APEX 2026

Velvet Piini

Finance Coordinator and Event Manager, CHDS

Jodi Stiles

Deputy Director, Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS)

Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau

Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau

USN (Ret.), President Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)

Elaine Jennings

Elaine Jennings

CHDS Association Board President

The Hon. Leon Panetta

The Hon. Leon Panetta

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense and CIA Director

Evy Poumpouras

Former Special Agent, USSS

Ray Guidetti

Lt. Colonel, NJSP (Ret.)

Giacomo Sacca

Chief of Police, City of Elizabeth

Rodrigo Nieto-Gomez

Rodrigo Nieto-Gomez

CHDS Faculty

Jacob Andra

CEO, Talbot West

Kevin McMahan

Assistant Secretary of State, Washington Office of the Secretary of State

Joseph Nunn

Brennan Center for Justice

Lisel Petis

Policy Director, Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties, R Street Institute

Marie Balak

CHDS Association Board Member

Seth Jones

President, Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair at CSIS

Kieran Ramsey

Chief Investigative Officer, Global Reach

Chris Kuhn

Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol

Rita Martess

Blockchain Intelligence, TRM Labs

Vern Pierson

District Attorney, El Dorado County, California

Dan O'Connor

Chief Security Officer, FEMA

Paul Rasmussen

PhD, Institute for Regional and International Security

Keith Carter

PhD, Institute for Regional and International Security

Shannon Brown

Master's Program Manager and Senior Lecturer, CHDS

Cynthia Renaud

Director, Emergence Program, CHDS

Lauren Fernandez

Lauren Fernandez

Senior Faculty, CHDS

Aleksandar Matovski

Aleksandar Matovski

NPS Faculty

Tony Robinson

Global Public Sector CTO, Axon

Ava Fanucchi

Deputy Chief, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety

Rosemary McDonnell

Rosemary McDonnell

CHDS Association Board Member

Justin Kates

Senior Business Continuity Advisor, Wawa, Inc.

Emily Pelliccia

Emily Pelliccia

Deputy Chief of Emergency Management, Albemarle County (VA) Fire Rescue

Emily Martuscello

Emily Martuscello

Director of Emergency Management, Nashua Office of Emergency Management

Chris Hsiung

Undersheriff San Mateo and Co-founder of The Curve

Clint Osborn

Director, HSEMA

Phillip Osborn

DHS-HSI Supervisory Special Agent (Ret.)

Heather Hollingsworth

Heather Hollingsworth

Director, Strategic Communications, CHDS

Morgan James

Senior Manager, REP Executive Education Program, Strategic Communications, CHDS