Giving frontline workers the power of edge computing can drive critical outcomes

Mr. Zachary G. Goldstein is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chief Information Officer and Director, High Performance Computing and Communications. In this position, he is responsible for implementing statutory requirements regarding the acquisition, management, and use of NOAA's information and information technology resources, to include NOAA's high performance computing and communications infrastructure. Mr. Goldstein is also responsible for NOAA’s Homeland Security Program to ensure business continuity in event of a terrorist attack, major disaster, or other emergency. He additionally serves as the Senior Executive responsible for the Department's use of the radio frequency spectrum. Mr. Goldstein was named NOAA CIO in January of 2015.

Mr. Goldstein joined NOAA in March 2005 as the CIO for the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, before he was named NOAA Deputy CIO in June 2011. He has over 25 years of experience in information resource management in the federal government and private sectors. He began his career with the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), performing management audits of government operations and leading evaluations of federal information systems management. Mr. Goldstein served in technical management roles with BDM International, Inc., concluding as the Vice President for System Engineering and Product Development. He then returned to the federal government, appointed as Director, Logistics Systems Modernization in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Before he joined NOAA, Mr. Goldstein was self-employed as an information technology management consultant to private and public sector organizations.

Mr. Goldstein received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Rochester, in Rochester, New York.

Mr. Goldstein lives in Virginia with his wife and their son.

Mr. Irving "Mac" Townsend is the Technical Director for Architecture and Engineering as part of the Chief Information Office (CIO) for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). In this role, Mac is the lead architect and engineer for the implementation of DIA Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, data services, software development, and mission, business and IT applications development. Prior to this role, Mac was the Senior Technical Officer for Data Management. Mac has served DIA as a senior executive for over 14 years has over 30 years of industry and government experience in all aspects of IT.

Lieutenant General Bruce T. Crawford became the Army Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6 on 1 August 2017.

As the CIO, LTG Crawford reports directly to the Secretary of the Army, setting strategic direction and objectives for the Army network, and supervises all Army C4 (command, control, communications, and computers) and Information Technology (IT) functions. He also oversees the Army's $12.2 billion IT programs, manages enterprise IT architecture, establishes and enforces IT policies, and directs delivery of operational C4IT capabilities to support warfighters and business users. As the G-6, he advises the Chief of Staff of the Army on the network, communications, signal operations, information security, force structure, and equipping.

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, LTG Crawford was commissioned through South Carolina State University's Reserve Officer Training Corps program on May 28, 1986, after graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He also holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

During his 34 years of service, LTG Crawford has served in a variety of leadership positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. In his previous assignment, he served as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Army Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Prior to that, he served as the 14th Commander, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and Aberdeen Proving Ground Senior Mission Commander, Aberdeen, Maryland; J6, Director of C4/Cyber and Chief Information Officer, U.S. European Command; Commanding General, 5th Signal Command (Theater); and G-6, U.S. Army Europe in Wiesbaden, Germany. Other command assignments include the 516th Signal Brigade, Fort Shafter, Hawaii; 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; and B Company, 51st Signal Battalion, 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

His key staff assignments include Director of the Coordination Group for the Chief of Staff of the Army, Pentagon, Washington D.C.; Division Chief of LandWarNet Integration for the Army CIO/G-6, Pentagon, Washington D.C.; Division Chief for Net Centric Assessments/Analysis Branch, later Executive Assistant to the J6, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington D.C.; and Assistant Operations Officer, and later Corps Emergency Deployment Readiness Officer, for the 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM.

LTG Crawford's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Army Achievement Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters). LTG Crawford is authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge. He is the recipient of the 2020 Black Engineer of the Year Award.

LTG Crawford and his wife, Dianne, have two sons, Bruce, Jr. and Corey.

Kirsten Billhardt is the Global Marketing Director of the Edge Solutions Group at Dell Technologies. The organization is responsible for integrating technologies from across Dell Technologies to enable the edge. Her team is directly responsible for creating demand, attracting new buyers, and driving internal engagement for a range of edge computing, computer vision, and vertical-specific workloads, while partnering with corporate marketing functions to enable the business with comms, messaging, and branding support.
Prior to Dell Technologies, Kirsten was at General Motors outside Detroit. Kirsten earned both a BS in Industrial Engineering from GMI/Kettering, and a Masters in Engineering from Purdue University while working in purchasing and supplier quality engineering roles. Kirsten then earned an MBA from Harvard University as a GM Fellow and returned to Detroit for roles in internal strategy consulting and product planning for GM’s first generation of hybrid-electric vehicles.
Kirsten lives in Austin, TX with her husband and three boys. She’s an avid reader of biographies, a sporadic runner, and always planning the next travel destination.

Jason Miller is an executive editor and reporter with Federal News Radio. As executive editor, Jason helps direct the news coverage of the station and works with reporters to ensure a broad range of coverage of federal technology, procurement, finance and human resource news. As a reporter, Jason focuses mainly on technology and procurement issues, including cybersecurity, e-government and acquisition policies and programs.