Dr. (LtCol) Michael L. Thomas
Michael is currently assigned to Naval Space and Warfare Center (SPAWAR) Charleston as a C4ISR Systems Engineer in the Communications and Networks Division. He is stationed at Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany, working in the Information Superiority and Knowledge Management (ISKM) Division. Immediately prior to the current assignment he was worked C4ISR related projects for the Intelligence and Knowledge Directorate (IKD) of USAFRICOM. In this capacity he was responsible for the design, implementation and fielding of major network projects initiated by the Navy, sister services and other US government customers. An earlier assignment with SPAWAR was in the Heidelberg Office supporting HQ USAREUR in Geospatial Engineering. From March 2007 to September 2010 he was on detached special duty after being activated and served tours at the Pentagon, as a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) LNO to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and lastly was assigned to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) as an instructor teaching Cyberwar courses. Immediately prior to his assignment with SPAWAR, he was the Chief J-3 Technical Projects, assigned to Georgia Tech University as a Special Projects Officer. Notable among the projects included management and requirements analysis of the Digital Mapping Server (DMS) GIS Portal in coordination with the Naval Research Lab, and the day to day management of the Digital Mapping Center (DMC) which provided GIS support for and between various Federal, DoD, State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. The technology was cited in several papers and was patented by the US Navy. The DMS efforts led to recognition from both the DEA and the FBI. Michael can be reached at mlt222@psu.edu.
Dr. Dennis J. Bellafiore
Dennis serves as a consultant and coach to large and small businesses, education, industry, not-for-profit, government, and community service organizations. He worked for thirteen years at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), including as the global account manager of its largest corporate end-user customer, as manager of sales & marketing for total quality management, and as international strategic marketing director of office document systems for the company. Over the past twenty years, he has served as an organizational change consultant, as president and chief operating officer of a technology-leading digital-print book manufacturer, and as a strategic marketing consultant with a recognized geospatial information company in Lancaster, PA. Dennis has consulted on many GIS and IT projects at state, regional, county, and local government levels in Pennsylvania. He has been involved in geospatial requirements analysis, strategic planning, project management, project scoping, customer relationship management, business development, marketing, and organizational consulting involving all aspects of geospatial application development and implementation. He has been a research contributor to a Harrisburg-based think tank for economic and workforce development projects funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, Brookings Institution, Federal Mediation and Consultation Service, William Penn Foundation, and National Governors’ Association. He is a member of the Academy of Management and Sigma Xi. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at dxb45@psu.edu.