Government Information Security Leadership Awards to be Announced Oct. 7

The sixth annual (ISC) 2 Government Information Security Leadership Awards (GISLAs) will be announced at the GISLA Gala Dinner on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Crystal City, Arlington, Va.

The GISLAs are given by the (ISC) ² U.S. Government Advisory Board for Cybersecurity (GABCS) to federal professionals and government contractors who have significantly enhanced the federal information security workforce by demonstrating a leadership role in any information security workforce improvement initiative, program or project on either a government-wide or agency-specific basis.

"The GISLA Program is unique and the only award that recognizes the people who are serving the country and are crucial in re-defining the nation's strategy to secure cyber space," says Lynn McNulty, CISSP, director of government affairs for (ISC) ².

The 2009 (ISC) 2 GISLA Program, part of (ISC) ²'s global awards program, recognizes four winners, one from each of the following categories:

  • Senior Non-Information Security Managers: including chief information officers (CIOs), Chief financial officers (CFOs), program and project managers

  • Senior Information Security Managers: including chief information security officers (CISOs)

  • Non-Managerial Information Security Professionals: including program chiefs, branch heads, project leads

  • Federal Contractor Information Security Professionals: including all federal government contractors.

As the industry's premier award distinction, the GISLA program attracts a broad pool of candidates spanning U.S. federal civilian and U.S. Department of Defense agencies. This year's finalists include:

Category: Non-Managerial Information Security Professional

  • Bobby Akins, CISSP, MSCE, Security +, Network +, ITIL V3 Foundations, network integrator, U.S. Air Force Engineering and Technical Services (AFETS), U.S. Air Force
  • Karyn Higa-Smith, program manager, identity management tools, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Command, Control and Interoperability Division
  • T. Sgt. Shannon Haygood, Security +, non-commissioned officer in charge, information assurance, U.S. Air Force, 754th Electronic Systems Group, Operations Division

Category: Senior Non-Information Security Manager

  • Cecille Jones, director, Wage & Investment Business Systems Planning Division, U.S. Internal Revenue Service
  • Erin Finkes, director of workforce development, Defense Contract Management Agency
  • Lori Roberts, CAP, PMP, program manager, Wage & Investment Security Program Management Office, U.S. Internal Revenue Service

Category: Senior Information Security Manager

  • Austin Pearson, CISSP, PMP, information assurance program manager, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, U.S. Army
  • Stanley Joseph Jarzombek, Jr., CSSLP, PMP, director of software assurance, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Cyber Security Division
  • Patrick D. Howard, CISSP, CISM, chief information security officer and director computer security office, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Category: Federal Contractor Information Security Professional

  • John Bagladi, senior information technology security project manager, Alpha Protective Services/Advanced Resources Technologies Incorporated (APS/ARTI), LLC
  • John Stewart, vice president and chief security officer, Cisco Systems
  • Margaret Spanninger, senior associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

2008 GISLA Winners were:

  • Senior IT Security Manager - Adair Martinez, CISSP, PMP, deputy assistant secretary for information protection and risk management, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

  • Senior Non-IT Security Manager - Michael Williams, executive director, information technology & chief information officer/director, Information Technology Customer Service Organization, Defense Contract Management Agency.

  • Non-Managerial IT Security Professional - Pam Rusk, CISSP, information systems security manager, Office of Regions and Center Operations (ARC), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

  • Federal Contractor IT Security Professional - Steven Busch, senior managing consultant, IBM Business Consulting Services.
Each year, a judging committee within GABCS reviews the nominees, recommends finalists and selects winners based upon innovation, leadership, project definition and management, as well as their strategic and tactical goals and commitment to mentoring their staff.

About the Author

Upasana Gupta

Upasana Gupta

Contributing Editor, CareersInfoSecurity

Upasana Gupta oversees CareersInfoSecurity and shepherds career and leadership coverage for all Information Security Media Group's media properties. She regularly writes on career topics and speaks to senior executives on a wide-range of subjects, including security leadership, privacy, risk management, application security and fraud. She also helps produce podcasts and is instrumental in the global expansion of ISMG websites by recruiting international information security and risk experts to contribute content, including blogs. Upasana previously served as a resource manager focusing on hiring, recruiting and human resources at Icons Inc., an IT security advisory firm affiliated with ISMG. She holds an MBA in human resources from Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa.




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