The area's leading companies and executives shape the future of the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council through our Board of Directors. Our members supply the vision, knowledge and support that enables the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council to continue to grow and prosper.

2012 Board Members

President: Tim Lorello, TeleCommunication Systems
Vice President: Michael Peart, i4DM
Treasurer: John Elstner, VenturePoint Partners, LLC

Secretary: Rob Collins, Collins Technology Law, LLC 
President Emeritus: Kevin Lancaster, Winvale
Frederick Ferrer, Booz l Allen l Hamilton Engineering Services
Bill Graf, M&T Bank
Robert L. Hannon, Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation
Kelly Koermer, Anne Arundel Community College
Angie Lienert, IntelliGenesis, LLC ­ 
Andrea Maxey, Watkins l Meegan
Owen Meeks, Diviche, Inc.
Barbara Munoz, Select Engineering and Information Services (SELEIS) ­
Don Nippard, Skyline Network Engineering ­
Richard Perrin, AdvanTech
Brian Sailer, Dutko Worldwide
Jason Silva, Sidus Data
Gregory Stone, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston
Adam Suri, Secure Technologies Group
Karen Sutter, The Sutter Group ­
Addie Welch, Zenoss 

President: Tim Lorello, TeleCommunication Systems

As Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Lorello has responsibility for the sale, strategic partnerships and distribution channels of the company’s messaging, location, applications and emergency 9-1-1 portfolio of products and services to operators around the world. He is also responsible for corporate and marketing communications, branding activities, and product strategy for all TCS products and services.
When Mr. Lorello joined the company more than 12 years ago, he was tasked with the creation of TCS' commercial division. Responsible for the development, marketing and sales of TCS' messaging product and services portfolio, he led the newly established Network Intelligence Division and built the current base of commercial customers. He has over twenty-eight years experience in the computer industry, with twenty-three of those years in the telecommunication industry. Prior to joining TCS in 1995, Mr. Lorello was employed by AT&T/Bell Laboratories (now Alcatel-Lucent) specializing in intelligent networks, and providing market support for the cellular, PCS, independent and broadband intelligent network industry segments. Mr. Lorello has a B.S. degree in Physics from the University of Chicago, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University, and holds five patents.

Vice President: Michael Peart, i4DM

Mike is the President/CEO of i4DM. He has over 20 years in the Information Technology field, in a variety of roles including Business Process Reengineer, Application Developer, Network Consultant, Practice Manager, and Director of Application Development. In May of 2002 he established i4DM, a full-service information technology firm, with his business partner Ben Hannon. Through controlled expansion, Mike and Ben have managed to grow the company to employ 30 people who bring years of information technology experience and business acumen to clients throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
Mike is a results-driven professional with extensive experience in leading individuals and teams, as well as in implementing and overseeing technology programs. Mike earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Maryland in information systems management with a concentration in database technologies.

Treasurer: John Elstner, VenturePoint Partners, LLC

John has a passion for technology commercialization, product development and strategic management of fast-growth, mission-oriented organizations. He has demonstrated successful leadership in fostering the corporate development and growth of dozens of companies competing in the "clean technology,” renewable energy, and national security sectors. John marshals extensive local, national and international people networks to assist companies in developing strategic partnerships, cash-positive marketing, and creating and harvesting business value.

During his entrepreneurial career in national security and environment, he has developed successful customer relationships with federal agencies, Fortune 100 technology integrators, large and small service and product providers, equity and debt capital sources, human capital pools and a portfolio of more than three dozen early-stage technology companies. He was the Founding CEO of the Chesapeake Innovation Center in Annapolis for which he received a National Achievement Award and a senior executive at ISSI, a federal services firm distinguished as an Inc. 500 during his tenure . He was nominated as Annapolis Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005, Greater Baltimore Innovator of the Year in 2004, and Baltimore Business Journal’s 40 under 40 in 2003. John earned his B.S in environmental Science at Allegheny College and his MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College.


Secretary: Rob Collins, Collins Technology Law, LLC

Rob Collins, owner and founder of Collins Technology Law, LLC, counsels privately held technology companies on all aspects of technology commercialization and protection as well as on the full-range of corporate governance, transactional, financing, and operational issues. Rob is also Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Suspension Orthopaedic Solutions, an orthopaedic device start-up commercializing shoulder, knee and elbow implants. Prior to forming Collins Technology Law, Rob was an equity partner with Whiteford, Taylor & Preston in Baltimore and a partner with the intellectual property boutique law firm of Gordon & Glickson, LLC in Chicago.

 
President Emeritus: Kevin Lancaster, Winvale

Kevin Lancaster leads Winvale’s Government Sales and Channel Management programs. Under Kevin’s leadership, Winvale's overall Government sales have grown more than 400% as a result of his focus on bringing emerging technologies to Winvale's Government Customers. A Winvale company founder, Kevin is also responsible for Winvale's overall company strategy and strategic direction.

Kevin previously served as an officer with SunTrust Banks, working extensively with government contractors. His approach to business began to shape at the University of Maryland, where he worked at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, a world-class think tank for enterprise creation. Kevin is a graduate of the university, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.

Kevin was the Youngest President Elected to the CRTC. He speaks frequently on leveraging government sales opportunities and leads training seminars for Winvale, government agencies and private organizations throughout the Country.

Frederick Ferrer, Booz l Allen l Hamilton Engineering Services

Mr. Ferrer is a business professional with over three decades of experience and work in the National Security, Homeland Defense, Cyber and the Intelligence communities. While much of his experience has been concentrated in the training, education, and curricula management, the last 10 years has been in the private sector and focused on support to Government clients in critical national security and defense positions; market-shaping and analysis; and building business partnerships for success in the Homeland Security and Cyberspace domain marketplaces.

Mr. Ferrer is responsible to the Vice President of Booz Allen Engineering Systems for shaping and articulating the organization’s strategic direction in cyberspace pursuits. Working closely with other company leaders, he ensures a team approach is applied to all cyber-related solutions; facilitates collaboration and coordination of market-shaping efforts and campaigns; and analyzes and identifies emerging concepts, technologies and tools that fill existing cyber capability gaps.

Prior to joining ARINC, Mr. Ferrer was the Director, Homeland Security for the Northrop Grumman Corporation and before that, a Senior Policy Analyst in the Pentagon’s Homeland Defense office. Prior to his work in Homeland Security and Defense, Mr. Ferrer taught at the Central Intelligence Agency’s University and as an adjunct professor in academia, while completing a Ph.D. (History) program of studies. Mr. Ferrer holds a Master’s of Science degree (Strategic Intelligence) from the National Intelligence University.

Mr. Ferrer is a military veteran with twenty years of distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force. Over the course of his military career, he served as an operational linguist in Russian, Spanish and Italian languages at overseas and stateside locations; an Air Training Command Master Instructor, Language Course Developer and Education Evaluator; a National Counter-narcotics Training Course Manager; and as the creator and director of Senior Executive Service leadership development courses for the National Security Agency and Intelligence Community.

Mr. Ferrer’s military assignments included tours at Signals Intelligence collection sites; the Air Force’s intelligence technical training school; the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency (NSA). At all of these assignments, Mr. Ferrer worked in the Joint Services environment with all of the IC partner organizations, national law enforcement entities, and other foreign intelligence services. Spending the last six years of his military career at the NSA, he retired from the military having been recognized over his career with twenty-eight military awards and decorations and numerous intelligence, leadership and teaching awards.

In addition to his full-time job and part-time teaching, Mr. Ferrer serves in a number of leadership capacities. He was appointed by the Governor to the Maryland Commission on Cybersecurity Innovation and Excellence; invited to Chair the Pathways to Cybersecurity Careers Consortium Advisory Board; elected to the Executive Board of the InfraGard Maryland Members Alliance, where he also co-leads the Cyber Special Interest Group; serves on the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council Board of Directors; and asked to serve as a Cyber Advisor to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and several other regional colleges and universities.

Mr. Ferrer is an inductee of the Chapel of the Four Chaplains Legion of Honor; currently serves as a Judge of Elections and is a Sunday School Teacher for 1st and 2nd graders. He is married, has four grown children and five grandchildren.


Bill Graf, M&T Bank

Bill Graf is Vice President at M&T Bank and supports the bank's Government Contracting Group in/around the NSA market. In this capacity he is actively engaged with many of the small and growing government contractors and IT companies in the market providing them with both strategic and financial advice to help them win in the market. Bill graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Economics and received his MBA from the Smith School at the University of Maryland. Bill has been with the bank 3 1/2 years and is an active member AFCEA Central Maryland Chapter, a member of Board of Directors of Blue Jays Unlimited at The Johns Hopkins University, active with the USNA's Plebe Sponsorship program through which he and his wife currently sponsor six midshipmen.


Robert L. Hannon, Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold appointed Robert L. Hannon to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC) effective January 4, 2007.

At AAEDC, Robert leads a professional staff of 14 providing economic development services to the diverse businesses and residents of Anne Arundel County. The AAEDC mission is to serve Anne Arundel County’s business needs and increase the County’s economic base through business investment and job growth. Robert is also responsible for Anne Arundel County’s homeland security focused business incubator, the Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC). The CIC has a staff of three, 8 member companies, and partnerships with key government agencies, institutions and leading corporations in the industry.

Prior to his AAEDC appointment, Robert served as the Assistant Secretary for the Baltimore Region at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. In this position, he supervised a staff of 16 and was responsible for supporting the economic health and growth of the business communities within Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties. His accomplishments in business development include the location of Toyota Financial Services, East Coast and T. Rowe Price Regional Operations Center to the region, the expansion of Dreyer’s Ice Cream Plant, and the redevelopment of Towson Town Center and the GM-Broening Highway Plant.

Other work experience includes: Executive Director, Baltimore County Department of Economic Development, 1995-2003; Executive Vice President, Baltimore Development Corporation, 1994-1995; Senior Vice President, MacKenzie and Associates, 1987-1994; Director, Baltimore County Office of Economic Development, 1983-1987; Director, Baltimore County Occupational Training Administration, 1984-1987; Coordinator, Baltimore County Revitalization Programs, 1980-1983; Senior Analyst, Larry Smith and Company, 1978-1980.

Robert has been appointed by Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold to serve on the Fort George G. Meade Regional Growth Management Committee, the Anne Arundel County BRAC Task Force, the Anne Arundel County Workforce Investment Board, the University of Maryland Technology Extension Service Board, and the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation Board of Directors. He is an active member and former president of the Maryland Economic Development Association.

Robert earned both his Bachelor of Science Degree in Regional Geography and his Masters in Economic/Environmental Geography from Towson State University. He resides in Annapolis, Maryland.

Kelly Koermer, Anne Arundel Community College

Kelly Koermer is the Dean of the School of Business, Computing & Technical Studies at Anne Arundel Community College, which houses the CyberCenter. She holds the rank of tenured full professor and has taught in the Legal Studies and Computer Technologies Departments. During her time at AACC, she has served as the Director of Computer Technologies Instructional Programs at Anne Arundel Community College, the Special Assistant to the Vice President of Learning for the Honors Program, and the Coordinator of the Paralegal, Jurisprudence and Cybercrime programs.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Kelly also served for three (3) years as the Federal Compliance Officer for AACC, handling diversity and federal compliance issues for the college. She received her associates in arts and baccalaureate degrees in paralegal studies from Villa Julie College and her juris doctorate degree from University of Baltimore School of Law. Dean Koermer is admitted to practice law in the State of Maryland and before the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Dean Koermer has authored a textbook, the Guide to Criminal Law for Maryland, published by Wadsworth Group in 2001, and co-authored with Robyn Brown Criminal Law in Maryland:Cases, Concepts & Critical Analysis, published by Kendall Hunt in 2006 and Constitutional Law: Laying Down the Law, published by Wolters Kluwer 2010.


Angie Lienert, IntelliGenesis LLC

Angie Lienert recently became the president and CEO of the small, disabled-veteran-owned business, IntellGenesis LLC after her founding partner’s retirement. A defense contractor, IntelliGenesis provides artificial intelligence development, software development, intelligence analysis and project management services to the intelligence community.

Mrs. Lienert oversees 50 employees who support and manage a portfolio of five contracts that generated more than $7M revenue in 2010 with a projection of $10M for 2011. She also sets the vision and direction for the company headquartered in their 10,000 square foot Columbia facility that includes a 3,000 square foot SCIF.

Previously Mrs. Lienert was IntelliGenesis’s Vice President managing the company’s largest contract. She led the growth and development of multiple classified projects and tasks generating over $6M annually. From 2004 to 2007, Mrs. Lienert served as Program Manager at BAE Systems. Under her leadership, the contract and project team quintupled its user base, team size, and revenue. From 2000 to 2004, she worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as an Associate responsible for managing various teams and projects, from proposals to client site training. She also served as a Technical Task Order Manager for one of the larger contracts within the company.

Before leaving the military, Mrs. Lienert was an Arabic Linguist in the Air Force for six years. She was stationed at Fort Gordon, GA and Fort Meade, MD before separating with an Honorable discharge in September 1999.
Active in organizations both inside and outside the intelligence community, Mrs. Lienert is a member of PMI Baltimore and WIIG. Through IntelliGenesis, she is active with The Salvation Army, Maryland Food Bank, Believe in Tomorrow (Johns Hopkins Hospital) and Digital Harbor High School. She is also an active volunteer at her children’s school.

Earlier this year, Mrs. Lienert received Smart CEO’s Brava Award for leading women executives in the area. Most recently, she led the company to a Baltimore Business Journal’s Best Places to Work award.

Angie Lienert earned a BA degree from Regents College and a MBA from Strayer University. She is also a certified PMP.


Andrea Maxey, Watkins l Meegan

Andrea Maxey joined Watkins Meegan’s Annapolis office in 2003 as a Manager and has since been promoted to the role of Director. She has more than 20 years of experience in providing various accounting, finance and tax services for a variety of clients, including government contractors, real estate firms and small businesses. 

In her current role, Andrea prepares individual, fiduciary, estate, partnership and corporate tax returns, reviews financial statements for a variety of organizations and assists clients with questions regarding their daily operations. In addition, she supervises accounting personnel, reviewing their work and offering technical assistance. She is proficient in a variety of accounting software systems.  Prior to joining Watkins Meegan, Andrea gained relevant tax and accounting experience at two regional accounting firms.

Andrea is a graduate of the University of Maryland where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She is a member of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She serves on the International Group of Accounting Firms’ Women’s Leadership Group and is part of Watkins Meegan’s Women’s Leadership Initiative.


Owen Meeks, Diviche, Inc.

Owen Meeks a co-founder of Diviche, Inc., which develops and manages a portfolio of social media-orientated consumer product e-commerce websites. Owen is also is an Account Manager at Force 3, Inc., a leading provider of information technology solutions to the Federal Government, where he is dedicated to identifying and providing innovative technology solutions that improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance the way his clients conduct business.

Prior to these roles, Owen served as a Regional Sales Manager for UltraVision Security Systems (UVSS), where he was responsible for sales channel development and management in the Mid-Atlantic region. UVSS developed unique and innovative through-wall motion detection technology based on ultra wideband (UWB) radar for use in search and rescue, facility and asset security, and law enforcement.

Before joining UVSS, Owen served Anne Arundel County, Maryland as a Business Development Director for the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC), where he specialized in technology-orientated business attraction, retention, and expansion. During the search for a new Executive Director of the Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC), an AAEDC subsidiary and America’s first homeland and national security business incubator and accelerator, Owen served as the Interim Assistant Executive Director in conjunction with his business development role. Owen also served as Chief Information Officer of both the AAEDC and the CIC where he managed all aspects of each organization’s information technology, including strategic IT planning, implementation, and oversight. After joining AAEDC in 2000, he gained over 8 years of experience managing information technology. Owen earned his M.B.A. from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and a B.A. in Economics from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.


Barbara Munoz, Select Engineering and Information Services (SELEIS)
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Barbara J. Munoz is co-founder/CEO of Select Engineering and Information Services, a Limited Liability Corporation. Select Engineering and Information Services is a service disabled veteran, woman-owned small business that specializes in logistics and information technology services.

In addition to her key leadership role, Barbara is a member of the National Property Management Association. Barbara is also a member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars, a nonprofit service organization for USA military veteran’s benefits.
Before joining Select Engineering and Information Services, Barbara worked for CACI, International as a Program Manager, Technical. She spent 20 years in the United States Air Force where she served as a Non Commissioned Officer.

Barbara was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama and graduated from Johnson High School in 1985. Soon afterward she enlisted in the Air Force as a Supply Logistics Technician and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant. An active community leader, Barbara joined the Center of Children in Charles County, Maryland, The Friends Indeed Mentoring Program as a mentor to young people. Throughout this distinctive program, Barbara helps a mentee in setting and reaching attainable goals, and provides guidance and encouragement.

Barbara earned a B.S. degree in Management from National-Louis University and a M.B.A degree from Touro University, International.


Don Nippard, Skyline Network Engineering ­

Don Nippard joined SkyLine Network Engineering approximately 9 months ago as a Sr. Business Developer concentrating on the Baltimore/Washington and Philadelphia Metro Enterprise/Commercial markets. He is responsible for developing and implementing client-specific solutions for companies seeking to outsource network and systems engineering projects and their managed IT services needs. Don joins SkyLine from Sidus Data where he has responsible for Business Development for managed hosting/collocation solutions.

Prior to Sidus, he spent 7 years as Director of Business Development for Performance Technology Group (PTG) where he sold IT infrastructure consulting and managed IT services collocation and disaster recovery solutions. Don was also responsible for commercial sales as well as state and local government.

Don’s background also includes a variety of telecommunications sales engagements. After successful experiences with Sprint, MCI and WinStar, Don was instrumental in launching the commercial as well as State and Local government data services sales effort for Comcast Business Communications, a subsidiary of Comcast Cable, in the Baltimore/Washington metro market. Don was also recently installed to serve on the University of Baltimore’s Merrick School of Business MIS Advisory Board.

Don is a 1980 graduate of the University of Baltimore with a Political Science degree. He also completed the University of Virginia’s Darden School Executive Education Strategic Sales Management program. Don played Division 1 lacrosse @ U of B and presently is more focused on cycling having completed three amateur Tour de France mountain stage races and the 300 km Vatternrundan held annually in Sweden. Don is a resident of Severna Park, Maryland.


Richard Perrin, AdvanTech

Mr. Perrin is the President and founder of AdvanTech, Inc., and has served on the Board of Directors for the Chesapeake Regional Technology Council for the past two years. He has more than 30 years of operations management and consulting experience in all aspects of information systems design, development and implementation for logistics and supply chain management. Prior to forming AdvanTech, he was President and founder of Healthcare Concepts, Inc., Director of Materials Management for the Massachusetts General Hospital, and a faculty member at Northeastern University in Business Administration for Management Information Systems.

In addition to managing his growing information systems company, Mr. Perrin is an internationally known speaker. He has lectured frequently on materials management, quality and productivity improvement and information systems. He has published several articles and served as a member of the Editorial Board for the Hospital Material Management Quarterly. Mr. Perrin is an honorary lifetime member of the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), and actively supports several committees of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Mr. Perrin received a B.A. degree in life sciences from Indiana University and a Masters in Business Administration in Health Care with honors from Boston University.

Brian Sailer, Dutko Worldwide

Brian Sailer serves as Senior Vice-President at Dutko Worldwide, and helps to lead the Dutko Government Markets business division. Brian specializes in working with clients in the government IT, homeland security and defense industries. Brian provides clients domain expertise, strong relationships at the federal, state and local levels, and a comprehensive understanding of the state and federal intergovernmental affairs and funding processes, as well as federal and state procurement and acquisition processes. Brian also helps clients successfully develop demonstration pilots and establish research, development, test and evaluation programs (RDT&E). Brian also brings significant foreign affairs experience to Dutko’s Global Advisors practice, having represented foreign nations in their bilateral relations with the U.S., foreign corporations entering the U.S. market, as well as U.S. companies that are attempting to expand business oversees.

Brian graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Political Science, and also focused much of his studies on Resource Economics with significant emphasis on Marine Fisheries. Brian is an active member of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA-Maryland Chapter), a non profit organization, comprises 17 coastal state chapters spanning the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Brian is an avid fisherman, and is active in research and conservation efforts via lending his time and resources to support blue fin tagging for the Large Pelagics Research Center, Dept. of Zoology University of New Hampshire Durham, NH.

Jason Silva, Sidus Data

Jason Silva has over 15 years experience in program and logistics management. His experience includes the management and implementation of web, ecommerce, content management and intranet systems in the retail, travel, automotive, government, and technology sectors. As a Founding Partner and the Chief Executive Officer of Sidus Data, Mr. Silva has played a pivotal role in achieving the more than 40% annual growth that Sidus has sustained since 1999.

Under a decade of Mr. Silva’s leadership, Sidus has grown from a small local hosting company to one of the region’s preeminent players in the Colocation and Managed Hosting field. He has also been a driving force behind the adoption of hosting technologies that has provided value to Sidus clients while simplifying management duties for the Sidus Team. From the construction of the Sidus Annapolis Datacenter in 2005, to the adoption of ultra-efficient blade technology, to our current VMware Cloud Hosting initiative, Mr Silva has ensured Sidus has stayed at the forefront of data technology.

Mr. Silva holds a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park and multiple industry- based certifications. He is a native of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

Gregory Stone, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston

Greg Stone is a partner with the law firm of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, where he serves as the Co-Chair of the firm's Technology and Intellectual Property Practice Group. That group represents clients ranging from individual inventors and small businesses to Fortune 500 companies in all aspects of technology and intellectual property matters across a wide spectrum of industries and technologies. His own practice focuses on patent prosecution, patent infringement & validity, intellectual property infringement and licensing, software licensing and E-commerce issues, and continues to develop particular substantive concentrations in areas of cyber security and clean energy technologies. Prior to starting his legal practice in 1996, Greg served as a Patent Examiner at the United States Patent & Trademark Office, and as a mechanical engineer for the Department of the Army.

Greg has been a guest lecturer at a variety of technical and legal conferences across the country, and is an active member of the American Bar Association and the Maryland Bar Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Intellectual Property Owners Association. Greg received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Baltimore School of Law and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Maryland, College Park.


Adam Suri, Secure Technologies Group ­

Adam Suri is the senior vice president of Cyber Operations at Secure Technologies Group. In this role, he is responsible for building a strong commercial and public sector government business. Prior to this Suri was with the State of Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development, where he was the director of Cybersecurity and the Office of Innovative Technologies, charged with implementing the recommendations of Gov. Martin O'Malley's CyberMaryland Initiative. Before that, he was a serial entrepreneur: as co-founder of Beny Bigalos and managing sales and marketing at Yafo Networks. His cyber background includes roles in leading sales, marketing and engineering at Yafo Networks, Cisco Systems, Honeywell and Charles Industries.

Suri has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds patents in network management and optical encryption.


Karen Sutter, The Sutter Group ­

Karen Sutter is the President of The Sutter Group, a brand design and interactive agency headquartered in Lanham, Maryland. She founded the firm in 1987 and has guided the evolution of the firm from a graphic design studio providing design and production services, into a full-service agency focused on fusing strategy, design and technology, and providing services including branding, communications strategy, design, e-learning, advertising, social media, application development, event marketing and interactive.

With an enthusiastic, hands-on style, consistent focus on employee development and emphasis on staying connected with the technology community, Karen has ensured that The Sutter Group has always kept ahead of the most promising trends in the industry, including expanding the firm’s team to include thought leaders in the area of application development, website design and development and social media strategy and implementation.

Mrs. Sutter works closely with well-known national brands Land Rover North America, Clark Construction and NASA, as well as a suite of other clients such as Winvale, Techno Sciences, Merkle, the National Foundation for Cancer Research, ReGenx Biosciences, and the BMW Car Club of America. Hailing from Washington, DC, she is a graduate of the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC with a degree in Graphic Design. She stays active in the business and technology community through active memberships in the WPEO (Women Presidents Educational Organization), WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council), CRTC and the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.


Addie Welch, Zenoss

Addie Welch is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Zenoss, and since 2007 has helped grow the Company from a start up to a category leader that has raised over $40 million dollars in capital. Addie has formed the Company’s legal and people infrastructure and guided the company’s open source and licensing strategy. Addie has presented on numerous panels discussing open source licensing, compliance, strategy and management.

Addie’s legal career began in the regulatory and transactional corporate and healthcare practice at Whiteford, Taylor and Preston. After leaving Whiteford to work in house at Magellan Health Services, Addie led a team that bought a Magellan subsidiary, successfully selling the company to Centene Health Services (NYSE:CNC) three years later. In both private practice and in-house, Addie has been involved in startup IT companies and health care companies for the past 25 years.