National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Executive Ronzelle Green to Keynote 2026 Defense R&D Summit
- NGA Director for GEOINT Innovation and Research Dr. Ronzelle Green will keynote the 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29
- Green’s career has focused on cutting-edge efforts including artificial intelligence, software, cybersecurity and systems engineering
- Get your pressing questions answered by Green following his keynote. Buy your ticket today!
Potomac Officers Club, the nation’s preeminent GovCon events, networking and media organization, is elated to announce that Dr. Ronzelle Green, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency director for GEOINT innovation and research, will keynote the 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29 at the Hilton McLean in northern Virginia.
Green joins an all-star lineup of the brightest minds in defense technologies—including fellow keynote speaker and Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael—at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit, POC’s top venue for examining business opportunities in this prosperous sector. The Department of War requested an extraordinary $179 billion for research, development, test and evaluation funding in FY 2026. That’s an extra 27 percent from the $141 billion provided in FY 2025.
Why Is the 2026 Defense R&D Summit a Must-Attend Event for GovCon Executives?
This prestigious GovCon conference brings together top technology professionals from the DOW and industry to dive into the emerging technologies set to transform future warfare. Hear firsthand from the nation’s elite defense officials, researchers, innovators and industry experts and get actionable business intelligence from conversations led by the technology businesses’ top talents.
Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to engage with the leaders shaping the future of national security. Tickets are running out—get yours today!
Who Is Ronzelle Green?
As the NGA’s director for GEOINT innovation and research, Green leads the agency in evaluating, proving and providing cutting-edge geospatial intelligence to users for operational use. Green in 2024 directed a NGA $1 million prize pool competition with the National Security Innovation Network. The goal was to target innovative solutions from academia and industry to better forecast the world’s maritime vessel traffic participating in illegal, unreported and unregulated—or IUU—fishing.
IUU is a top contributor to the decline and undermining of fisheries, which threatens the stability of food systems, ecosystems and even economies across the world. An interesting twist to this prize competition was that participants could only use unclassified data and methods, enabling the NGA to accelerate information-sharing across the government and with international partners.
Green’s extensive career in national security R&D makes him a highly-consulted expert on helping intelligence professionals and warfighters get the best technologies to overwhelmingly win in future combat. GovCons will benefit from hearing Green’s extensive technical expertise in engineering, information technology, R&D and intelligence.
What Has Ronzelle Green’s Career Focused On?
Green has focused his career, including his service as a captain in the Coast Guard Reserve, on solving the federal government’s most challenging emerging technology issues. Some of his previous roles include:
- Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency chief information officer
- Director of commonwealth integration for the under secretary of war for intelligence and security
- NGA director of international solutions
- National Counterterrorism Center chief enterprise architect and chief of development and engineering
What Ronzelle Green Will Discuss in His Keynote
Green’s keynote at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29 will provide GovCon technology leaders with a unique opportunity to hear directly from one of the federal government’s foremost experts on emerging national security technologies.
Some possible topics include:
- Artificial intelligence. Hear directly from Green about the latest developments in the NGA’s use of AI, including NGA Maven, and how the agency is progressing toward full-scale adoption
- Commercial imagery. Learn from Green about how the NGA is sharing commercial remote sensing imagery and other possible government collaborators
- Acquisition reform. Dig into how the NGA is implementing directives from the White House on getting technologies into operators hands’ faster
- And much more!
Why Ronzelle Green’s Keynote Is Critical for GovCons
Green’s keynote at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29 is the can’t-miss conference for GovCon technology executives. Attendees can look forward to:
- Spending insights. Hear directly from Green about NGA budget priorities for FY 2026 and beyond.
- Q&A session. Get your burning questions answered by Green after his keynote.
- Networking. Have the invaluable face-to-face conversations with other ambitious GovCon executives that only happen in live venue settings.
Why Should I Attend the 2026 Defense R&D Summit?
The agenda includes (with additional speakers regularly added!):
- Keynotes by
- Emil Michael, DOW under secretary for research and engineering and Defense Innovation Unit acting director
- Michael Duffey, DOW under secretary for acquisition and sustainment
- Dr. Thomas Rondeau, DOW principal director for FutureG
- Panels on the most critical technology topics:
- Advice on delivering emerging technologies into the hands of warfighters at the Crossing the Valley of Death and Ready to Fight on the Far Side panel discussion, featuring two top Pentagon officials
- Lt. Col. Gregory Haverkorn, Air Force Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities battlespace awareness division chief
- Cmdr. Jeremiah Daley, PACFLT N9WAR military director
- Advice on delivering emerging technologies into the hands of warfighters at the Crossing the Valley of Death and Ready to Fight on the Far Side panel discussion, featuring two top Pentagon officials
- Securing the Future of Defense Innovation, featuring Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Logistics Leigh Method and Air Force Chief AI Officer for Intelligence Col. Daniel May
- The newest requirements in AI and quantum computing at the Powering AI at Mission Scale: Energy, Compute and Infrastructure for Defense Innovation and Securing the Quantum Edge: Advancing U.S. Leadership as a National Security Imperative panels
The 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29 is the marquee GovCon event for professionals interested in the consequential warfighting technologies of the future. Leverage this opportunity to learn of new partnership opportunities and get an edge on your competition in 2026. Secure your seat today!
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