People Category: AIAA DEFENSE Forum 2021

Samuel S. Visner is the director of the National Cybersecurity Federally Funded Research and Development Center (NCF), which MITRE manages in support of the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE).

In this role, Visner oversees efforts to bring together experts from industry, government, and academia to demonstrate integrated cybersecurity solutions that are cost-effective, repeatable, and scalable. The FFRDC is the first of its kind dedicated to cybersecurity.

Visner joined MITRE from an executive position at ICF International, which advises business and government entities on issues related to health, homeland security, defense, and energy. He also held leadership positions at CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation) and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

In addition, he served as chief of signals intelligence programs at the National Security Agency, where he was awarded the agency’s Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 2003. Visner has been a leader in public/private partnerships and collaborations, including the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, the Air Force Communications and Electronics Association, the Professional Services Council, and the National Academy of Science. Throughout his career, he has worked across multiple federal sponsors. He sits on the Army Science Board, and serves as an adjunct professor of cybersecurity at Georgetown University.

Visner holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He earned a master’s degree in telecommunications from George Washington University.

Currently the Senior Advisor for Energy and other issues to the Director of the National Risk Management Center, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Ronald Keen is a retired Air Force officer with an extensive background in intelligence and missile and space systems operations, as well as critical infrastructure protection. Concluding a distinguished military career, Ron accepted the position as a Division Director in the Indiana State government directing research and testifying on issues within the utility regulatory environment with an emphasis on energy, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. He accepted his current position with the Department after retiring from State government service. Ron earned his Bachelors at Southwest Texas State University and is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a Masters in Aeronautical Science. A published author, Ron and his wife, Susan, have five children.

Dr. David W. (Dave) Miller is vice president and chief technology officer (CTO) at The Aerospace Corporation. He joined the company in January 2019. In this newly created role, Miller is responsible for providing vital leadership for the company’s growing prototyping efforts through his supervision of Aerospace’s Experiments Lab (the newly named “xLab”), previously called the Technology Demonstration Center. He will also oversee iLab (Aerospace’s innovation laboratory, where staff collaborate in a creative space to develop ideas into game-changing technologies); the Engineering, Science & Technology Hubs; and the Tech Fellows program.

Prior to joining Aerospace, Miller was director of the Space Systems Laboratory and the Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earlier in his career, he served five years—two as vice chair—on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, which is a Federal Advisory Committee that provides independent counsel on science and technology matters relating to the Air Force’s mission. He also served as NASA’s chief technologist at its headquarters in Washington, DC.

Miller has helped develop an extensive set of dynamics and controls technology laboratories on the space shuttle, the Mir space station, and the International Space Station. He is currently developing reconfigurable spacecraft concepts that permit a variety of capabilities through proximity operations and docking of modular satellites. Miller has also helped develop a technique to control satellite formations without the need for propellant.

Miller’s comprehensive research experience, vast technical knowledge, investigative skills, and unique teaching abilities have prepared him to lead in the creation of agile space solutions for the most critical issues challenging Aerospace’s customers.

Ms. Stephanie Possehl is the Acting Deputy Director for Engineering (DD, ENG) and Director of Engineering Policy and Systems within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. She is serving as the Department of Defense’s Chief Engineer for Advanced Capabilities. She sets engineering policy for the DoD with a focus on embracing modern engineering best practices and driving technical rigor. She also leads DoD-wide communities of practice dedicated to advancing engineering practice and championing efforts such as digital engineering, modular open systems approach, and many traditional specialty engineering focus areas. She leads mission integration management and supports Major Defense Acquisition Programs through engineering and test assessments. She is the functional leader for the Engineering & Technical Management and Test & Evaluation acquisition workforces. She also has responsibility for the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office and Strategic Intelligence Analysis Cell.

Ms. Possehl has more than 25 years of Federal service with the Department of Defense, including program management positions with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) supporting Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and the Sea-Based Terminal program. Before joining MDA, she taught senior-level program management and systems engineering courses at the Defense Acquisition University. Her previous engineering and project management assignments were in support of the U.S. Navy STANDARD Missile Program Office and the Naval Surface Warfare Center/Dahlgren Division. She began her career as a contractor providing engineering support to DoD programs.

Ms. Possehl holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and a master of science in technology management, both from the University of Maryland. She is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and is DAWIA Level 3 certified in Program Management and Engineering. She received the MDA Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service (2020), Navy Superior Civilian Service Award (2018), and Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award (2015).

Ms. Philomena (Phil) Zimmerman is the Director for Engineering Tools and Environments within the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Deputy Director for Engineering.  Ms. Zimmerman leads the Engineering Tools and Environments area, including Digital Engineering and Connect the Engineering Community infrastructure.  She supports elements of R&E related to policy, practice, and workforce development, as well as the R&E use of digital practices.

In digital engineering, Ms. Zimmerman leads the effort to advance the use of model-based techniques for engineering practice in all engineering and related activities.  Following on from the Digital Engineering Strategy, this includes understanding the implementation needs of users in the areas of tools, tool chains, frameworks and architectures.  Ms. Zimmerman is responsible for identifying and closing gaps in policy, practice, and workforce development related to digital engineering as a part of the larger engineering community’s use of computational and model-based techniques.  Ms. Zimmerman likewise leads an effort to consolidate and solidify the engineering uses of infrastructure to support digital engineering, and other computational based activities.  This includes identifying users and user needs; identifying what already exists in practice to support the needs, and practically unifying the solutions to evolve the solution set.

As part of her efforts in Engineering, Tools and Environments, Ms. Zimmerman is revising the working group concept toward a permanent Community of Practice in Digital Engineering through establishment of a core Body of Knowledge at the center of the community of practice; and functioning Tiger Teams who are responsible to the community for success in solving acknowledged gaps or pain points.  All information discovered or created finds a home in the Body of Knowledge.  Her team supports updates to policy, guidance, training material, and participates in program assessment activities conducted on behalf of OUSD(R&E).  Ms. Zimmerman’s activities include collaboration with professional societies and associations, such as National Defense Industrial Association, International Council on Systems Engineering, and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

During her career Ms. Zimmerman has also served in leadership positions within the Army’s Future Combat System program, Program Executive Office Integration, and Defense Modeling and Simulation Office, and with NAVAIR.  She has held positions in modeling and simulation, test, and product development communities, including activities in radar processing, signal analysis, and traditional modeling and simulation development and use.  She is active in standards usage identification and usage.  She has worked in both private industry and in government. She has received numerous awards in her Federal career.  She has a bachelor of science in mathematics from St. John Fisher College, with an emphasis in Computer Science from Rochester Institute of Technology.  She is DAWIA Level 3 certified in Engineering and Test and Evaluation.