natural disasters and homeland defense and in support of high intensity combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her negotiations ensured effective, secure, and efficient routing and handling via land, sea, and air distribution services. While serving as Deputy Commander, Ann led a cross-disciplinary team to introduce new approaches and new technology applications to information management in strategic and operational logistics.

Ann was selected as President, National Defense University, in Washington, DC, a graduate institution with five schools and nine research centers at the time of her Presidency. As an institution with a long-standing reputation for education as well as influential scholarship and research in the public sphere, she was instrumental in expanding the international program to include military and civilian students to countries such as Vietnam.

After leaving the United States Navy, Ann served briefly as an independent consultant with IBM’s leading-edge cognitive computing project, The Watson Group. She assisted DOD and other federal agencies in defining applications for artificial intelligence, cognitive computing and machine learning.

She was recruited to be the President of the College of DuPage (Illinois), with a mandate to re-establish executive integrity, institutional reputation, a positive culture and public trust, address funding shortfalls, restore financial accountability, and regain full accreditation for one of the largest single campus community colleges in the country ($325M operation/32,000 student/1400 faculty). During her tenure, she worked closely with the Board of Trustees successfully leading a turnaround in every aspect of the mission and culture, including improving the Moody’s and S&P Bond ratings with further improvements in what would have been her fourth year as President. With her leadership and the support of the Board of Trustees, the College of DuPage created the very successful and enduring economic and entrepreneurial engine of Innovation DuPage, an incubation and acceleration center that offers entrepreneurs a roadmap for transforming ideas into viable commercial ventures.

Ann was subsequently appointed by the Secretary of the Navy as the 13th President of the Naval Postgraduate School, a graduate university that is principally focused on science and technology education and research, experimentation, and innovation in support of defense and national security needs of the United States and its global allies. NPS operates with an annual budget of approximately $125M in operations and $100M in research grants. Currently NPS has a student body of 2700 students and a faculty and staff of 850 military and civilian personnel. With an eye on delivering capability and at the direction of two Secretaries of the Navy, Ann is leading a difference-making project of establishing NPS as a center for Naval innovation and solutions delivery. She is leading a fundamental transformation of NPS, to include institutional fundamentals in support of warfighter development and warfighting.

Her pro bono activities have been many, including: Board of Directors, United States Institute of Peace; Board of Directors, German Marshall Fund; Board of Directors, The Atlantic Council as an advisor to the Canadian Defense College Foundation and was a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors; Board of Directors, National Museum of the American Sailors; Board of Directors, Council of Higher Education Accreditation; Board of Directors, Chicago Regional Growth Corporation; Board of Directors, Choose DuPage (regional development organization for Chicago northwest suburbs); accreditation committees for the United States Naval Academy and the University of Memphis; Tennessee/Mid-South Economic Development Board; DoD liaison to the Center for the Study of the Presidency; Military Advisory Board (studying energy and environment impacts on national security); Flag Officer Advisory Council for Arizona State University, Board of Trustees for Princeton Theological Seminary, Yorktown Institute, Arlington National Cemetery Committee, and others.

She served as Vice Chair for the Board of Trustees, American Public University System (NASDAQ:APEI). She presently serves on two boards within Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR), a $11B utilities distribution and transmission company.

In her Board service, Ann has served on succession, membership, governance, audit, compensation and strategic planning committees. She has been a speaker for many years on wide-ranging and myriad subjects, including military strategy and mission, political-military affairs, military-civilian affairs, ethics, public policy analysis and research in the public domain, education and training, and most importantly leadership.

Ann holds a BA degree in History and Social Science from Eisenhower College, a MA degree in
Comparative Government from Georgetown University and a Doctorate in Education from Northern Illinois University as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service from Carthage College (Wisconsin). She has received numerous awards for leadership and public service including the New York City USO 2008 Woman of the Year Award and, in 2013, The Women’s Center’s Leadership Award.