Our Team

Matthew Ahlers, USN, is a Strategic Advisor to VES and the Founder and Managing Partner at 760 Blue. Matt has particular expertise designing and implementing analytics processes and has led major initiatives across technology, healthcare, and financial services.

Before starting 760 Blue, Matt was a Vice President at Baltimore startup RedOwl and strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company. Matt began his career as a U.S. Navy submarine officer.

Matt earned his B.S. in Physics and Economics from the United States Naval Academy, his M.S. in Applied Physics from The Johns Hopkins University, and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He is also a graduate of the Nuclear Power School – Naval Nuclear Power Training Command.

Katherine Bhat is the HR Advisor for VES.  She brings 20 years of progressive human resources experience providing support and strategic leadership in people management and business operations.  Katherine has vast experience planning and executing solutions that facilitate talent acquisition, retention, development of managers and employees, performance management, total rewards, as well as learning & development initiatives.  She also has extensive experience implementing systems and developing processes to ensure compliance and efficiency for growing government contractors.

Katherine received her B.A. from George Mason University in Communications and her M.S. from Villanova University in Human Resources Development.

Captain Daniel E. Braswell, USN retired, is a VES Affiliate.  Dan served almost 35 years in a Navy uniform with duty in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North and South America. He served as a US Naval Academy midshipman from 1979 -1983 and was a Commissioned officer from O1-O6 from 1983 – 2013.  Dan is a Naval Aviator qualified in helicopters and multi-engine fixed wing; a Foreign Area Officer qualified in the EUCOM and CENTCOM Areas of Responsibility; and a Politico-Military Affairs and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Professional with duty as a Naval Attaché in Pakistan and as a Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché in The Netherlands.

Previous to joining Ventus Solutions, Dan served as a Naval aviator, Navy Foreign Area Officer (FAO), and is currently a US State Department of Foreign Affairs Officer.  As an operational aviator he qualified in both helicopters (CH & MH-53E) and multi-engine fixed wing (C-12) aircraft and commanded a helicopter squadron home-based overseas.  As a FAO he qualified and operated in both Europe-Eurasia and the Middle East.  He is currently serving as the West Africa Regional Maritime Security Program Manager in the Africa-Middle East Directorate of the State Department’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

Dan received his B.S. with Merit in Political Science from the US Naval Academy, diploma from USMC University, JPME Phase II from the National Defense University, Fellowship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.A. in Professional Studies in Security and Safety Leadership from George Washington University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland.  Dan is the recipient of the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award Winning Maintenance Department Head for medium-sized operational commands. His Military decorations include two Defense Superior Service Medals, one Legion of Merit, one Defense Meritorious Service Medal, one Meritorious Service Medal, two Air Medals, five Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Volunteer Service Medal, and various unit and campaign awards. He also earned his Eagle Scout award!

Eric Buch, USN retired, is a Strategic Advisor for VES.  He brings decades of expertise in Operational Meteorology and Physical Oceanography.

Eric was responsible for the largest Naval Oceanographic Program to date, including funding for the Navy’s largest Unmanned Underwater Vehicle fleet. He developed and obtained the first metrics that demonstrated meteorologic, oceanographic, and precise time and astrometry (PTA) impacts across all warfare missions. He also identified and procured the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s first campaign/strategic modeling capability. He led the first major U.S. security cooperation effort based on hydrography/cartography, oceanography, and meteorology into Africa.

Eric is a results-oriented leader with over 20 years’ experience applying a unique mix of strategic analysis, operational management, and meteorologic and oceanographic (METOC) knowledge. He is an innovative operational planner and insightful strategic manager.  Eric credits having received a balanced mix of operational and managerial/administrative positions for enabling him to provide innovative leadership across varied positions.

Eric earned his B.S. in Oceanography from the U.S. Naval War College, his M.S. in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography from the Naval Post Graduate School and his M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Defense Acquisition University.

Rear Admiral Fred Byus, USN Retired, is a Senior Consultant for VES. He is currently focused on working with government and industry leaders as a consultant to conceptualize and execute plans for advancement and employment of emerging maritime technologies. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Management at the Catholic University of America.

Prior to joining VES, Admiral Byus served in the United States Navy from 1976 to 2007 holding various positions of significant responsibility including: Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy; Commander, US Naval Forces Korea; Chief of Staff, U.S. Seventh Fleet; Director of Operations (N3) of the Pacific Fleet; Commander Submarine Squadron 7; and Commanding Officer, USS Tautog (SSN 639). He is experienced in the matters of nuclear engineering, submarine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, command and control of fleet and joint force operations, financial management, training and assessment, port and facilities management, oceanography and meteorology. His expertise is in Nuclear Submarines.

Fred worked with the Battelle Memorial Institute as the General Manager of the Mission and Defense Technologies Business Unit where he oversaw Maritime, Aerospace, Ground Vehicles and Tactical Equipment business and served as President of SeeByte, Inc. a wholly owned US subsidiary of Battelle. Fred came to Battelle directly from the Navy.

Admiral Byus has served on the Board of Directors of the Navy Sea Cadets Corps, as Chairman of the SeeByte LTD (UK) Board of Directors, and as a Director of Bluefin Robotics. He also served on the Naval Submarine League Advisory Council. He has been an Elder of the National Presbyterian Church (NPC), is a Presbyter of the National Capital Presbytery, and is currently Chair of the NPC Adult Education Committee.  Currently, Admiral Byus is a member of the Navy League of the United States, the Naval Submarine League, The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE), and the USNA Alumni Association Greater Washington Chapter Board of Directors. He is on the Editorial Board for The Submarine Review.

Fred received his B.S. in Marine Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and his M.S. in Engineering Management from George Washington University.

Bryan Clarke, USN retired, is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute and a Strategic Advisor to VES. He leads studies at Hudson in naval operations and fleet architecture, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, military competitions, 5G telecommunications, and command and control.

Before joining Hudson Institute, Bryan was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), where he led studies for the DoD Office of Net Assessment, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on new technologies and the future of warfare. Prior to joining CSBA, he was special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations and director of his Commander’s Action Group, where he led development of Navy strategy and implemented new initiatives in electromagnetic spectrum operations, undersea warfare, expeditionary operations, and personnel and readiness management.

During Bryan’s 25-year Navy career, he was an enlisted and officer submariner, serving in afloat and ashore submarine operational and training assignments including tours as chief engineer of two nuclear submarines and operations officer at the Navy’s nuclear power training unit.

Bryan earned his B.S. in Chemistry and Philosophy from the University of Idaho, his M.A. in National Security Studies from the U.S. National War College, and conducted graduate research in chemistry at the University of Washington.

William French, USN retired, is the President and CEO of the Armed Services YMCA and a Strategic Advisor to VES. French retired in October 2014 as a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy after 35 years of service.

A submarine Officer and graduate of the Navy’s Nuclear Power Training, French served at sea on USS Spadefish (SSN 668); as operations Officer on USS Sea Devil (SSN 664); and, engineer on USS Tecumseh (SSBN 628). He served as Executive Officer of USS Helena (SSN 725) and commanded USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716) homeported in San Diego. Ashore, French served as Submarine Officer Community Manager at the Bureau of Naval Personnel; as Deputy Commander of Submarine Squadron 11; as Chief of the Strategy and Policy Division at United States Strategic Command in Omaha, Nebraska; as Director, Submarine Officer Distribution and Nuclear Propulsion Program Manager at the Bureau of Naval Personnel; and commanded Submarine Squadron 3 at Pearl Harbor.

French’s first flag Officer assignment was serving as Commander, Navy Region Northwest, followed by command of Joint Region Marianas while concurrently serving as U.S. Defense Representative to Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Palau. French subsequently served as Commander, Navy Region Southwest.

Bill earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, his M.S. from the Naval Post Graduate School, and an M.A. from the Naval War College.  He is the recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, five awards of the Legion of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Mark Gorenflo, USN retired, is a Strategic Advisor for VES and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Evening & Weekend MBA Program at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. Mark’s areas of expertise include: submarines, nuclear reactor operations and maintenance, Political-Military subspeciality, strategy, policy, and speechwriting.

From 2015 to 2017, Mark was the Director of Operations for the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx).

During 2014 – 2015, Gorenflo worked as a Principal Consultant for Systems Planning & Analysis (SPA). Prior to these engagements, Gorenflo was the Principal Director to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy for Policy, which is the Secretary of the Navy’s primary civilian advisor on foreign and defense policy; intelligence policy; future naval capabilities and concepts; and serves as the Department of the Navy’s Security Executive.

Gorenflo was first appointed to the Senior Executive Service as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy for the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2008. From 2007 to 2008, he served as Acting Principal Director for Forces Transformation & Resources for the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. From 2005 to 2007, he served as the Director of Communications for the 7th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ADM E. P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN. His first civilian appointment was as the Director of the Commander’s Advisory Group for Allied Command Transformation and U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia from 2004 to 2005. From 1983 to 2004, Gorenflo served as a submarine officer in the United States Navy. During his Navy career, he served aboard USS Norfolk (SSN 714); USS Montpelier (SSN 765); USS Georgia (SSBN 729)(Blue) as Executive Officer; and commanded USS Parche (SSN 683).

Mark earned his B.S. in English from the United States Naval Academy where he studied as a Trident Scholar and graduated with distinction. He attended the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned his M.A. in Politics and Philosophy. He also holds an M.B.A from UC Berkeley. He is the recipient of numerous awards including: the 2019 Berkeley Staff Assembly Excellence in Management Award, Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit with Gold Star, and personal, unit and campaign awards. He is a Life Member and an award-winning author of both the U.S. Naval Institute and the Naval Submarine League.

Mark A. Gunzinger, Col, USAF Retired, was a Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force for over 30 years and was a Strategic Planner on the USAF Air Staff and in the Office of the Secretary Defense. He is a Senior Consultant with VES and the Director of Future Aerospace Concepts and Assessments at the Mitchell Institute.

Mark Gunzinger served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Forces, Transformation and Resources. A retired Air Force Colonel and Command Pilot with over 3,200 hours in the B-52, he joined OSD in 2004, was appointed to the Senior Executive Service, and served as DOD’s Principal Director of Staff for the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review. Gunzinger then joined the National Security Council staff as Director for Defense Transformation, Force Planning, and Resources, and was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments before joining Ventus Solutions.

Mark received his B.S. in Chemistry from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.A. in Personnel Administration from Central Michigan University, an M.A. in Military Art and Science from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air University, and an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University. He has been recognized for the following achievements:  Distinguished Graduate, USAF Air Command and Staff College; Distinguished Graduate, National War College; Legion of Merit Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal; Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service; and the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award.

Scott Hayford, USAF and USA retired, is a Strategic Advisor to VES. Scott is a seasoned Senior Intelligence Professional, Analyst and technology innovator. He is highly technical, with significant experience planning, engineering, and managing operational requirements with rapid effective results. Scott brings substantial experience aiding the Defense and Intelligence Community in technology identification and integration and in sophisticated intelligence analysis. He is a leader with a wealth of experience navigating complex projects for the Special Operations ISR, and Defense Intelligence Enterprise at the highest levels of government.

Scott’s current engagements include serving as the:  Founder of BlackHayes Group, a current Principal at Deep Water Point, a Strategic Advisor to Ghost Robotics and PeakMetrics, and Founder of the app MustWants. He is a Former Chief of Staff for USDI; former Director of Industry/Innovation for USDI, and a former Deputy Director of Clandestine Technical programs.

Scott served in the US Army as a Communications Maintainer from 1987 – 1993 in the US Air Force from 1993 – 2016, where he retired as a Colonel. His varied military intelligence career has involved extensive experience with Signals Intelligence, Special Operations, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, Targeting & Analysis, and Cyber Operations.

Scott earned his Bachelor’s degrees in International and Strategic Studies and Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point as well as his Master’s degree in Telecommunications. He earned his Master’s in Military Operational Art and Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder.  Scott is also a two-time National Defense Fellow at the Office of the Director for National Intelligence, National Security.

Dr. Terry Hendricks is a Senior Consultant at VES lending his expertise in Power, Thermal and Mechanical Systems.  He is retired from NASA–Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) /California Institute of Technology, where he was responsible for managing and guiding designs of spacecraft thermal and power systems, solar power systems, radioisotope power systems, thermal management and thermal energy storage systems critical to NASA missions.

During Dr. Hendricks tenure at JPL, among his many duties he was the Project Manager leading and managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects to: 1) Develop next-generation aircraft energy recovery technologies using advanced heat exchangers, integrated with advanced thermoacoustic generators and heat pipe technologies; 2) Develop Solar Array Dust Mitigation technologies; 3) Develop a thermoelectric power system design for unmanned aircraft (UAV) engine energy recovery applicable to different UAV platforms; and 4) Characterize and quantify pyroshock-driven dynamic effects on Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator power output, thereby reducing risk on Mars 2020 spacecraft.  Prior to JPL, he was the Energy Recovery Program Director at Battelle Memorial Institute and Senior Program Manager at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he managed U.S. DOE and Army projects in hybrid power system development, automotive & industrial waste energy recovery, military energy recovery, and advanced heat transfer.

Dr. Hendricks has over 40 years of professional expertise in thermal & fluid systems, nano-scale and micro-scale heat transfer, energy conversion and storage systems, terrestrial & spacecraft power systems, mechanical & structural system design, energy recovery, micro electro-mechanical systems, and project management.

JM Ike Iacovetta, USN retired, is a Strategic Advisor to VES and a Senior Combat Systems Engineer at CACI International Inc. His areas of expertise include: Program Management, Defense Acquisition, Test & Evaluation, Combat System/C4ISR integration, Strategic Planning, Research & Development, Complex Problem Solving, and Building High Performance Teams.

Ike is a Senior Program Manager & decorated U.S. Navy Captain with over 20 years of experience leading strategy, negotiation, development & tactical implementation of complex, integrated Navy weapon technology & communication systems worldwide. He has a proven track record of developing and implementing recommendations to Navy senior leadership. He’s an experienced leader & manager with exceptional change agent management, communications and people skills.

Ike earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University, his M.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and his Master’s in National Security Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He also holds certificates from Defense Acquisition University and is DAWIA Program Manager Level III certified.

Earle Kirkley, USN retired, is a Strategic Advisor to VES and a Cyber Security Specialist and Principal Engineer at ASEC, Inc. He is an entrepreneur, proven leader, executive and consultant with experience within the DOD and the private sector.  He has years of expertise in Cyber Security and Data Center Operations and Management, Engineering, Communications, Computers and Information Systems, Research and Development, Acquisition, Fabrication/Manufacturing and Program Management.

Earle served 30 years of active duty/reserve military service where he retired as Captain. In the private sector, he has worked as a lead engineer and program manager on numerous national security projects, including: Lead Senior Engineer at PRC Inc.; Program Manager and Senior Engineer at Eagan, McAllister Associates, Inc.; Principal Engineer at Litton PRC; Chief Engineer and Technical Director, U.S. Navy for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command; General Manager at Grand Central Communications; Executive Vice President at InfoTech Solutions; President and Principal Systems Engineer for Triad Enterprises, Inc.; and, Vice President of Threat Intelligence at Uphold, Inc.

Earle earned his B.S. in General Engineering with an emphasis in Systems and Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and is DAWAI Certified Program Management Level III, and Systems Engineering Level II from Defense Systems Acquisition.

Ron LaSalvia, USN retired, is a Strategic Advisor to VES and is the CEO and Founder of Peck, a startup that applies the science of well-being and relationships, technology, and ancient wisdom to help people live a more meaningful life with a deeper connection to the people that matter most.

Ron served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Endurance International Group, a publicly traded web technology company serving very small businesses.  There, Ron led a 1B+ P&L and a complex networked organization.  His responsibilities included sales, customer service, marketing, product, engineering, network and systems operations, business development, with over 2,500 team members.  Ron ran day-to-day operations, providing calm, steady leadership as the company scaled from $250m to greater than $1B in annual revenue.  He led the integration of Endurance’s Constant Contact and HostGator acquisitions, exceeding synergy targets with both.

Prior to Endurance, Ron served as the COO of Decision Strategies International, a strategy consulting firm focused on scenario-based planning.  Ron led the Government and Energy consulting practices and managed the largest client engagement, the development of a new strategy and operational guidance for the U.S. Navy, while also managing the company’s go-to-market approach, finances and accounting, investment and resource allocation, business processes, recruiting, personnel development, and knowledge management.

Ron served in the United States Navy for 24 years, commanding two nuclear submarines: the USS MONTPELIER and the USS OKLAHOMA CITY.  While in command he was ranked the #1 Captain for two consecutive years by Squadron Commander. During his command tours, Ron led a team of 150 technical experts through challenging independent operations and managed one of the most complex platforms in the world.  His teams were recognized for their operational proficiency, high morale, and employee retention.  Ron was recognized as a turnaround expert in the Navy.  On three occasions, Ron took over for officers that were relieved of their duties and executed dramatic turnarounds, significantly improving the morale and performance of each team.

Ron earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on an NROTC scholarship.  There, he was awarded the Professor of Naval Science Award as the outstanding graduating Navy midshipman. He also holds an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, we he was a designated Palmer Scholar, Wharton’s highest academic honor.

Ron is passionate about helping teams and individuals reach their potential.  He has been published by Entrepreneur (Taking Command: The Crew Is Only as Good as the Captain),  featured in the Boston Globe, and appears in Blind Man’s Bluff, a History Channel documentary focused on the contribution of submarines during the cold war.

Steve Lebischak is a Ventus Solutions Principal Affiliate in addition to being the CEO of a startup.   He has most recently been the CEO of two consumer goods companies that have been featured on the front page of the New York Times, finalist in the Wall Street Journal Startup of the Year, and Autodesk Invention of the Year competitions.  He brings his deep experience helping companies bootstrap by using Small Business Innovative Research grants or crowd funding campaigns.  Having been a Managing Director level investment banker, he is also an experienced advisor to companies seeking angel and venture capital raises along with licensing and strategic partnering.   Steve has 15 years of experience in program management, product and corporate development at GE Aerospace, GM (Hughes Satellite), and IBM where he developed technology-based products and systems for the DOD and Department of Homeland Security, among other clients.  He earned his BS degree in electrical engineering from the US Coast Guard Academy, and served as a Coast Guard officer in Alaskan waters.  He subsequently earned an MS in environmental engineering and a second MS in management from Pennsylvania State University.  He is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. 

Alice Ling is a Senior Consultant for VES.

Alice managed acquisition and risk reduction strategies for sensors and laser technology development. She implemented advanced optical experiments to support risk reduction on enhanced imaging systems. She also led a team to achieve accreditation for the DoD Collection Management certification program.

Alice earned her B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University and her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.

Renee Mason is a Security Advisor for VES. She brings over sixteen years of Industrial Security, Human Resources, and Entrepreneurial experience as the managing owner of three successful business. She has assisted multiple customers with the creation and maintenance of DCSA approved security programs and has received countless Superior DCSA ratings and improved security programs.

Renee received her degree in Film Acting from The Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and is currently studying Security Management at American Military University. She is also the NCMS WDC Vice Chair, SHRM-SCP, Washington DC FBI Citizens Academy graduate, and the 2019 Capital Region Top 100 MEB.

Timothy Miller is a VES Strategic Advisor who has worked for over 25 years at the Applied Research Laboratory of the Pennsylvania State University, a DoD University Affiliated Research Center specializing in undersea technology. During this time, Tim managed the Energy Science and Power Systems Division. His highlights were seeing two of the engines that he worked on make it into the fleet.

Tim received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah and his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University. He has been recognized for the following:  Served as the Keynote speaker, 27^th Int. Conf. Adaptive Structures and Technologies; AIAA Distinguished Lecture presented at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Co-inventor U.S. Patent # 8656724; and Co-investigator NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) Project.

Kelli Kedis Ogborn, a Strategic Advisor to VES, is President & CEO of H.S. Dracones LLC—a consulting firm specializing in innovation strategy and technology integration.  In this capacity she helps companies create and implement their business development goals specializing in narrative building to communicate technological value and impact, matching capabilities to the correct customer, identifying key stakeholders, and building coalitions to foster and influence discussions around technology and its broader market applications.

Prior to founding H.S. Dracones, she served as the Director of Business Development for Perceptronics Solutions Inc. and as a Congressional Liaison for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, providing advice to senior leadership and technical offices on Congressional engagement strategies to maintain the agency’s position and reputation as a premier science and technology organization.

Kelli earned a B.A. in International Security and Conflict Resolution from San Diego State University, her M.A. in Government and Security Studies from the Johns Hopkins University, and a certificate in Public Policy from the Leon and Silvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy.

Andrew Pavord, PhD, is a Principal affiliate of Ventus Solutions as well as a founding partner of the Federal Consulting Alliance.  Andy has held senior leadership positions in the federal government, local government level, and the private sector. He led budget processes at the District of Columbia, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Department of Treasury.  He has led consulting engagements focused on performance management, budget process analysis, budget systems requirements, data modeling and systems implementation at many Federal agencies.  Dr. Pavord is an active thought leader in the budget profession, having led forums for the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis, the National Academy of Public Administration, and GovLoop.  He retired as a colonel in the Army Reserve.  He was deployed to Desert Storm, Bosnia, and Afghanistan.  He earned a BA from Georgetown University, a MA in economics from George Mason University and Ph.D. in political science from the Johns Hopkins University.

Christine Langlois Poirier has served as a Board Member and Special Advisor to Ventus since its founding.  Born in Versailles, France; she lived in Paris, North Africa and the South of France until her marriage to Ventus’ founder.  As the Wife of a serving Submarine Officer, she supported the extended families of multiple submarine crews as they deployed worldwide in both peace and war.

Christine earned her License en Droit – a French law degree at the Jurist level – from the Faculte de Driot d’Aix-en-Provence.  She is descended from a family of entrepreneurs and is a Jurist by training.  She helps guide the VES firm, providing strategic advice on a number of key areas.

Stephanie Reichlen is a Consultant with VES. Prior to Ventus, Ms. Reichlen worked in human resources management within government contracting, non-profit, commercial, and retail markets.  During that time, she developed her expertise in HR strategic planning, recruiting, benefits management, employee development and training.  In a prior role, Ms. Reichlen successfully instituted a robust human capital program for a newly formed company, including implementing a performance management and career progression program, developing an employee bonus incentive program, a strategic new employee orientation program, and greatly enhancing the recruiting program. In addition, she created an organizational development and succession plan.

Stephanie received her B.A. in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from George Mason University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She was honored by the HR Leadership Awards of Greater Washington as a Finalist in the Small Business Category for her work.

Bill Rever, a Strategic Advisor to VES, is the Chief Marketing and Sales Officer and Co-Founder of the Advanced Silicon Group and the Owner/Principal of WB Rever Associates. Since 2012, he has worked as an independent consultant in solar and renewable energy with clients in industry, investment, and government both in the U.S. and abroad.

Bill began his career in solar energy in with industry pioneer Solarex which eventually became part of BP Solar.  He held a variety of roles within that company including applications engineering, project management, product management, marketing, business development and strategy.  In his tenure with BP Solar and Solarex Bill was involved in the production, marketing, and deployment of over 1 GW of PV in over 150 countries including many seminal applications, product innovations and projects. With over 30 years of experience in PV he is frequently called on as an industry expert and has spoken at numerous conferences and events.

Bill earned his B.A. in Physics from the Johns Hopkins University, his M.S.E. in Energy Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He is a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).  He is a former board member and past President of the Maryland/DC/Virginia chapter of the Solar Energy Industries Association and former Co-Chairman of the PV Advisory Group of the North American Semiconductor Industry Association (SEMI).

Kerry Favero Riveria, USN retired, is a Strategic Advisor to VES and a Director of Organizational Change Management at Koniag Government Services. Kerry served as a Captain in the United States Navy as a Senior level Reserve Intelligence Officer.

Kerry’s career has led her to become a globally- experienced Senior Management Organizational Change Management Consultant with deep expertise in operations, strategic planning, government healthcare delivery, managed care, change management, training, stakeholder management, communications, project management, and proven expertise in leadership and re-engineering organizations.

Kerry earned her B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her M.S. in Counseling from Creighton University.

Anna Skinner is a Senior Consultant with VES and is currently supporting multiple DARPA programs as a Science and Engineering Technical Assistant (SETA).

Anna is a technical expert with nearly 20 years of experience in basic and applied research in the areas of biomedical engineering, human factors, human-machine interaction, training and assessment, cognitive science, operational neuroscience, and human performance optimization. Dr. Skinner has extensive experience in technology design and development, with an emphasis on Department of Defense (DOD) domains and applications. After conducting research and development at a small technology company for 15 years, Dr. Skinner began her career in consulting.

Anna received her B.A. in Biomedical Engineering, M.A. in Human Factors Psychology and Ph.D. in Applied Experimental Psychology from Catholic University of America.

Christina Tragle is a Strategic Advisor for VES.  She brings over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting, primarily for large public companies and mid-sized private entities. She has expertise in technical accounting issues and previous experience as a public accounting auditor. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Virginia.

Christina received her B.S. in Commerce with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce.

Dan Voss is a Strategic Advisor to VES providing innovation solutions in the area of renewable energy and energy investment.  Dan has served as an independent advisor focused on municipal and community energy solutions leveraging broad expertise in both the conventional and renewable power sectors.  His 20 years in energy has included senior roles in general management, finance, commercial development and operations management within the electricity and gas industries in the USA and abroad. Recent work on “New Energy” solutions includes municipal leadership of rooftop and landfill solar projects in Massachusetts and development of “energy resilient” standards within an integrated municipal building design program.  As a Founder and Managing Director of Rivermoor Systems, he was instrumental in the design and execution of a “first of its kind” energy surety analysis at a City level to address continuity of public services in the face of increasing interruptions to grid level power. Prior to Rivermoor, Dan led the planning and strategy group for a large international electric generating company.

Dan earned his B.S. in Engineering from the University of Queensland Australia and an M.B.A from the Wharton School.

Timothy A. Walton is a fellow at the Hudson Institute and a Strategic Advisor for VES. He is an expert in force development, air and missile defense, long-range missiles, and logistics. His research and analysis focus on the development of new operational concepts and the assessment of trends in future warfare and Indo-Pacific security dynamics.

Mr. Walton has authored numerous reports, articles, and book chapters on a wide range of topics, ranging from U.S. force planning to Chinese information warfare. He frequently contributes to print and broadcast media, is a regular participant in regional conferences, and has served as a guest lecturer at Georgetown University and the Catholic University of America.

Prior to joining Hudson, Mr. Walton was a research fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) where he led and contributed to studies and wargames for the U.S. government and its allies on new operational concepts and force planning. He was also a Principal of Alios Consulting Group and an Associate of Delex Consulting, Studies, and Analysis, both defense and business strategy firms.

Tim earned his B.A. in Chinese and International Politics and his M.A. in Security Studies, both from Georgetown University.

Chris Warren, USN, is a Strategic Advisor to VES and a Maritime Technology Independent Consultant.

Chris brings over 25 years of leadership experience in technology development of naval systems and platforms. He has a proven record of achieving successful technology initiation, development and transition to military service. He’s an experienced manager and effective communicator with proven technical acumen, inspirational leadership and successful program management.

Chris earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University, and Masters’ degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Hydrodynamics all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He is certified Defense Acquisition Level III in Program Management; Systems Engineering; and, Production, Quality & Manufacturing.

Stanley Weeks, USN retired, is a Strategic Advisor to VES and serves as a Military Correspondent to CBS and Consultant to SAIC.  He brings over 50 years of working on international policy and security issues.

Dr. Weeks has extensive strategic and operational planning experience in business, defense, foreign policy, and international and regional security contexts. He joined Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in 1990, following a 24-year career in the Navy, including duty on the OPNAV staff as the first action officer and drafter of the Maritime Strategy in 1982-1983, and service as an OSD exchange officer to the State Department Politico-Military Bureau. From 1994 until retirement in 2016, he was also an Adjunct Professor of the Naval War College, teaching the National Security Decision Making (NSDM) graduate course (strategy and force planning, and executive leadership) to Washington area students from the military, government agencies, and Congressional staffs. From 2007-2012, Dr. Weeks was an Adjunct Professional Staff Member at the Institute for Defense Analyses, supporting the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where his work included Asia-Pacific engagement and force posture, Defense Planning Scenarios for QDR 2010, counter-piracy strategy, and the outline for a new National Defense Strategy. From 2009-2011, he was a Research Analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses Center for Strategic Studies.

Stanley earned his B.S. in Foreign Affairs from the U.S. Naval Academy, his M.A. and Ph.D. in International Studies from The American University. He also studied Latin American Studies at the University of Madrid as an Olmstead Scholar from 1974-76.

John Whitley, USA, is a Strategic Advisor at VES who served most recently as the acting Secretary of the Army.  Prior to serving as the acting Secretary of the Army, Dr. Whitley served as the acting Deputy Chief Management Officer (DCMO) of DoD and acting Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (DCAPE).  In those positions, he led reform initiatives and, at CAPE, led DoD’s resource allocation process (~$700 billion per year), acquisition cost estimating, future force development, and analysis on a wide range of defense programs, including ship requirements, space capabilities, missile defense, nuclear modernization, and hypersonics.

John re-entered government in 2018 as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller.  As the Army CFO, he led budget formulation, budget execution, financial operations, and audit responsibilities for the Army ($180 billion per year), in addition to establishing policy for and overseeing all Army financial management IT systems.

Prior to returning to government, John spent eight years in federally funded research institutions, primarily at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA).  His work at IDA included resource allocation and performance issues in national security, defense resource management analysis, military healthcare, and border security.  He also served as a senior fellow at Center for Naval Analyses.  In 2014 and 2015, he supported the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission in its health care work.

He was an adjunct lecturer at The George Washington University (taught National Security Economics).  He was the Director of Program Analysis and Evaluation (CAPE equivalent) at DHS where he led the resource allocation process and the measurement, reporting, and improvement of performance.  At DHS, he worked on counterterrorism, immigration, cyber security, and disaster management issues.  Prior to DHS, he worked in DoD CAPE on defense resource management issues.  While at DoD he also served as a defense fellow in the U.S. Senate in the office of Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona.  Prior to returning to Washington, John was a faculty member in the economics department of the University of Adelaide in Australia where he conducted research on agricultural markets and crime.  John also served in the U.S. Army.

John earned his B.S. in Animal Science from Virginia Tech, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago.  He lives in Alexandria Virginia with his wife and children.

Katherine Arnall, USN retired, is a VES Senior Consultant who served as a Surface Warfare and Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer while in the Navy.

Katherine served 8 years active duty as a Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer which included tours aboard a frigate and aircraft carrier and instructor duty at Naval Nuclear Power School. Following her active-duty career, she transitioned to the Navy Reserve as executive officer for an Assault Craft Unit One detachment. Prior to working with Ventus, she served as a project manager for NAVSEA at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL, with focuses on autonomous undersea technology, rapid prototyping, hurricane restoration, and military construction.

Katherine earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and her B.S. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.  She is the recipient of two Navy Commendation Medals and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

Peg Ashton is a Recruiter for VES.  Peg has twenty years recruiting experience supporting large government contractors such as Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, and Leidos. For the past eight years, she’s been helping small businesses analyze and identify their hiring needs and provide effective staffing solutions. She has extensive recruiting experience with business development, marketing, and cleared IT professionals.

Peg earned her B.S. in Business Administration from Liberty University.

Frank Axiak, USN retired, is a Consultant with VES bringing a wealth of experience drawn from his Naval career, specifically as a Surface Warfare Officer.

Frank is a Test & Evaluation Subject Matter Expert supporting the CONSTELLATION Class Frigate Program Office (PMS 515) with over 20 years of military experience in the United States Navy conducting test planning and execution across all surface ship mission areas. He has demonstrated skills as a Surface Warfare Officer and Chief Engineer at sea and in shipyards with significant experience in maritime operations, vessel maintenance and surface warfare sensors, strike warfare, and marine engineering plants.

Frank earned his B.S. in Marine Engineering from the US Merchant Marine Academy, USMMA, and his M.S. in Systems Engineering Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School.  He is the recipient of various Naval awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal.

Melissa Bandy, HR Assistant at VES, brings 20 years of experience in Human Resources in various roles. As a military spouse of a JAG Corps Officer (Retired), her HR career began as a personnel manager for a temporary agency. While stationed in Bamberg, Germany, she was the community Volunteer Coordinator for the post. Throughout the years, she was very involved with military spouse groups serving as President of the DC chapter of the Army JAG Spouses’ Club.

Melissa has volunteered with many different organizations to include serving with the PTA, as volunteer coordinator with an annual special needs conference, as an advisory committee member for a local school board, and currently working as an assistant teacher with Falls Church Adult Literacy Program.

Melissa earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Texas Tech University and an M.B.A. in Human Resources from the University of Dallas.

Craig Barish, USN, is VES Consultant.

Craig was made Chief in 2019 and served 2 separate tours as a Leading Yeoman. He managed a budget of over $1M a year at a TYCOM in Hawaii. Craig also served on 4 submarines spanning over twenty years with more than twelve years of sea duty. He managed over 400 Civilians at Military at the TYCOM and assisted with all administration, legal and pay to the Commanding Officer and Executive Officers. He commissioned a submarine in Groton CT and decommissioned one in Banger WA resulting in having to do 2 full Change of Homeport shifts for over 140 Sailors and their families.

Craig is the recipient of 2 Navy Commendations medals and 7 Navy Achievement Medals.

Chris Blais, USN (Retired), served 20 years as a Submarine Officer prior to starting his position as Senior Consultant with VES in 2023. Chris served aboard three submarines: USS SEAWOLF (SSN 21) as a Division Officer, USS NEW MEXICO (SSN 779) as Engineer Officer, and USS LOUISIANA (GOLD) (SSBN 743) as Executive Officer.

Chris served as the Submarine Operations Officer for Destroyer Squadron 15 homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. He gained strategic weapons expertise as Branch Chief, Nuclear Strike Branch, Joint Staff (J36) and was responsible for Presidential nuclear operations decision aids and nuclear operations procedures. He also served as a Requirements Officer at OPNAV, Undersea Warfare Division (N97) responsible for the VIRGINIA Class program and as the Deputy Division Director; Stockpile Services Division at the National Nuclear Security Administration where he was accountable for cross-cutting capabilities necessary to maintain the nuclear weapons stockpile.

Chris earned a B.A. in History and Political Science from Rice University and an M.A. in East Asian Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Matthew Bonner, USN retired, is a VES Senior Consultant who served as a Surface Warfare Officer and brings years of expertise in AEGIS Military Sealift, AT/FP, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Surface Warfare.

Matt served on multiple Navy surface ships with deployments to the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Middle East, and Indian Ocean.  He commanded USS CONSTITUTION as well as Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron TWO.  He has extensive major staff experience at the OPNAV, Joint Staff and Defense agency levels as well as having served in the National Military Command Center.

Matt earned his B.A. in History from The Citadel, his M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War college, and Fellow Seminar XXI from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lorenzo Booker is a Contracts Assistant for VES bringing decades of expertise successfully managing highly complex contracts for U.S. and Foreign Governments, and domestic and international clients. He has served as Director of Contracts for major U.S. defense contractors, leading all contract management activities (contracts, subcontracts, and pricing) including process, procedure, and adherence to company policy in support of the company’s Business Groups.

Lorenzo earned his B.S.in Industrial Engineering and M.S. in Management Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a certified Project Management Professional.

Justin Branley, United States Navy, is a Consultant for VES.

Justin has over nine years’ experience in nuclear power operations, undersea and maritime operations, and program management as a Submarine Officer in the Navy. His sea assignments include: serving as the Main Propulsion Assistant, Assistant Engineer, and Assistant Operations Officer aboard the USS Alexandria and the Navigation and Operations Officer aboard the USS Topeka. His shore assignments include serving as a Shift Engineer at the S8G Prototype Unit and within the Submarine Squadron Eleven Undersea Rescue Command office.

Justin earned his B.S. in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his graduate degree in Military History from the Army Command and General Staff College.

Alex Brecht, a Consultant with VES, brings experience with a diverse range of accomplishments in consulting and military leadership. As a Surface Warfare Officer, he was ranked first of 11 division officers onboard USS DONALD COOK, while leading a team of 10 engineers and watch teams conducting strategically sensitive operations in the Sixth Fleet AOR. As the Anti-Submarine Warfare officer at COMDESRON ONE, he planned and executed exercises focused on near peer confrontation, in addition to working in various roles on a humanitarian aid mission in the Pacific. After he completed his MBA at Chicago Booth, Alex excelled as an Associate at McKinsey, spearheading projects across strategy and operations in a range of industries for public and private sectors.

Alex was the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal for Humanitarian Aid work as the Officer in Charge of Pacific Partnership 2019 mission stop in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Navy Commendation Medal for work as the Antisubmarine Warfare Officer for Destroyer Squadron One. He was awarded full tuition with the David W. Fox Fellowship at Chicago Booth, given to one U.S. veteran per class who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, academic, and extracurricular achievements.

Alex attended the United States Naval Academy earning a B.S. in Oceanography (Honors) and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business earning an M.B.A. with concentrations in Economics, Accounting, Behavioral Science, and Strategic Management.

Alvin Bueno, USN, is a VES Consultant.

Alvin was designated as a Naval Aviator to fly the MH-60S Helicopter and flew with HSC-8 in support of Carrier Air Wing 11. During this tour participated in the 2014 RIMPAC exercise aboard the USNS Mercy, conducting mass casualty (MASCAS) transport exercises with the Australian Navy. He did his shore tour onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa as a station pilot, flying the UC-12F transport airplane to transfer passengers and cargo between Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. His final tour was aboard the USS Ronald Reagan as the Assistant Air Operations Officer in support of 3 deployments in the 7^th Fleet and 5^th Fleet AORs. Aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), he led a team of 58 personnel in a large berthing rehabilitation project consisting of 16 shipboard spaces to provide improved crew living for 261 personnel. During this time, he also oversaw flight operations in support of U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan.

Alvin earned his B.S. in Computer Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University. He has been honored with 2 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and 1 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

William Burrell is a Senior Consultant at VES bringing over ten years of engineering, logistics, and project management experience supporting multiple Federal Government agencies, both as a civilian employee and a contractor.

Prior to joining Ventus, William primarily supported NAVSEA, in the areas of industrial operations and fleet maintenance supply logistics, and NAVSUP with business process reengineering and data analytics.

William was the winner of the 2017 NAVSEA Commander’s Award for Innovation for work with the Disruptive Technology Laboratory (DTL) Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) Optionally Manned Technology Demonstrator (OMTD) project.

William earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering with a focus on structural engineering from Southern University and A&M College.

Stephany Cabrera joins VES as a Recruiting Assistant. She has a vast array of experience as a Navy spouse and highlights include working in oil field rigs to working as a federal contractor. She has travelled the world and as a scuba diver, cleaning and maintaining the ocean for future generations is a life goal.

Stephany attended Jacksonville University earning a B.S. in Geography.

William “Billy” Callahan, USN Retired, is a Senior Consultant for VES. He served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years as a Submarine Officer.

Billy was an enlisted Nuclear Machinist Mate and Engineering Laboratory Technician before attending the University of Memphis on an NROTC scholarship.  He obtained a BSME and commissioned as a Submarine Officer, with tours on an Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine, and two Los Angeles Class attack submarines.

Billy served as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations, responsible for congressional testimony preparation, strategic communication, public engagement, and special projects; and Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responsible for advising the Chairman on outreach, engagement, and strategic messaging.  Other shore duty assignments were in OPNAV N43 as resource sponsor for the $8B ship maintenance account; in Joint Staff J5 as the Joint Staff expert on Security Cooperation legislative authorities and DoD programs, a $6.4B account impacting 154 nations; and as a Naval Science Instructor at the University of Missouri.

Billy graduated Magna Cum Laude with his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Memphis, received his M.S. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University, and his M.A. in National Security Strategy from the National War College. Billy is the recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3 awards), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Peter Cho is a Senior VES Consultant bringing expertise working as a high-performing technical leader with over 30 years of government, commercial, and academic experiences with scientific and engineering knowledge and a background in mathematical modeling and simulation, prototyping, fabrication, and experimentation with 68 published technical articles and holding 29 US patents.

Peter possesses passion, vision, and technical expertise in electric drive systems, power & energy S&T/R&D, undersea maritime propulsion systems, electric machines/magnetic bearings, commercial hybrid drive system R&D, working with multi-organizations and disciplinary teams.
 
Peter earned both his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, his Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of New Hampshire, and, an MBA from Anderson University. Peter has been recognized with the following awards: U.S. Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award; Office of Naval Research Global Associate Director of the Year Award; NAVSEA Innovation Award; and, he served as the US Embassy Science Fellow, US State Department, Seoul, Korea in 2015

Marcy Davidson is a VES Proposal Manager bringing over twenty years experience working with large and small corporations, supporting both commercial and governmental proposals and projects.

Prior to joining Ventus, Marcy provided project management services in support of federal and state transportation projects.

Marcy earned her B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan and her M.S. from Stanford University.

Scott Delwiche, retired USN, is a Senior Consultant bringing over 20 years of experience to VES. Scott started his career as a submarine officer onboard the USS WYOMING (GOLD) (SSBN-742) in 2003. He supported various operational commands while at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Joint Task Force Bravo. He transitioned to the acquisition world and became an Engineering Duty Officer in 2010 and has served in a variety of assignments including assistant project officer supporting new construction VIRGINIA class submarines, engineering and C4I advisor to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Deputy Assistant Program Manager in support of In-Service Submarines, and Program Manager for Undersea Systems at the United States Special Operations Command. His most recent assignment was at the Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office at the Naval Sea Systems Command where he was the Principal Assistant Program Manager for Advanced Autonomous Capabilities and Unmanned Undersea Vehicles.

Scott received a B.S in Naval Architecture from United States Naval Academy 1998-2002, a M.S.E in Engineering Management from Catholic University, and a M.S in Mechanical Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School. He is the recipient of Two Defense Meritorious Service Awards, two Meritorious Service Awards, and other Naval medals. Scott earned the Naval Sea Systems Command Award in Naval/Mechanical Engineering while at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Mark Deschambault, USMC retired, is VES Consultant who comes with over 20 years of experience in government travel and logistics. Prior to joining Ventus, he served as Lead Defense Travel Administrator for Commander Submarine Forces, US Pacific Fleet, managing over 13,000 travelers. Mark served over twenty years in the Unites States Marine Corps participating in the global war on terrorism with Operation Iraq Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Mark earned his B.A. and M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University and a M.S. in Human Resources from Brandman University. He is the recipient of 4 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, 2 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals with numerous other personal awards.

Rob Douglass, Commander, USN (Retired), joins VES as a Senior Consultant with over 35 years of experience as a seasoned leader, program manager, and U.S. Naval Submarine Officer delivering quality results for both public and private organizations over his diverse career.

Rob began his naval career on USS JAMES K. POLK (SSBN-645 Blue) and completed two strategic deterrent patrols from Holy Loch, Scotland, strategic offload, Special Forces operations and shipyard conversion to a SEAL delivery platform.  He held various divisions and served as Assistant Engineer prior to his departure. In 1993, he reported to Naval Submarine School qualifying as a cruise missile instructor.  Following reorganization, he served as the Submarine Officer Advanced Course (SOAC) Training Program Manager.  While temporarily assigned to Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Twelve, he served as Submarine Liaison Officer to the embarked Joint Task Force Commander onboard USS WASP (LHD-1) executing “Operation Support Democracy” during the Cuban/Haitian exodus and crisis in the summer of 1994.

Rob relieved as Navigator/Operations Officer onboard USS PITTSBURGH (SSN-720) and served there from 1995-1998 steaming nearly 100,000 nautical miles off 5 continents.  PITTSBURGH conducted several missions of vital interest to the United States in the Eastern Pacific, Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf as well as executing a Battlegroup deployment with USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) in 1996.  PITTSBURGH earned the Green “C” for communications excellence in 1996 and a Silver Anchor for Crew Excellence in 1997. In 1998, he reported to the Director, Submarine Warfare Division (OPNAV-N87), Pentagon, Washington, DC and served as a requirements officer in the Submarine Modernization Branch (N872) for Periscope, Navigation, Radar and ESM issues.

In 2000, Rob reported to USS LOUISIANA (SSBN-743 Gold) in Kings Bay, Georgia as Executive Officer and completed three strategic deterrent patrols, Battlegroup operations and the test firing of 4 Trident, D-5 missiles.  LOUISIANA won the Squadron 16 Battle Efficiency “E” in 2002 and was an Omaha Trophy, Battenberg Cup and Arleigh Burke competition candidate. Reporting to the staff of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, London, England in 2002, he served as the Submarine Operations Officer and then Current Operations Officer supporting “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and “Operation Enduring Freedom” from the European Command area of responsibility.

Rob relieved as Commanding Officer, USS ALBUQUERQUE (SSN-706) in June 2005.  ALBUQUERQUE conducted deployments to the Arabian Gulf with the USS IWO JIMA (LHD-7) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) in 2006 and surge deployed to the Southern Command in 2007, steaming nearly 80,000 nautical miles off 5 continents.  During these deployments, ALBUQUERQUE conducted three missions vital to national security and earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) for her unique accomplishments.  ALBUQUERQUE was ranked the #1 submarine in the Atlantic Fleet of over 40 submarine crews in 2006 as the Submarine Force nominee for the prestigious Battenberg Cup.  ALBUQUERQUE was the top ship in Submarine Squadron Two in 2006 receiving the Battle Efficiency “E”, the Tactical “T” for tactical excellence in 2005 and 2006, and the Engineering “E” in 2005 for engineering excellence.  Rob was selected for CAPTAIN in 2007 and retired from the Navy after completion of his tour as Commanding Officer USS ALBUQUERQUE in October 2007.

After retiring from the Navy, Rob spent 9 years in commercial nuclear power with the utility FirstEnergy, culminating in Director of Generation Safety and Human Performance.  He also spent 8 years in Healthcare Safety and High Reliability Consulting with Press Ganey as a Managing Consultant, working a broad spectrum of engagements with nationally known healthcare systems including The University of Michigan Medicine.

Rob attended the United States Naval Academy for his undergraduate education, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Engineering, and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, receiving a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering.

Rob is entitled to wear Gold Submarine Dolphins, the Command at Sea pin, the strategic deterrent patrol pin, the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards) and various other personal and unit awards.

Pete Driscoll, USN Retired, joined VES in 2017 as the Senior Development Projects Advisor supporting the Naval Sea Systems Command Advanced Submarine Systems Development Program Office. He offers 30 years of experience as a Naval Officer, with extensive operational experience in the Pacific and expertise in surface and anti-submarine warfare.

In the Navy, Pete commanded an Arleigh Burke destroyer, a Destroyer Squadron and served as the Surface and Undersea Warfare Commander for the RONALD REAGAN Carrier Strike Group.  With major staff experience at the Fleet, OPNAV and Joint Staff levels, he provides operational, technical and programming/budget experience to assist PEO SUBS Program Managers with the selection, management and transition of Research and Development projects and the management/modernization of complex undersea testing facilities.

Pete received a B.A. in Economics from Villanova University, an M.S. in Applied Science (Undersea Warfare Technology) from the Naval Postgraduate School, an M.A. in National Security Studies from the National War College and is a Seminar XXI Fellow at MIT.

Luke Edwards is a Senior Consultant with VES providing full-time program management support within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). As a former Navy Submarine Officer, he applies his operational experience, undersea subject matter expertise and managerial skills to support a portfolio of maritime efforts. Within DARPA, he has developed further proficiency in the advancing fields of autonomous unmanned systems, command and control, and distributed operations. Prior to VES, he spent 8 years of active duty in the U.S. Navy where he served as a Submarine Officer.

Luke received his B.S. in Managerial Economics from UC Davis and an M.S. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. He was selected as the 2015 Junior Officer of the Year for Submarine Squadron 15 and graduated top of his class from the Navy Nuclear Power School.

Taimour El-Cheikh is a VES Senior Consultant with expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence.  

Taimour started his career as an automotive engineer. During that time he helped with work flow modifications, tool design and coolant system design. Soon thereafter he moved to pursue a career as a telecommunications engineer where he was able to help with enhancing circuit boards, and assist with finetuning radio networks. Later he worked as a simulation analyst in Michigan and Kentucky. Taimour moved to Maryland in 2009 and has since worked for a number of commercial and government entities as a data scientist, providing assistance in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Taimour earned his B.S in Automotive Engineering from Hochschuhle fuer Verkehrswesen and Technische Hochschuhle in Germany and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Louisville. 

Paul Fineberg, USN retired, is a Senior Consultant to VES with expertise in Surface Warfare, ship building processes, ship propulsion engineering, fleet operations and integration/testing and battle group operations at sea.

Paul retired as a U.S. Naval Officer in 1994 followed by a continuous 27 years of direct involvement in Naval Ship Building and related activities. He has led Testing and Integration on multiple programs including CVN-78, DDG-1000, LCS, MMSC, and FFG(X).  He’s served as Program Manager with the American Bureau of Shipping for the initial LCS class builds and has vast experience with Configuration Management, Requirements Validation, Integration/Test, Damage Control, Ship Design and Ship Build Sequence and Shipyard Build Strategy.

Paul has hands-on experience in all areas of Shipbuilding, Naval Classification, Radar/Navigation, Sonar and Naval At-Sea Coordination exercises.  He has proven success in working with a broad customer base both domestic and international, supporting a myriad of U.S. Navy contracts as well as establishing a rapport with Foreign Navies, shipyards and private contractors.

Paul earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice and Accounting from Bryant University and is a graduate of the Navy Officer Candidate School from the U.S. Navy Department Head School. Paul has been recognized with (2) Navy Commendation Medals and (3) Navy Achievement Medals.

Rachel Florea is a Technical SETA for DARPA at VES. She uses high analytical skills sets as a civilian supporting DAPRA, the Australian Navy, and Navy War gaming efforts and currently runs four technical research and development programs at the DARPA Strategic Technology Office on behalf of the government Program Managers.

Rachel served active duty for 8 years in the U.S. Navy and is currently in the Reserves. She is a Nuclear trained Surface Warfare Officer with experience on Frigates, Carriers, and Regional Installation future planning. She has supported special operations while on active service with the reserves.  Her specialty is in Surface Warfare and Nuclear Power Operations.

Rachel received a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an M.S. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. She is the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal for service while at Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia.

Karen Fowkes is a Contracts Assistant at VES. Prior to joining Ventus, Karen worked for the local school system with their GED program where she helped develop a process for registration, orientation, and testing of students.  She enjoys volunteering for the community in various roles.

Karen earned her B.A. in Finance and her M.B.A., both from George Washington University.

Heather Frase is Senior Consultant at VES bringing years of experience and expertise supporting the defense industry through her work with machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Heather is a Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She is responsible for establishing and leading a CSET line of research covering AI assessment, accidents, safety, standards, testing, evaluation, verification, and validation. This work includes understanding and mitigating AI failures, exploring the scalability of AI testing, investigating demonstrable AI standards, and researching the range of AI products, tools, services, and resources used by the US government.

Previously, Heather spent eight years managing and supporting a portfolio of data analytics, computational modeling, Machine Learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) support for Intelligence, Defense, and Federal contracts. During this period, she provided strategic recommendations on the development and implementation of data analytics, AI architectures, infrastructures, and best practices. Additionally, she led research projects that analyzed financial data to combat financial crimes, transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking, and terrorism.

Heather also spent 14 years at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), supporting the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E). At IDA, she led analytic research teams to apply scientific, technological, statistical, and testing expertise to develop data metrics and collection plans for operational tests of major defense systems, analyze test data, and produce assessments of operational effectiveness and suitability.

Heather earned her B.S. in Physics from Miami University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Material Science from the California Institute of Technology.  She is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) through the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) and a Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) issued by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).  Heather was awarded the Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship while at Caltech.

Anna Fussell is a VES Consultant.

Prior to working with Ventus, Anna was a practicing engineer for several engineering consulting firms. She has a broad range of technical experience from naval architecture to structural design and analysis to condition inspections and assessments. Throughout her career she focused on marine and maritime structures with an emphasis on Navy applications. Most recently, she was a member of the project management and design teams for the Navy’s newest and largest dry dock.  As a student at the Naval Academy, she was a member of an award-winning capstone senior design project for the conceptual design of a tsunami evacuation shelter.

Anna earned her B.S. in Ocean Engineering from the United States Naval Academy with a minor in Russian.  She is currently working towards her M.S. in Civil Engineering with a focus on Structural Engineering from the University of Houston.

Kayla Gingras has joined VES as a Consultant supporting the Personnel Management team with AUKUS. Kayla has supported  the U.S. federal government and Department of Defense (DoD) as a Project Analyst since earning her degree. Kayla began her career with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contributing to key initiatives at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Headquarters.  Then, she transitioned to supporting the DoD and U.S. Navy honing her expertise in project analysis and operational support. Working with the Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) at NAVSEA, Kayla became immersed in the complex world of Navy Diving and Salvage operations.

Kayla received a B.S. in Criminology, Law and Society with a concentration in Homeland Security and minors in Intelligence Analysis and Forensic Science from George Mason University.

Jason Gipson, USN retired, is a VES Senior Consultant providing technical leadership and programmatic management to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He brings 20 years of experience in operational meteorology, physical oceanography, military hydrography, and position, navigation, and timing (PNT), with expertise in undersea and autonomous systems development.

Before joining VES, Jason was a Senior Systems Engineer with SAIC, where he was the Chief Technologist and SETA Team Manager supporting the development of advanced maritime undersea capabilities, including leading transformational and organizational agility efforts like Digital Engineering, for a restricted customer in the Maritime ISR domain. Throughout his naval career, Jason provided technical management and organizational leadership for a variety of key missions and strategic developments, such as oversight of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Worldwide Navigation Warning Service (a mission traced to the tragic sinking of the SS Titanic); while as a Requirements and Action officer on the Staff of the Navigator of the Navy at OPNAV, fermented Navy’s policy on Assured-PNT; and as a Company Commander within the Very Shallow Water Mine Countermeasures Task Unit at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit ONE, leading the early operational evaluation and development of the MK-18 Mod 1 & 2 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) Program of Record, and the Silverfox Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system. Further, he served on the USS HARRY S TRUMAN (CVN 75) as Operations Principal Assistant and OA Division Officer, providing tailored operational and tactical METOC services to Carrier Strike Group 10 and Carrier Air Wing 3.

Jason received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee and earned a M.S. in Hydrography from the University of Southern Mississippi, a M.S. in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an Executive MBA in Strategic Leadership from the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee. He is a recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal along with a variety of other military commendations, campaign, and unit awards.

Scott Graham, USN retired, is a VES Consultant with expertise in Surface Warfare, specifically: AEGIS, LCS, Air and Ballistic Missile Defense, and the Navy Reserve.

Scott worked with Guided Missile Cruiser and Destroyer tours in Combat Systems in New Threat Upgrade and AEGIS ships in first half of his Naval career. During the second half, he worked with Strike Group, Fleet Commander, and LCS Staff tours and Surface Reserve Force Management to include 2 command ashore tours and Flag Secretary to Carrier Strike Group Three that executed OEF in 2001. He served as the Executive Assistant to Deputy Commander Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in 2002, Deputy Director of Current Operations, Battle Watch Captain and Air and Ballistic Missile Defense Officer for Commander FIFTH Fleet, First Chief Staff Officer to LCSRON 1 and LCS CLASSRON.

Scott was the Program Manager for Cubic Corporation in the winning and execution of over $400M supporting LCS Program 3-D Game Based STAVE Courseware and the Mission Bay Trainer Programs.  He was the Director of Strategic Operations and Deputy General Manager for Metters INC Orlando Division and the Navy Constellation Class Program Task Lead for FFG 62 Class Manpower, Training and Facilities Requirements. He successfully put together >$1.2B capitalization plan for Military Construction and Training Systems Acquisition to support the FFG 62 Class certified at Milestone B.

Scott earned his B.A. in History and Peace, War and Diplomacy from Norwich University, his M.A. in Diplomacy and International Conflict Resolution Theory from the Navy Post-Grad School and is an alumni of Saint John’s High School.  He graduated Cum Laude and is the recipient of multiple Navy Unit awards.

Jim Harris, USN, is a VES Consultant. 

Jim was in the US Navy for 5 years as a Submarine Officer. After having spent a yar as a Junior Officer staff instructor in upstate New York at the S8G prototype, he served onboard the USS Pennsylvania, a ballistic missile submarine, as the Main Propulsion Assistant and Tactical Systems Officer. Following his work in the Navy, he focused on modernization projects, utilizing his skills in design thinking, innovation, and systems engineering to perform enterprise level change management and business analysis.

Jim earned his B.S. in Computer Engineering from Villanova University and his M.S. in Engineering Management from Duke University.  At Villanova, Jim was the commencement speaker at his engineering college graduation and received the ECE Outstanding Student award as well. In the Navy he received 2 Navy and Marine Corps achievement medals.

Katie Illidge joins VES as an AFSO bringing over 12 years of experience in the Security and Compliance sector. Her career began as Test & Evaluation Data Analyst for PMS 500. She transitioned to Security and Compliance when she joined a woman owned software startup that specialized in Modeling & Simulation software for US Navy warships. In her latest role, she served as an FSO and subject matter expert for an international law firm, both overseeing the Firm’s overall security program and acting as an industrial security expert in advising a vast array of government contracting clients in the NISP.

Katie received her degree in Business Administration from Wake Forest University and currently serves as the Insider Threat Co-Chair for the Capital Industrial Security Awareness Council (CISAC).

Cory Jackson, USN (Retired), is a Senior Consultant with VES bringing extensive experience in submarine warfare and acquisition. A 30-year veteran of the submarine force, Cory served on fast attack and ballistic missile platforms. He conducted the first national missions from a Guam based SSN as Executive Officer of USS CORPUS CHRISTI, and returned USS ALASKA to strategic service post overhaul. He served over 10 years with DoD Programming, Planning, Budgeting and Execution duties including Acting Director for Acquisition under the Navy Comptroller (FMB), Director Submarine Systems, Sensors, and Weapons (OPNAV N972), and Major Program Manager Submarine Combat Systems (PMS-425). Cory’s extensive undersea experience transitioned into a Principal Program Management position with L3Harris where he oversaw the successful critical design efforts for a first of its kind seafloor sensor and the Navy’s Medium UUV (Razorback / Viperfish) program. He was awarded the Omaha Trophy while in Command of USS ALASKA, SSBN 732 (GOLD) along with numerous personal awards during his naval career including three Legion of Merit.

Cory is a meritorious graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Naval War College with an M.S. in National Security Affairs & Strategic Planning, and a distinguished graduate of the Naval Post Graduate School with an Executive M.B.A.

Jill Johnson, an Accounting Assistant, brings over 30 years of experience to VES. She began her career in accounting at Computer Sciences Corporation where she worked in the areas of accounts payable, payroll, invoicing, general ledger accounting and fixed assets. Jill was a valuable employee for 19 years and ended her time with them working in the division headquarters for the Technology Management Group. Following, Jill spent 12 years at Hunter Defense Technologies as a staff accountant and then moved into operations as a Program Analyst working with the Blade Center in Fredericksburg, VA. She was involved in the pricing of several government proposals for the development of prototypes. Upon award of contracts, she worked closely with the Program Managers to manage the financial aspects of the projects.

Jill received a Bachelor of Business Administration attending James Madison University and Averett College.

Donna Jones joins VES as a Consultant after 10 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator. After 2 year of flight school, she was designated as a Naval Aviator and joined her first squadron, HSC-9, on deployment aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77). There she flew the 60S in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and Exercise Saxon Warrior, a multinational joint exercise working with the Royal (British), German, Royal Norwegian, and Swedish Navies. Also, Donna flew with HSC-9 for disaster relief assistance in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. After one more deployment based out of Bahrain with HSC-28 to help support, she transferred to shore duty as an instructor pilot with the east coast Fleet Replacement Squadron HSC-2. Her remaining time in the Navy was spent as an Air Officer and Hangar Bay Division Officer aboard the USS Wasp (LHD 1) running flight operations for Navy and Marine Corp squadrons.

Donna was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, 2 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and the Sikorsky Aircraft Rescue Award.

Donna earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the United States Naval Academy and an M.B.A. with a Finance certificate from Carson College of Business, Washington State University.

Andrew Kiehnau, USN, is a Consultant with VES having served 6 years active duty as a Submarine Officer. In addition, he continues to serve in the reserves. While aboard the USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723) from 2018 – 2021, Andrew completed 3 Western Pacific Deployments, completed Primary Relief Valve Testing (major, high-visibility engineering evolution) as the lead engineering officer of the watch, served as the combat systems officer during the 2020 deployment, and as the assistant operations officer during the 2021 deployment.

As the Officer in Charge of UUVRON-1 Detachment Little Creek from 2021 – 2023, Andrew completed 140 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) sorties with no major mishaps, developed plans to survey historically significant wrecks such as the USS Cumberland and CSS Florida, and secured his command a 10,484 ft2 building. He saved the U.S. Navy $300K+ by identifying shortfalls in the scripted plan for UUVRON-1 involvement in a large-scale exercise and developed alternative solutions that ensured mission accomplishment at a fraction of the cost.

Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering attending the US Naval Academy, Class of 2017. He is the recipient of 4x Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various Unit Awards.

Ki-Han Kim is a Senior Consultant at VES with vast expertise in Submarine Propulsor R&D and S&T; Propulsor Hydrodynamics and Hydroacoustics; Program Management; S&T Development; and, Planning and Execution.

Ki-Han is an experienced S&T manager in submarine propulsors with 39 years of experience in the US Navy. He has significant experience in the development, execution and transition of innovative S&T programs in submarine propulsors. He’s led several major Future Naval Capabilities (FNC) programs and Project Agreements (PA) with high transition rates.

Ki-Han earned his B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Seoul National University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from M.I.T. He has been recognized for his following achievements: Fulbright Fellowship ,Commendation for Special Act, Meritorious Civilian Service Award , Superior Civilian Service Award and the NATO AVT Panel Excellence Award.

James L. Kirtley Jr., an advisor with Ventus, is Professor of Electrical Engineering, post tenure, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty of MIT in 1971 as Assistant Professor, was Associate Professor from 1977 to 1994, Professor until 2020, when he became Professor, Post Tenure. At MIT, Dr. Kirtley taught, in addition to basic subjects in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, subjects in Electric Machinery and Electric Power Systems.

While on leave from MIT in 1974 and 1975, he worked with General Electric, Large Steam Turbine Generator Department, as an Electrical Engineer. From 1998 to 2000, he served with Satcon Technology Corporation as Vice President and General Manager of the Tech Center. He also served as Director of Satcon from 1991 until 2013. At Satcon, in addition to running the Tech Center, he participated in design of the ElectroMagnetic Aircraft Launch System and helped design motors for the Magmotor division of the company. During a sabbatical from MIT, Dr Kirtley was Gastdozent at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (ETH).

Dr. Kirtley has served as a Consultant to numerous industrial and legal firms. He has served on an expert panel advising the Office of Naval Research and the Defense Advanced Projects Research Administration on Electric Ships and on a ‘Tiger Team’ for the Naval Sea Systems Command. He was a member of a National Academy of Engineering panel reviewing activities of the Army Research Lab. He is a specialist in electric machinery and electric power systems. He was a major participant in MIT’s program to develop synchronous machines with superconducting field windings. Most of his research activities have been in developing design methodologies for induction, permanent magnet synchronous and variable reluctance motors. He has also been involved in shipboard propulsion and power systems and terrestrial microgrids.

Dr. Kirtley served as Editor in Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion from 1998 to 2006. He chaired the International Conference on Electric Machines in 1990 and was Program Chair of the International Electric Machines and Drives Conference in 2001. He was made a Fellow of IEEE in 1990 and awarded the IEEE Third Millennium medal in 2000 and the Nikola Tesla prize in 2002. Dr. Kirtley was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering in 2007. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts.

Dr. Kirtley is author of the textbook Electric Power Principles, published by Wiley, and is co-author, with H. Wayne Beaty, of the Electric Motor Handbook, published by McGraw-Hill. He is author or co-author of over 100 journal papers and over 100 conference presentations. He also has 24 patents.

Dr. Kirtley attended MIT as an undergraduate and received the degree of Ph.D. from MIT in 1971.

Arpad Korossy, USN (Retired), joins VES as a Senior Consultant after 20 years of experience in submarine warfare and intelligence.

Arpad began his naval career as a submarine officer, making two West Pacific deployments on USS Providence (SSN-719), including both a circumnavigation of the globe and a visit to the North Pole. He subsequently volunteered for volunteered for boots-on-ground deployments to both Baghdad, Iraq and Kandahar, Afghanistan with the Iraq Assistance Group and NGA respectively before transferring to the intelligence community, deploying with the George H.W. Bush carrier strike group as the Destroyer Squadron 22 intelligence department head. Arpad has since worked as an instructor at DIA, a policy analyst with the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy staff, and as a Global Force Management analyst, Battlespace Awareness acquisitions portfolio manager, and executive aide at the Joint Staff J2.

Arpad is a recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and various other personal and unit awards. He is a proud member of the Order of the Spur and the Order of Magellan.
Arpad earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.

Anthony Larson, USN (Retired), joins VES after having served for 20 years as an accomplished Navy Engineering Duty Officer in nuclear ship maintenance planning, execution, and shipyard operations. His breadth of experience includes project management, technical design management, strategic planning, workforce development, organization management, program analysis, budget development, and auditing; encompassing military acquisition from cradle to grave. His assignments included: NAVSEA 08 (Naval Reactors), USS Wyoming (SSBN 742), Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY), NAVSEA 04X, Regional Support Group Groton, and NAVSEA 04Z.

Anthony served aboard the USS Wyoming (SSBN 742), 1000th strategic deterrence patrol for the Navy. He was the Shipyard Docking Officer at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and lead the execution of several unique/first time docking evolutions at PNSY including the first Virginia class submarine on yard, NR-1 tow barge, and subsequent mating of the two together. While at NAVSEA 04X, he earned a NAVSEA excellence award for being an integral part of a team that wrote the Fire Safety manual as a result of the MIAMI fire. Anthony was handpicked to be part of a tiger team sent to the vendor (Leonardo DRS) producing the new Columbia Class’s electric propulsion motor due to schedule and safety concerns that the team immediately remedied, which DRS subsequently delivered on time.

Anthony attended the University of Minnesota and earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Nuclear Engineering as a Naval Postgraduate.

Megan Lewis, USN, is an Operations Manager in the Aerospace industry and VES Consultant.  She brings expertise in Submarine Warfare, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Power Operations.

While in the Navy, Megan supervised teams of 25 personnel to perform daily maintenance and operations of the nuclear reactor, submarine life support systems, and various other mechanical systems. She was a leader of the submarine piloting team and nuclear control room team accruing more than 3,000 hours of control room experience. Megan performed several high-risk test programs which culminated in her team controlling the first powered operations on a newly refueled reactor. She managed the communications, chemistry, and radiation controls divisions and reinstated the first ballistic missile launch training program for USS Maine following a 3-year period of inactivity.

Megan earned her B.S. in Applied Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy and her M.S. in Operations Research from George Mason University.  She is the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal for service on board USS Maine and the Submarine Legacy Award for performance at Naval Nuclear Power School.

Peter Luhowy serves in the U.S. Army and is a Senior Analyst at VES supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (OSD SCO).  He brings over 20 years’ experience working technical issues on over 14 communication networks and cellular projects. He also brings 23+ years of experience as a Special Forces and Infantry officer with a broad range of experiences employing Special Operation Forces (SOF) equipment and intelligence assets. He provides both operational experience and communications expertise to SCO project managers to plan and execute the development and demonstration of technology projects with potential Special Operations Forces, Army, and other Joint Force equities supporting follow-on transition opportunities.

In the Maryland Army National Guard, Peter currently serves as a Battalion Commander for a Modular Training Battalion providing instruction on Military Police and Combat Medic courses. He previously served in numerous roles as part of Special Operations Detachment – NATO supporting NATO SOF Headquarters. Peter was previously mobilized to the Afghan National Army Special Operations Advisory Group. He served as a founding planner for Special Operations Command – Africa. He also served as an Operational Detachment – Alpha (ODA) Commander during a deployment to Afghanistan. Peter’s active-duty assignments include serving in 2^nd Battalion, 5^th Cavalry Regiment, 1^st Cavalry Division, including a deployment to Bosnia, and in the 2^nd Battalion, 325^th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82^nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, and 1^st Battalion, 503^rd Infantry Regiment, at Camp Casey, Korea.

Peter received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point and an M.S. in Computer Security and Global Security from Farleigh Dickinson University.  Additionally, he is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses at Fort Benning, GA, as well as the Special Forces Officer Qualification Course (SFOQC), Intermediate Level Education – Common Core, and the Combined Arms and Services Staff School. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP). Peter’s military awards include the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (5 awards), Army Achievement Medal (2 awards), National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal (3 awards), Joint Meritorious Unit Award (2 awards), Army Meritorious Unit Commendation (2 awards), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3 tours), and Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (4 awards), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (“M” device, Arabic numeral “3”), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Maryland Military Department Emergency Services Medal. He is authorized to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, and Republic of Korea (ROK) Parachutist Badge.

Ethan Madison is a Consultant at VES and is the lead technical SETA for the DARPA program Ocean of Things. A former Submarine Warfare Officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he spent one year as an instructor of Nuclear Power Operations, followed by a three-year Sea Tour aboard the USS PENNSYLVANIA (GOLD), where his expertise culminated serving as the Assistant Engineer, Quality Assurance Officer, and Operational Safety Officer. His specialty is in nuclear engineering and quality maintenance.

Ethan received a B.S. in Astrophysics with a minor in Russian Language from the United States Naval Academy.  He is currently a candidate for a M.S. in Management of IT from the University of Virginia. Ethan was recognized for the following: USNA, the recipient of the 2014 Navy League of the United States prize for achievements in Physics; USS PENNSYLVANIA (GOLD): received personal acknowledgement from head of Naval Reactors for achievement in Prospective Nuclear Engineer Officer’s exam.

John Mendenhall is a Consultant at VES.  He served in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Officer for 7 years. During his active duty, he served as the Chemical and Radiological Controls Assistant and the Assistant Engineer during two deployments on board the nuclear submarine USS NORFOLK. He also spearheaded the NORFOLK’s shipyard drydock decommissioning plan, and was a Nuclear Engineering Instructor.

After leaving the Navy, John spent 3 years in Silicon Valley as the Director of Total Product Support in the OLED display capital equipment industry. He is now pleased to be working with the many talented people at SCO, once again furthering our national security.

John received a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Arizona State University and an M.S. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. John was awarded Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals for outstanding achievement while on deployment aboard the USS NORFOLK, and for outstanding performance during a drydock availability.  He is also the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Leah Milla, Human Resources Assistant, comes to VES with 20 years of vast experience and expertise in the HR field. She was part of an HR/Operational corporate team that traveled nationwide to support and maintain operations in field offices and customer locations. Also, she managed Secondary Suppliers as an employee of the Prime (Kelly Services) on a government contract at NIH. Her most recent experience involved providing registration and database management of county students and home instruction students for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Throughout HR career, Leah has received notable awards to include Kelly Services “Performance Above and Beyond Award” and Houston Region “Outstanding Performance Recognition Award.”  In addition with Fairfax County Public Schools, she received the “Pyramid Outstanding Operational Employee Award.”

Leah attended Bowling Green State University, Western Washington University, and Universität Lüneburg in Germany where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Business with an HR specialization and a minor in German.

Joseph Monaghan, USMC retired, is a Senior Consultant for VES bringing thirty-five years leadership and management experience in the U.S. Marine Corps and private industry in support of the Department of Defense (DoD).  Joe possesses a diverse education and background in tactical, operational, strategic and support establishment logistics.  He’s a proven leader in system development & acquisition, equipment maintenance, transportation & logistics management, facilities & business management, financial improvement and audit readiness (FIAR) and customer support.

Joe is a subject matter expert, having served in and supported the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Marine Corps Systems Command and the Marine Corps Operational Test & Evaluation Activity, and recently the DARPA PROTEUS program serving as a key interface between the Program Office and key Marine Corps organizations responsible for combat development.  He has leveraged his experience and relationships as a retired Marine Corps Officer to help Program Performers develop and refine PROTEUS while helping Marines understand the fundamentals, applications and ultimately the benefits of Mosaic warfighting concepts and multi-domain operations.  The support provided to the PROTEUS program has contributed to its success and led to the transition to the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab who will continue to use the application to evaluate 2030 Force Design in support of the Commandant’s Planning Guidance.  Other notable achievements include: led program analysis to help NAVSEA and USMC achieve audit readiness goals; established organization and program for USMC and DOD to counter improvised explosive devices; and, piloted effort to develop capability to help Defense Health Agency manage world-wide portfolio of medical treatment facilities.

Joe earned his B.S. in General Engineering from the US Naval Academy, an M.S. in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School and is a certified Project Management Professional, Professional Logistician, and a Former certified facilitator, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Eric Mosher is a VES Consultant who served 7 years as a Navy submarine officer and has expertise in Operational Planning and Safety, Maritime Operations, Submarine propulsion systems, and NAVSEA/DoD development projects.

Eric Served as the chemistry and radiological controls assistant aboard the USS Montpelier for a CENTCOM deployment before returning home and executing a homeport shift from Norfolk, VA to Groton, CT. He planned and executed a successful dry-docking evolution for a major maintenance availability and then transferred to the USS Newport News in Norfolk, VA. He served as the damage control assistant and operational safety officer aboard Newport News for a EUCOM deployment. After return, he transferred to shore duty on the Navy watch floor at the pentagon where he personally performed operations briefs for the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations and his deputies.

After leaving the Navy Eric began work in NAVSEA 05Z5 supporting development of the cutting edge electronic Main Propulsion Drive and other Integrated Power System components on the new COLUMBIA class submarine (Navy’s #1 acquisition project).

Eric earned his B.S. in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, graduating with Honors, and is a candidate for the UPENN Master of Computer and Information Technology class.  He is the recipient of 2x Navy commendation medals and 3x Navy achievement medals.

Thomas Murphy is a Senior Consultant with VES where he assists executing priorities of the Strategic Capabilities Office. Prior, Thomas served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer.  His areas of expertise include: Antisubmarine Warfare systems and weapons, Aegis Combat System, Communication Networks, Anti-Terrorism Force Protection, National Security Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Policy and Material systems, and Strategic Planning.

Thomas is a former career Naval Surface Warfare Officer with extensive operational technical experience in Aegis Combat System, Anti-Submarine sensors and weapons, communications networks, national security affairs and strategic planning.   He is seasoned in national security policy development across theater operational plans, as well as military and defense policy development.  He is an experienced project management professional and a senior technical consultant managing a three year, $400M unmanned surface vessel prototype program autonomy system, sensor development, mechanical reliability, and operational testing and payload demonstration.

Thomas received a B.A. in History from Santa Clara University, an M.A. in International Relations from Old Dominion University, and certificates from the National Defense University, U.S. Naval War College and Syracuse University. Thomas is the recipient of the following awards:  Ship handler of the Year, Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy winner, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Defense Meritorious Medal.

Christian Nicholson, USN, is a VES Consultant.

Christian was stationed on the USS PASADENA and qualified in Submarine Warfare and Navy Nuclear Engineer. He was twice deployed to the Western Pacific and while on his second deployment served as Assistant Operations Officer and Communication Officer. He was later stationed in Bahrain as a Staff Officer in Combined Maritime Forces, a 34-nation conglomerate conducting maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf, northern Arabian Sea, Red Gulf, and around the Horn of Africa. Christian worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA, as a SMO and All Source Analyst for the Energy Systems Division.

Christian earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.  He is the recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy commendation medal, and several Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Lauren Oprisu, a Consultant, comes to Ventus as an accomplished leader with extensive experience in all-source intelligence analysis, account management, and customer success. She was a civilian with the Office of Naval Intelligence for most of her career.

Lauren has delivered high-quality technical solutions for complex customer needs, demonstrating excellence in customer service and solutions architecture. She has effectively managed complex customer bases, developed and delivered comprehensive training materials and curricula, and established multiple training programs for an OSINT software platform. She has served as a critical liaison between customers and her organization, providing authoritative technical intelligence assessments and threat assessments on Tier 1 countries, while supporting acquisition processes and U.S. Navy operational requirements. She was awarded the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director’s Annual Agency Team Award in 2019.

Lauren received a B.A. in International Studies with a Concentration in Security and Intelligence from Ohio State University and a M.A. in Defense and Strategic Studies with a Concentration in Homeland Security/Homeland Defense from the United States Naval War College. She attended programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Professional Summer Program – Surface Ship Combat Management System Design and Integration and Professional Summer Program – Shipbuilding Operations and Technology.

Eric Padilla is a Senior Consultant at VES.

Prior to Ventus, Eric worked as a Battlespace Effects Analyst at the National Air and Space Intelligence Agency’s (NASIC) SMFT to produce intelligence on emerging technologies and disrupting future threats for Air Force A2, Congress, and Presidential Daily Briefings. He conducted Electronic Warfare and advanced RF research supporting multiple contiguous projects within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Sensors Directorate (AFRL/RY) within the Integrated Development and Applications Lab (IDAL). Eric has supported the USMC while at Naval Information Warfare Center – Atlantic (NIWC) to integrate DCGS-MC, the next generation of C5ISR family of systems for forward-deployed GEOINT analysis and operations. As a Science Engineering and Technology Advisor (SETA), he’s provided architectural expertise for enterprise digital transformation of the national GEOINT system of systems to numerous intelligence community and DoD customers. More recently, he worked as the space payload Assembly, Integration, & Test (AI&T) Lead for multiple Class A/B national security space programs. At Ventus, Eric is supporting groundbreaking space development programs with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and contributes his space expertise to research studies with think tank partners.

Eric was awarded 1st Place in MIT Lincoln Labs’ Build a Radar Competition during 2019 IEEE Radar Conference. As the Technical Manager for the Nonlinear Wave Laboratory at ERAU, he led novel research and presented findings internationally for experiments with plasma phenomena in fluids, soliton theory, and control systems.

Eric earned his B.S. in Engineering Physics with an Applied Mathematics minor from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and attended the Air Force Institute of Technology for graduate training in Systems Engineering Management. He is pursuing his master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University in Space Systems Engineering.”

Andy Peterson is a Senior Consultant with VES having completed 31 years of service to the U.S. Navy as a Submarine Warfare Officer. He was commissioned through the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) program after graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and served onboard five submarines including USS PARCHE.

Andy has commanded at all levels, from a 150 to 24,000 personnel; commanding USS OKLAHOMA CITY forward deployed in Guam, the Navy’s premier service school, Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, aka “Nuke School” in Charleston, SC, and Naval Support Activity Charleston while dual hatted as the Deputy Commander, 628^th Air Base Wing/Joint Base Charleston. Andy spent two tours in the Pentagon, serving as an Operations Analyst on the Chief of Naval Operations staff conducting operations research and campaign analysis in support of President’s Budget development and as the Director for International Nuclear Programs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters.

Andy received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worchester Polytechnic Institute, a M.S. in Financial Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a M.S. in National Security Strategy from National War College. He is the recipient of numerous personal, unit, and campaign awards.

David Pfundstein is a Senior Consultant at VES.  ​He is an experienced systems engineer, project manager, and team leader who consistently delivers innovative technical and programmatic solutions to Navy, DoD, and IC customers.  Prior to his current role at DARPA as a maritime technical SME, David supported a unique mix of customers including: a Navy-led major defense acquisition program (ACAT I), a restricted customer in the maritime ISR domain, the onboard submarine acoustic trials group at NSWC Carderock, and the Office of Naval Intelligence. David has technical expertise in maritime/undersea capability development, operations planning, modeling and simulation, and test and evaluation.

David earned his B.S. in Ocean Engineering with a Minor in Mathematics from Virginia Tech.

Dmitry Poisik (USN, retired) is a Senior Consultant with Ventus having served 30 in the submarine force with specializations in submarine warfare, combat, navigation, and missile systems requirements, integration, and acquisition. His naval career included submarine service onboard three boats, leading sailors and employing the latest and greatest warfare capabilities the nation has to offer. His last seven years were spent as a Requirements Officer in the Undersea Warfare Directorate, working with multiple programs and stakeholders to develop, refine, and integrate reliable strike systems onboard U.S. submarines.

Dmitry attended Old Dominion University completed a B.S. in Computer Engineering and an M.B.A. in Finance.

Vikram Potdar is a VES Senior Consultant with expertise in Nuclear Engineering and Design from service with the U.S. Navy including engineering management, nuclear, mechanical, and fluid systems engineering, control systems engineering, and project management.

During active duty, Vikram served as a Naval Reactors Engineer at Washington Navy Yard, DC and as lead engineer for the S1B nuclear propulsion plant powering the next-generation COLUMBIA Class SSBN. As a DON Civilian, he was a technical design manager for the S1B nuclear propulsion plant mechanical systems as the subject matter expert on the S1B design. Currently, he serves with the Navy Reserves as an Engineering Duty Officer.

Naval Reactors was an excellent starting point and development opportunity for his career. Career highlights include riding a newly commissioned VIRGINIA Class attack submarine during sea trials (2017), celebrating delivery of the 1000+ page S1B Reactor Plant manual with ADM Caldwell, many SESs, and all who contributed (2019), and becoming an expert on the S1B design as well as Navy submarine design. He briefed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the design of COLUMBIA Class and prior submarine classes in support of their Safety Evaluation of the S1B design (2023). He also enjoyed showing colleagues access to the whole-ship COLUMBIA Class 3D model right from their desktops, something never before possible (2023 – 24).

Vikram’s accomplishments include managing the early completion of the COLUMBIA Class propulsion plant and engine room design, providing the complete Reactor Plant Manual early and within budget, and delivering the next-generation tool for real-time access to COLUMBIA Class 3D model to Naval Reactors via partnership with the PEO SSBN COLUMBIA Class program office (PMS397) and Beast Code, Inc. This resulted in the first ever nuclear-powered design to be so easily accessible by Naval Reactors.

Vikram earned a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Cornell University and a M.S. in Engineering Science / Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Patrick Quealy is a Senior Consultant for VES and a SETA at the Strategic Capabilities Office.  He served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear-trained Submarine Officer. Graduating top of class from the Navy’s nuclear schools, he was recognized by Naval Reactors as the top graduate for his Navy Nuclear Engineers Exam.

Patrick was commissioned in the Navy as a Submarine Officer and served on the USS Columbus (SSN-762) in Pearl Harbor, Hi. After deploying in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, he completed his

shore duty at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington DC.

Patrick received a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an M.S. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.

Chris Reilly is a VES Consultant specializing in providing technical and programmatic support for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

With an impressive 12-year career as an active-duty submarine officer, Chris demonstrated exceptional leadership and expertise in various critical roles. During his tenure aboard three different submarines, he deftly led teams through two Western Pacific deployments, supervised the initial criticality of a nuclear reactor, completed three strategic deterrent patrols, and successfully managed drydocking maintenance periods. His efforts as the head of the engineering department on USS NEBRASKA(BLUE) led to his selection as the top engineer officer in a squadron of 14 crews.

Chris is an alumnus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering, and Old Dominion University, where he attained his M.S. in Engineering Management.

Melissa Ricketts is an Accounting Consultant for Ventus Solutions where she handles monthly billing, payables, payroll and Unanet assistance.

Melissa worked full-time while pursuing and receiving her M.A. in Accounting from George Mason University.

Betsy Roberts has joined VES working in Payroll after a nearly 20 year career in investment management. Her experience includes evaluating credit and legal risk, performing due diligence, and negotiating complex transactions. She most recently served as the Finance Director for a Virginia non-profit enterprise focusing on third world financial literacy and economic empowerment. In her spare time, Betsy volunteers with her dog Cooper in Animal Assisted Therapy and enjoys gardening, exercising, and skiing.
Betsy received a B.S. in Business and an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut and has earned a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Darren Schenk comes to VES having served in the Navy as a Submarine Warfare Officer and is currently serving in the USN-Reserves. After completing initial training, Darren was assigned to USS ASHEVILLE assisting primarily as the Chemistry and Radiological Controls Assistant and the Assistant Weapons Officer. Following his time on ASHEVILLE, he reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Undersea Warfare Division (OPNAV N97) and served as a requirements officer in the Submarine Systems, Sensors, and Weapons branch. Consecutively, he was hand selected to serve as the Flag Aide to the Director, Undersea Warfare Division.

Darren attended Rowan University and received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He was the recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3x), and various Unit Awards.

EJ Schulz, a Recruiting Assistant, comes to VES as a Marine Corps spouse and daughter of a Navy veteran with diverse experience working for the federal government. Having lived almost ten years overseas in France, Germany, and Japan, EJ was as an active volunteer with various military spouses’ groups and deployment readiness teams. While stationed in France, she worked for the Department of State serving in the Executive Office of the US Embassy as well as volunteering with the Defense Attache Office. During time spent living in Okinawa, Japan, she volunteered as President of the American Welfare and Works Association which gives grants to the military and local Japanese community in Okinawa. Before coming to Ventus, EJ worked as a Background Investigator for federal security investigations in the national capital region. She was awarded the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award.

EJ attended the University of Rhode Island and received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and Sciences.

Brandi Shepherd has joined VES as an Office Manager. She has strong ties to the Navy, having spent 20 years living on U.S. Navy bases in the Pacific to include Japan, Singapore, Guam, and Hawaii. Currently, Brandi is a Navy wife who has worked as a substitute teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. She volunteers as an election worker for Fairfax County, treasurer for the neighborhood pool, and as a referee for NVSL summer swim team.

Brandi received a B.A. in History and East Asian Studies with a minor in Astronomy from the University of Virginia.

Troy Shideler, a Senior Consultant at OUSD, comes to VES with 7 years in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer, Plank Owner on USS MASON DDG-87 and having served on USS GARY FFG-51 forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. An analytic leader with over 20 years of innovation and operational support to the Department of Defense, he led diverse teams to analyze and solve the nation’s complex operational and technical problems. He used experience in wargaming, modeling and simulation, and other structured analytic techniques to deliver technology insights and new operational concepts to senior leaders in industry and government.

Troy received two Great Engineering Awards from Lockheed Martin for work developing new Systems Engineering Methods for the representation of Autonomous Systems. He was recognized by OPNAV N96 for developing and executing a series of wargames that shaped the Navy’s Future Surface Combatant Initial Capability Document requirements for both large and small surface combatants.  

Troy earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from United States Naval Academy and a Master of Art in National Security Studies from Georgetown University.

Jonathan Sword, USN Retired, is a Consultant with VES. Jon brings 20 years of experience as an Electrician and Administrator in Naval Nuclear Engineering. His at sea experience includes: USS ALEXANDRIA, USS ILLINOIS, USS HAWAII. His shore experience includes: Staff Instructor at NPTU, Performance Monitoring Team, and the Electrical Assistant at Submarine Squadron 1 in Pearl Harbor. He commissioned the USS ILLINOIS during his ELCPO tour in Groton, CT; conducted a Change of Homeport to Pearl Harbor, HI; and delivered her to her first Western Pacific Deployment. Jon conducted his Engineering Department Master Chief tour on the USS HAWAII in Pearl Harbor, HI during a major overhaul and upgrade dry-docking availability that required a complete requalification of a 70-man department.

Jon received a BSAST in Nuclear Energy Engineering Technology and an ASAST in Electrical Studies from Thomas Edison State University. He is also a certified PMP and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. He is the recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal, 3 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medals and 6 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Stefanie Thompson, an intern with Ventus, was commissioned as a logistics officer from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In her early career, she supported Army Special Operations Forces as a Cultural Support Team Leader in Eastern Afghanistan. In her subsequent role as a Civil Affairs Team Leader, she traveled throughout South and Southeast Asia training U.S. partner forces in Civil Military Operations and coordinating for the development of Emergency Response infrastructure. Later, while serving as a Public Affairs Officer, Stefanie was instrumental in the geographic combatant command’s strategic communication responding to the Russian incursion in Ukraine in 2022.

Stefanie was awarded a B.S. in Environmental Science from the United States Military Academy and is currently working on an M.B.A. from Duke University Fuqua School of Business.

Ashley Tingstad is a Senior VES Consultant.

Ashley has enjoyed a diverse and unique civilian career that has mirrored that of a service member. Her multiple assignments have included working for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center as a Test and Training Ranges Engineer, supporting the installation of USWRT and as an Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Systems Engineer supporting multiple SBIRs, FNCs, INPs. She worked as an in-service engineering agent for the MK 48 (heavyweight torpedo) at Yorktown Intermediate Maintenance Activity. As an OPNAV N94 Action Officer, Ashley’s portfolio included LCS, Frigate and UUV/USV and NAVSEA weapon systems. Here, she provided T&E policy and program support to the acquisition portfolio. As a NAVSEA LNO and Assessments Analyst/Action Officer, COMPACTFLT, she was the principal advisor to the N9 Warfighting, Analysis and Readiness Director on the efficiency of proposed Fleet exercise/ experimentation initiatives and served as the USW subject matter expert for exercise mission planning requirements in support of Commander’s intent. Ashley also served as the PMS 406 Assistant Program Manager of Unmanned Operation Centers, Afloat Control Nodes, and the Common Control System for UUVs/USVs.

Ashley earned her B.S. in Ocean Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. She has been recognized with the following achievements. Excellence in Contracting Award (supported the UUV Family of Systems Source Selection Evaluation Board); and, NUWC Newport Commanding Officer/Technical Director Award of the Year.

MJ Tomalewski, as Executive Assistant to the CEO, comes to VES with a myriad of talents in her career in executive support. As a C-Suite Executive Assistant, she has more than 40 years of experience in regulatory and federal affairs in the private, legal, and non-profit sectors, including agriculture, banking, and telecommunications. Additionally, she has expanded experience in project management along with Meetings and Events sourcing and coordination.

MJ has a degree in A.A.S. in Radiologic Technology and worked as a Radiographer early in her career.

Jennifer Walia is a Consultant for VES and brings years of experience consulting, primarily in the nonprofit sector. She is seasoned in grant-writing, strategic planning, board management and committed to community betterment. Outside of consulting, Jen serves on the Board of Reset180, a local anti-human trafficking organization and is a track and cross-country coach.

Jen received her B.A. in International Relations from Boston University and her M.A. in War Studies from Kings College London.

John Walker, Senior Consultant, joins VES as an accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in strategic defense analysis, operations research, and team leadership within the U.S. Navy. A career submarine officer, he has overseen critical mission planning, tactical R&D operations, and large-scale data analysis projects. His expertise in modeling and simulation, combined with a track record of optimizing Navy resources, has consistently provided valuable insights for senior military leaders. His leadership was instrumental in achieving operational excellence and readiness during both routine operations and complex deployments throughout his career.

John received a B.S. in Structural Engineering from Texas A&M University, a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, with Distinction, and a Master’s Certificate in Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School. During his naval career, he was the recipient of Battle “E” for combat effectiveness (multiple times), the Presidential Unit Citation and Navy Unit Citation.

Thomas G. Weiler, USN retired, is a Senior Consultant with VES.

Mr. Weiler was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, and raised in Chicago and Minneapolis. He attended Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota and attended the University of Notre Dame while participating in the Navy ROTC program. Tom graduated from Notre Dame with honors in 2000 and was commissioned in January 2001. Mr. Weiler served on the USS CHICAGO, USS CHARLOTTE, USS COLUMBIA, and the USS MICHIGAN (GOLD) completing multiple submarine missions throughout the Indo-Pacific region vital to national security. Tom also deployed to the Middle East as a Carrier Strike Group Submarine Operations and Training Officer onboard the USS EISENHOWER. Additionally, Mr. Weiler completed tours as Flag Aide to the Pacific Fleet Commander, Aide for Operation TOMODACHI, Legislative Defense Fellow, UK Perisher Student, Executive Assistant for the Chief of Legislative Affairs, Speech Writer for the Director, Undersea Warfare Division (OPNAV N97) and Military Assistant in Homeland Defense & Global Security in OSD.

Tom earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, his M.P.A. from the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, an M.S. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University, and an M.A. in Military National Resource Strategy and Policy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower school for National Security and Resource Strategy. He is the recipient of 3 Meritorious Service Medals, 4 Navy Commendation Medals, 1 Joint Service Achievement Medal, and 3 Navy Achievement Medals.

Craig Welling, USN retired, is a Senior Consultant at VES. Captain Welling served in the U.S. Navy for over 28 years and brings considerable expertise in undersea warfare, nuclear command and control, civil nuclear energy, program management, and innovative solution development.

Craig consults with industry and government agencies, including the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Prior to Ventus, Craig served as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) at the Department of Energy. There, in the Office of Nuclear Energy, as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Director for Advanced Reactors and Chief of Nuclear Safety he pursued actions to improve technical maturity of advanced reactor designs and coordinated with the NRC to improve licensing processes. He served as a senior manager at two commercial nuclear power plants and as a program manager in support of the Department of Homeland Security. While in the Navy, Craig served as Deputy Director of the Nuclear Command and Control System Support Staff, Chief of Staff for the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs and Commanding Officer of USS OHIO and USS ALEXANDER HAMILTON, leading crews through highly successful patrols and comprehensive overhauls.

Craig received a B.S. in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College. He attended the Senior Officials in National Security program at Johns Hopkins and Syracuse Universities and completed a graduate program in National Security at the Naval War College. He is the recipient of the Energy Department’s Distinguished Service Award, the Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards), the Legion of Merit and other awards from his military service.

Darrel Westbrook, USN retired, is a Senior Consultant for VES.  Darrel served in the U.S. Navy as a Submarine Officer and Operational Test Coordinator for submarine platforms and C4I systems. In retirement, Darrel has been able to develop and then execute the operational test strategy for the SEAWOLF and VIRGINIA Class submarines authoring and editing the final reports.  He was also involved in developing the test strategy for the COLUMBIA Class Submarine.  Darrel considers one of his achievements to be the satisfaction of serving his country and a job well done.

Darrel received a B.S. in Chemistry from Texas A&M University, and an M.S. in Engineering Acoustics from the Naval Post Graduate School.

John Wilcher, PhD is a Senior Consultant with VES bringing 35 years of experience as an engineer skilled in world-class research and engineering discipline having supported the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Communities (IC). He is an accomplished technical leader with RF and acoustic signal processing, systems engineering, and software engineering expertise.

John’s career focused on the design and development of advanced systems and integration of critical technologies into complex operational environments. He has a proven track record in advancing undersea, maritime, radar, and cross-domain solutions.
John earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, an MBA in Finance/Investment from George Mason University, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

James Yang, is a VES Consultant and US Navy Submarine Veteran.

James served onboard the USS Annapolis as a junior officer and held a variety of roles to include Torpedo Officer, Main Propulsion Assistant, Damage Control Assistant, Quality Assurance Officer, Communications Officer, and Operational Safety Officer.

During his time on board, the USS Annapolis deployed twice to the Western Pacific, completed a 6 month drydock maintenance period, supported SCC (Submarine Command Course) operations, shifted homeports from San Diego to Guam, executed a mine warfare exercise, and participated in several other exercises.

James earned his B.S. in Economics with a minor in Chinese from the United States Naval Academy in 2017. He is the recipient of 4 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals and 2 Expeditionary Warfare medals.