Lead Together: A Collaborative Summit Across Sectors

Ken Harwood is the president of Ken Harwood Consulting PLLC and an Adjunct Associate Professor at George Washington University. He is the former Dean of the College of Health and Education at Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia. Harwood earned his BS in Physical Therapy from the State University of New York at Downstate Medical Center and his MA and PhD degrees from New York University’s Biomechanics and Ergonomics Program. He held academic positions at Columbia University, New York University, George Washington University and SUNY, Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn. Additionally, he served as the Director of Practice and later as the Vice President of the Practice and Education Divisions for the American Physical Therapy Association. Harwood has published and presented nationally and internationally on learning health systems, physical therapy, functional testing, low back pain care and prevention, safe patient handling and movement, leadership, and health services research.

A technologist, thought leader, and lifelong learner committed to helping others navigate the complexities of the digital world, Jonathan Luckett has over 30 years of experience in information technology, cybersecurity, and operations management, Dr. Luckett has worked across both the public and private sectors including the Federal Reserve, National Geographic, Apple, FEMA, and the Department of Defense.

He has spent nearly two decades as an adjunct professor, instructing undergraduate and graduate students on the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and management at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and University of Maryland Global Campus. His leadership style focuses on empowering teams to leverage technology for business solutions while ensuring projects stay on track and on budget.

Luckett recently earned a Doctor of Science degree in Cybersecurity from Marymount University, with research interests in Zero Trust, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML).

David A. Mader is a nationally recognized leader in federal management, organizational transformation, and mission-driven modernization, with more than four decades of experience guiding large, complex government enterprises through strategic, operational, and technological change. A former Presidential Distinguished Executive and senior federal official, he has built a career at the intersection of policy, performance, and innovation—driving measurable results across the federal civilian sector, the Executive Office of the President, and major global consulting firms.

Mader currently serves as Executive Advisor for the Federal Civilian Sector at MSI Consulting, where he supports government clients in organizational strategy, performance management, automation, process improvement, and data-driven decision making. He also coaches senior federal executives transitioning into the consulting environment and helps shape the firm’s market growth strategy.

Previously, as Director of Business Development at the Partnership for Public Service, Mader established and led a new procurement-focused business development function, redesigned operating models, expanded state and local market entry, and exceeded revenue targets by more than 25 percent.

From 2017 to 2023, Mader served as Chief Strategy Officer for Deloitte’s Civilian Sector, advising federal agencies on future-ready organizational design, financial management modernization, robotic process automation, enterprise risk management, and mission support optimization. His work included major initiatives with the Treasury Department, Office of Management and Budget, Census Bureau, and Office of Personnel Management, as well as multiple published research collaborations with the Partnership for Public Service.

Mader’s federal career includes serving as Controller and Acting Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget, where he led government-wide initiatives such as the first Real Property Management Strategy, the Data Act implementation, the launch of shared services governance, and the establishment of enterprise risk management across all CFO Act agencies. He also oversaw SES reform, cyber incident response coordination, and the redesign of federal background investigations following the OPM data breach.

During his 33-year tenure at the Internal Revenue Service, Mader held multiple senior leadership roles including Acting Deputy Commissioner for Modernization and CIO, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, and Chief of Management and Finance. He led major organizational restructurings, negotiated national labor agreements, modernized core IT and financial systems, implemented enterprise-wide performance management, and launched the IRS Mission Assurance Program—now considered a government-wide best practice.

In the private sector, Mader served as Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, advising Treasury, federal financial regulators, DHS, FAA, NYC agencies, and international tax authorities on organizational transformation, shared services, and mission support optimization. He also served as Managing Director and Board Member at Sirota Survey Intelligence, expanding the firm’s public sector footprint and launching the first “Best Places to Work” survey with the Partnership for Public Service.

Mader is a Fellow and former Board Member of the National Academy of Public Administration and has been widely recognized for his leadership, including the Presidential Distinguished Executive Award, Presidential Meritorious Executive Award, the FED 100 Award, and the Distinguished Federal Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants.

He holds a B.S. in Political Science from Mt. St. Mary’s University and completed the Mid-Career Program at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Public Administration.

Tennisha Martin is the founder and Executive Director of BlackGirlsHack (BGH Foundation), a national cybersecurity nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and resources to undeserved communities and increasing the diversity in cyber. BlackGirlsHack provides black women and girls with resources, mentorship, direction, and training required to enter and excel in the Cybersecurity field. Martin has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Science in Information Technology, Health Care Policy and Management, Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation, and Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland. She has worked in a government consulting capacity for over 15 years in Project Management, Risk Management, Audit, Information Assurance, Quality Assurance, Software Development, and Testing roles. In her spare time, Martin is a Cyber Instructor, mentor, and red-team leaning ethical hacking advocate for diversity in Cyber and the executive suites.

Justin Ubert is a Division Chief with The US Department of Transportation, speaks frequently at federal-level technology leadership conferences and is a member of federal leadership councils. He says “I have a passion for cybersecurity and strive to find ways to enable the business through management of risks. I am also a proponent of developing those around me, and believe that investing in people leads to amazing, high-performance teams. I enjoy thought leadership and tackling challenges that are cross-functional and bring me out of my comfort zone (if such a thing as a comfort zone exists in cyber!).”

As a Professor of Practice in Cybersecurity and Information Technology at the College of BILT at Marymount University, Vargis mentors, teaches and learns with students, and share his insights and expertise on the complex and dynamic landscape of technology, security, and privacy. His mission is to advance the science and practice of applied AI and situational awareness, and to inspire the next generation of professionals and leaders in the field. As a Principal Researcher at Posydn Labs, he applies artificial intelligence to the fields of cybersecurity and healthcare, with a focus on cyber phenomics and n-of-1 countermeasures. Vargis has over 15 years of experience in research and development, innovation, and collaboration, working with various partners and stakeholders to create value and impact. And as the founding principal at Auxilium, a non-profit dedicated to initiatives for the collective good, he is exploring applied-AI countermeasures to compensate for the dire state of inaptitudes and ineptitudes in healthcare, and neglect for the needs of the digital elder and other underserved communities.

Joseph Vorbach became Superintendent of Schools for the Arlington Diocese on July 1, 2019. In that role, he works on behalf of Bishop Burbidge to support principals and pastors in the 44 Diocesan schools and 7 independent Catholic schools where 18,000 students are enrolled.

Prior to serving as Superintendent, Vorbach was Head of School at his alma mater, Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington from 2013-2019 and Principal there from 2008-2013.

Vorbach retired from the Coast Guard at the rank of Commander in 2008. During his time in the Coast Guard, he served as operations officer of a 180-foot oceangoing buoy tender and as commanding officer of an 82-foot coastal patrol boat. He was on the faculty of the Humanities Department at the Coast Guard Academy from 1995-2007 where he taught international relations and national security courses. In 2007-2008, he was a Department of Homeland Security Chair at the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, DC.

Vorbach earned a Master of Arts in Education from Marymount University in 2013. In addition, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (1987), and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (1995) and Ph.D. in International Relations (2001) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Vorbach and his wife Colleen have been married for 35 years and have two grown children.