Meet the 2024 Visionary Leadership Award Honorees

VISIONARY ACADEMIC LEADER >
This award recognizes outstanding educational contributions and program leadership related to an academic cyber security program; two Visionary Academic Leader awards will be presented this year.

VISIONARY ACADEMIC LEADER > Arun Kothanath > Faculty Member, University of Minnesota
Arun Kothanath is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota Technological Leadership Institute where he shares his knowledge with graduate students enrolled in the Master of Science in Security Technologies program. With 25 years of experience applied in corporate environments, Arun has demonstrated expertise in fraud detection, identity and access management, mobile security, and governance, risk, and compliance. Arun is the Chief Technology Officer at MajorKey Technologies, Inc., and leads strategic initiatives and product development work that bring cybersecurity solutions to Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. Additionally, Arun provides advisory services as an outsourced Chief Security Officer to a range of federal, state, and local government agencies to secure critical infrastructure.

VISIONARY ACADEMIC LEADER > Holly Yuan > Program Director, Professor, Director of the Cybersecurity Research & Outreach Center, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Dr. Holly Yuan is the Founding Director of the Cybersecurity Research and Outreach Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she leads computer networking, IT, and cybersecurity programs. Dr. Yuan has leveraged grants from the Department of Defense, Department of Workforce Development, NASA, and other agencies, and established an advanced IIoT lab at UW-Stout, focusing on 5G, Wi-Fi6 IoT, AI, ML, and cloud computing. Through her collaborative endeavors with federal agencies and the IT sector, her students have earned Department of Defense Cybersecurity (CySP) scholarships, internships, and landed IT and cyber jobs. Passionate about diversity and cybersecurity competitions, Dr. Yuan mentors the Women in IT & Security and Cyber Defense clubs.

VISIONARY APPLICATION SECURITY LEADER > Chris Luhman > Information Security Director, Minnesota IT Services
This award recognizes a security practitioner or team that demonstrates innovation and outstanding oversight of an application security program. Chris Luhman is an Information Security Director with Minnesota IT Services. He leads the teams that secure and protect agency applications for several departments and has responsibility for statewide governance risk and compliance. He is known for leading teams to develop new approaches and seek innovative efficiencies while making citizen data safer. He has worked in information security for the past eighteen years and information technology for almost thirty and attests to a passion for application security. Luhman holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and is a certified information systems security professional (CISSP).

VISIONARY COMMUNITY LEADER > Zinet Kemal > Cloud Security Engineer, Best Buy
This award recognizes a person who has applied influence and leveraged credibility to bring others into the cyber security community and inspired and connected partners to the broader mission.
Zinet Kemal is an immigrant from Ethiopia, a mother of four, and a Cloud Security Engineer at Best Buy. Zinet is known as an enthusiastic cybersecurity practitioner, advocate, and dedicated instructor with broad influence. Zinet is a TEDx speaker, and a published author whose work has been featured on Good Morning America, 11Alive, BBC, Yahoo! News, ABC news, CBS Minnesota – WCCO, and AFROTECH. Her award-winning children’s books Oh, No … Hacked Again! and See Yourself in Cybersecurity teach children about the importance of online safety and spark interest in young readers who might join the next generation of cybersecurity trailblazers.

VISIONARY GOVERNANCE CHAMPION > Mae-Beth Magno > Deputy Chief Privacy Officer, Northrop Grumman
This award recognizes a C-suite leader, board member, or elected official who recognizes the cyber security value proposition and serves as a champion for the information security program.
Mae Beth Magno is the Deputy Chief Privacy Officer at Northrop Grumman, where she leads the development and implementation of privacy strategies that enable data-driven initiatives while ensuring compliance with global privacy laws and regulations. She brings a foundation of deep technical knowledge and a keen understanding of the complex, ever-evolving landscape of global privacy, data governance, and strategy to her work. As a recognized global privacy expert, she integrates legal compliance with ethical considerations to foster trust and transparency between organizations and their stakeholders.

VISIONARY GOVERNANCE, RISK, AND COMPLIANCE LEADER > Mackenzie Kloss > Senior IT Risk & Controls Analyst, Prime Therapeutics
This award recognizes a security practitioner that demonstrates outstanding GRC program oversight, such as risk assessment, policy and procedure, vendor assurance, or compliance.
Mackenzie Kloss is a Senior IT Risk & Controls Analyst at Prime Therapeutics, specializing in internal controls testing, external audits (SOC1/2, HITRUST, NIST 800-53), and system security plans. She holds a BBA in Healthcare Management from the University of Minnesota – Duluth and has a background in compliance advisory, fraud investigation, and audit coordination. Mackenzie found her ideal professional niche and her best work after transitioning to governance, risk, and compliance work in 2021. Known for her strong communication and leadership aptitude, her experience highlights her commitment to enhancing organizational security and compliance through effective risk management strategies. Outside of work, she enjoys spontaneous overlanding trips with her husband and two dogs.

FOUNDER’S AWARD > Shawn Riley > CEO Bisblox
Shawn Riley is CEO of Bisblox and the recipient of this year’s Cyber Security Summit Founder’s Award. A lifelong technologist and entrepreneur, Shawn Riley started his first company at the age of sixteen, later worked as a thought leader for companies like IBM and the Mayo Clinic, and saw his career grow to include massive change and transformation initiatives across multi-billion-dollar organizations. He’s held executive positions including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Information Management Officer. In 2017 Shawn was appointed by Governor Doug Burgum to serve as the state of North Dakota’s Chief Information Officer and cabinet member. Today, Shawn travels the world building companies around with a purpose to be bold, disrupt boring, and strengthen growth while enabling a vision that asks, “How might we help others succeed?”

VISIONARY SECURITY AWARENESS PROGRAM LEADER > Jacob Blacksten, Senior Specialist Security Awareness, Jack Henry
This award recognizes a security practitioner that demonstrates outstanding and innovative work related to a security awareness program.
Jacob Blacksten is the 2024 recipient of the Visionary Security Awareness Program Leader award. Jacob is the Senior Specialist in Security Awareness for Jack Henry, where he develops enterprise-wide training and education materials and equips executive teams to identify and avoid high-level, targeted attacks. Prior to joining Jack Henry, Jake was a digital forensic investigator for a risk management firm specializing in cybersecurity. Earlier in his career he was a digital solutions manager for the Delaware Small Business Development Center where he focused his efforts on cybersecurity education for small businesses and built multiple national cybersecurity education programs. Jake earned three advanced degrees, including an MBA, an MS in cybersecurity, and an MS in business analytics, and holds SANS GIAC certifications in both digital forensics and security essentials, and a CISSP.

VISIONARY SECURITY OPERATIONS LEADER > Reanna Schultz > Information Security Team Leader, Garmin
This award recognizes a security practitioner or team that demonstrates innovation and outstanding oversight of security operational areas, such as monitoring, vulnerability management, incident response, or access control.
Reanna Schultz is a Security Operations Center Information Security Team Leader focused on response services that mitigate targeted threats and minimize business risk at Garmin. Reanna supports the fast-paced and constantly changing work by investing in her team’s ability to apply both critical and creative thinking to enhance defense capabilities. Reanna guides her team to pursue their passions and invest in themselves so they can display excitement that inspires others around them. Reanna holds both BS and MS Cybersecurity degrees from The University of Central Missouri, where she now teaches cyber courses as an adjunct professor. Additionally, she presents at conferences and speaks to students nationwide, to share her journey and promote STEM education.

VISIONARY SECURITY PROGRAM AND OVERSIGHT LEADER > Michael Gregg > CISO, State of North Dakota
This award recognizes a CISO who uses innovative tools and techniques to continuously improve a complex cyber security program.
Michael Gregg is the CISO for the state of North Dakota and a recognized industry expert with more than 20 years of cyber security experience. Previously, Gregg worked in private sector roles and as an expat CISO for global organizations. Gregg has authored more than twenty books, including Hack the Stack, Build Your Own Security Lab, and Security Administrator Street Smarts. Gregg has testified at the state level and before U.S. Congress and frequently speaks at conferences nationwide. His articles have been published on IT websites, and he has been sourced as an industry expert for CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, Fox News, and the New York Times. Michael serves on cyber advisory boards for several colleges and works with non-profit organizations to give back to the community.

VISIONARY STUDENT >
This award recognizes a student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and/or contributions that exceed academic program expectations. Two Visionary Student awards will be presented this year.

VISIONARY STUDENT > Phoenix Bloksberg > Student, Metro State University
Phoenix Bloksberg is a 2024 recipient of the Cyber Security Summit Visionary Student award. Transitioning from a background in nonprofits and caregiving, Phoenix has focused on advancing cybersecurity education for underserved communities. Partnering with their university, Phoenix has achieved significant milestones, leading their cybersecurity team to success in regional and national competitions, conducting innovative research, and providing crucial risk assessments to organizations in need. They are now in the final stages of launching their own business, CyberClarity Consulting, an initiative designed to support nonprofits and local SMBs with accessible training and comprehensive risk assessments. Phoenix remains dedicated to bridging the cybersecurity gap and empowering individuals and organizations to enhance their security.

VISIONARY STUDENT > Thivanka Mohottalalage > Student, St. Cloud State University
Thivanka Mohottalalage is a 2024 recipient of the Cyber Security Summit Visionary Student award. Thivanka is pursuing a master’s in information assurance degree at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. He earned a 4.0 grade average in 2023 and was honored on the Dean’s list during his undergraduate studies. Thivanka has a passion for research that touches cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI, and intrusion detection. His portfolio includes exploration of encryption methods for secure cloud computing, analysis of security and privacy of cloud storage solutions, and evaluations of neural network-assisted IDS/IPS systems. Thivanka has served as a Student Ambassador for the St. Cloud State IS department, volunteers in health camps in Sri Lanka and enjoys playing the guitar to unwind.