• 40+ years of experience in federal cybersecurity, continuity planning, and risk strategy
• Former IC technical SME in high-stakes national security environments
• Emergency Manager and advocate for trauma-informed operational design
• Emerging voice in AI governance, ethical data strategy, and organizational survivability
• Known for creating mission-ready teams that blend tech with human resilience

Deb leads AetherForge with her signature team of white Shepsky service dogs—each also trained for trauma support, disaster response, and silent judgment of PowerPoint decks. Their presence is both literal and symbolic: calm (usually), intelligent, and built for the unexpected.

• Former medieval swordfighter (briefly - now semi-retired but still critiques other people’s form)
• Passionate shooter who finds joy in the rhythm of the range—where focus, control, and a perfectly timed shot feel like meditation with recoil.
• Adventurer-at-heart who has been known to swim with sharks – more than once.
• Gamer, bourbon collector, and unapologetic fan of strategic chaos (in fiction and field ops)
• Full on sci-fi nerd—Heinlein for the grit, Asimov for the brains, Stephenson for the chaos, and Roddenberry because hope has warp drive.
• Deb is also a grandmother—a role that brings perspective, patience, and a renewed sense of purpose to every mission. (And, occasionally, sticker-covered laptops.)

"Leadership means preparing for what others can’t imagine, staying steady when others panic—and knowing when to send in the dogs."