Cybersecurity Advisory Board

Meetings

March 10, 2022 - Newport Campus - Minutes
March 15, 2023 - Newport Campus - Minutes

Board Member	Title
Patrick Colantonio	Director of Sales, NeQter Labs
Kevin Crawford	Chair, CCRI Computer Studies
Molly Donohue Magee	Executive Director, SENEDIA
Mike Steinmetz	Principal, Digital Executive Ltd.
Dr. Frank Tweedie	Dean, College of Engineering and Design, Johnson & Wales University
Rob Dail	Technical Support Manager, State of RI, Division of Information Technology

Advisory Board Bios

Patrick Colantonio is the Director of Sales and one of the founding members of NeQter Labs, LLC. In his role as Director of Sales, Patrick leads a team of sales professionals through the entire sales process including client discovery, acquisition, fulfillment, and continued success with their software.

For the past 5 years, Patrick has helped small businesses navigate DFARS requirements, NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC compliance, taking on the fitting title of "Compliance Therapist". With the introduction of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification in 2019, Patrick has coordinated his team to align their company and product with the new standards to best support their clients in the Defense Industrial Base. Outside of work, Patrick is a big believer in STEM programs, participating in several mentoring programs and cybersecurity-focused events for youth.

Kevin Crawford is currently the Chairperson of the Computer Studies and Information Processing Department at the Community College of Rhode Island. He has been a full-time faculty member since September 2001. Previously, he was an adjunct faculty member at the college from January 1996 to September 2001. From May 1989 to November 1995, he worked part-time as a technical staff assistant for the Math Department at the college and from November 1995 to September 2001, he worked full-time in this position. From March 1990 to January 1992, he was a Design Engineer Technician at Cherry Semiconductors.

He currently serves on the following committees at the college:

• Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Advisory Board for Rhode Island High Schools
• Pathways on Technology Early College High School Program Board (P-Tech 2.0)
• Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding Advisory Panel (HEERF).
• Cybersecurity Advisory Board

Molly Donahue Magee is the Executive Director of SENEDIA, the New England Defense Industry Alliance, a coalition of defense-related businesses and organizations focused on preserving, protecting, and furthering the interests of the defense and technology sector. The alliance is a catalyst for thought leadership and enables the development of critical defense technologies while facilitating economic and workforce development opportunities. She created SENEDIA’s nationally recognized annual event, Defense Innovation Days. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC), a nonprofit organization focused on providing resources to accelerate the transition of undersea technology to market. UTIC was awarded an Other Transaction Agreement from the Department of Navy for Undersea and Maritime Innovative Technology in June 2018. In addition, she is the Executive Director of the Maritime Cybersecurity Center, a nonprofit organization focused on cybersecurity workforce development. She is a member of the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council and the Rhode Island Defense Economy Planning Commission.

She completed a 30-year civilian career at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI, where her last assignment was as Chief Financial Officer. Her government career included managing product assurance engineering for submarine systems prior to transitioning to senior leadership of the organization where, in addition to CFO, she served as the Director of Business Resources. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree and an undergraduate degree in Mathematics.

Mike Steinmetz currently serves as an advisor to Clean Water Ventures Inc., a cleantech green energy company, and serves on the Boston College, Woods College for Advancing Studies, Masters in National Security and Cybersecurity. Additionally, Mike serves on various boards supporting the Rhode Island Secretary of State, and Congressman Jim Langevin. He is also the Principal of Digital Executive Ltd, providing executive consulting and public policy advisory services to public and private sector organizations in the areas of senior executive and board-level cybersecurity governance & audit, digital risk, policy development, business strategy, and homeland security.

Mike’s public sector experience includes serving as the first State Cyber Security Officer for Rhode Island and Homeland Security Advisor to the governor. He served twenty-five years in the United States Navy, where he was a decorated combat pilot, and in later years, served as a senior leader of a cyber organization within the United States Space Command, and at Ft. Meade, Maryland, creating and leading a new cyber organization within the National Security Agency. In the private sector, Mike spent approximately eleven years with Northrop Grumman working on international cyber mergers and acquisitions, global cyber strategy, and developing new cybersecurity architectures and products as a Chief Cyber Architect. Mike spent over two years at National Grid plc working on the digital risk & security challenges facing global critical infrastructure, leading its strategy development, development of its regulatory testimony for cybersecurity, global GR&C. and served briefly as its U.S. CISO (acting).

Mike’s publications include The Rhode Island State Cybersecurity Strategy, two chapters in the new Oxford University Press, Handbook of Cyber Security, and editorial contributions to the Chatham House Report On Cyber Warfare. Mike is a distinguished graduate of the National Defense University, where he earned a Master’s Degree in National Resource Management. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Frank Tweedie has been a Johnson & Wales University community member for 28 years. Currently, as the dean of the College of Engineering & Design for 18 Years, he also served as the Engineering Studies Department chair, interim director of their Worcester Campus, and a faculty member. Frank’s expertise is in Electro-Mechanical engineering, with interests in computer science and cybersecurity.

Frank has served on various external boards, such as Statewide Computer Science Advisory Committee, Davies Vocational School AOIT Advisory Board, and as Chairmen for the Board of Trustees for the Beacon Charter School of the Arts for 14 years.

Certified in Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development from Ohio State University, he served as lead faculty trainer on the Hope High School Technology Advisory Committee. Concerned about the state of mathematics education, he focused his doctoral research on the effect of technology solutions to support student learning in his thesis entitled “Teachers respond to impact of Intelligent Mathematics Tutorials on Students’ Motivation and Engagement.”

Rob Dail is currently working in the role of Technical Support Manager with the State of RI Department of Administration, Division of Information Technology. Rob supports the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH). BHDDH includes 2 hospitals: Eleanor Slater Hospital (located on 2 campuses: Cranston, and Zambarano in Burrillville), and the new RI State Psychiatric Hospital. Link below for additional information about BHDDH.

Rob started in September 2000 on the ground floor doing entry-level desktop support and advanced over the years, and then to the acting role of Technical Support Manager in January 2018. He manages a team of 3 technicians that is responsible for supporting 1200+ end users, approximately 700 workstations, 35+ servers, plus other miscellaneous hardware. He has worked for the State of RI for 22 years and has remained at the same agency of BHDDH for that entire time period.

Rob has taken a handful of classes at CCRI over the years – a couple of those classes were with Professor Kevin Crawford. Rob has worked with Mike Kelly over the last few years to acquire CCRI Cybersecurity students that are in search of internships. This has proven to be a great experience for the students who have selected to work with an IT desktop support team in a real-world environment in a healthcare environment. On the flipside, this has also been a great opportunity for Rob’s team to work with new upcoming talent that is interested in the ever-changing IT field. It is a win-win experience.