2025 Air and Space Summit | Potomac Officers Club
RegisterWHAT
Air and space defense is a critical component of national security, and it’s increasingly essential in the looming Great Power Competition era. With the increasing sophistication of threats, the need for advanced defense capabilities in the air and space domains has never been more urgent. The Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Defense Summit will provide invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, helping attendees understand the strategic importance of air and space defense and how to contribute to its advancement.
Keynote Speakers
Speakers
Dr. Robert Antypas
Space, Access, Mobility, and Logistics Mission Area Lead
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Kenneth Bedingfield
SVP, CFO, & President Aerojet Rocketdyne
L3Harris Technologies
Aaron Bishop (Pending Confirmation)
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
U.S. Department of the Air Force
David Broadbent
President of SES Space and Defense
Intelsat
Steven Butow
Military Deputy
Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Dr. William Conley
CTO
Mercury Systems
Robert Conrad
President of Kepler Communications US
Kepler Communications
Dr. Lisa Costa
Senior National Security Executive, VC Partner
Squadra Ventures
Leigh Dow
CMO & Head of Public Affairs
Mattermost
Nick Ducich
Customer Relations Director
BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC
Candice Frost
DoD Account Executive
Nightwing
Arthur Grijalva
SpaceWERX Director
U.S. Space Force
Dr. Kelly Hammett
Director and Program Executive Officer, Space Rapid Capabilities Office
U.S. Space Force
Greg Heckler
Program Executive for Commercialization, SCaN Program
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Andy Henson
SVP, Innovation Factory and Strategic Mission Innovation
SAIC
Stacey Hirata
Chief of Military Programs Integration Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Cameron Holt
President, Strategic Markets
Exiger
Lindsay Kaldon
Fission Surface Power Project Manager
NASA Glenn Research Center
Justin Kasper
Chief of Technology
BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC
Kevin Kelly
Chairman CEO
Arcfield
Didi Kuo
Chief Architect, Geospatial Intelligence Systems Acquisition Directorate
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
Shubhi Mishra
Founder & CEO
Raft
Maj Gen Mark Mitchum
Special Assistant to the CSAF for Integration Capabilities
National Guard Bureau
Jon Norman
VP, Air & Space Defense Systems, Requirements & Capabilities
Raytheon, an RTX business
Dr. Robert O'Brien
Director, USRA Center for Space Nuclear Research
University of Idaho
Trey Obering
Executive Vice President
Booz Allen
Shannon Pallone
Deputy Program Executive Officer for Battle Management Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3), Space System Command
U.S. Space Force
Col. Marqus Randall
Director of Intelligence
Space Operations Command [SpOC]
Col. Alexander Rasmussen
Chief Capability Officer
Space Development Agency (SDA)
Ta Ratana
Sr. Director of Business Development
Kepler Communications
David Ray
Executive Vice President for Space and Intelligence
SAIC
Jose “JR” Rivera
Vice President of Enterprise Digital Solutions
SAIC
Lt Col. Aaron Stevenson
Deputy Director, Commercial Space Office (COSMO), Space Systems Command
U.S. Space Force
John Trumpfheller
Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives to Chief of Space Operations
U.S. Space Force
Tim Walsh
Director, Office of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Observations
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Richard Yu
Director of the Digital Superiority Directorate (J6) and Chief Information Officer
U.S. Space Command [USSPACECOM]
Agenda
| 7:00am | 8:00am | Networking Reception |
| 8:00am | 8:10am | Welcome & Opening Remarks |
| 8:10am | 8:45am | Opening Keynote: Maj Gen Christopher Povak and Ta Ratana (Introducer) |
| 8:45am | 9:20am | Morning Keynote: Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy and Nick Ducich (Introducer) |
| 9:20am | 9:50am | Networking Break |
| 9:50am | 10:50am | Panel A: Mission Integration: A Novel Approach to Driving Warfighter Outcomes: Dr. Arthur Grijalva, Cameron Holt, Stacey Hirata, Andy Henson (Moderator), and Maj Gen Mark Mitchum |
| 9:50am | 10:50am | Panel B: Breaking Barriers: Optical Data Relay to Modernize Space Communications: Robert Conrad (Moderator), Greg Heckler, Steven Butow, Peter Schemmel, and Tim Walsh |
| 10:50am | 11:00am | Break |
| 11:00am | 12:00pm | Panel A: Winning with Data: Outpacing China through AI, Integration, and New Primes: Shubhi Mishra (Moderator), Kevin Kelly, Didi Kuo, John Trumpfheller, Shannon Pallone, and Lt Col. Aaron Stevenson |
| 11:00am | 12:00pm | Panel B: The New Space Race: Can Technology Outpace Emerging Threats?: David Broadbent (Moderator), Col Alexander Rasmussen, Dr. Lisa Costa, Col. Marqus Randall, and Dr. Kelly Hammett |
| 12:00pm | 1:00pm | Networking Lunch |
| 12:10pm | 1:00pm | Lunch Panel: Golden Dome: Advancing Integrated Defense Through Industry Collaboration: Kenneth Bedingfield (Moderator), Cameron Holt, John Norman, Trey Obering, and Dr. William Conley. |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Panel A: Modernizing Mission Communication in Mobile and Operational Environments: Leigh Dow (Moderator), Jose "JR" Rivera, Candice Frost, Richard Yu and Aaron Bishop (Pending Confirmation) |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Panel B: Powering Through: Resilient Energy Architectures for Sustained Space Operations: Justin Kasper (Moderator), Lindsay Kaldon, Dr. Robert O'Brien, and Dr. Robert Antypas |
| 2:00pm | 2:30pm | Networking Break |
| 2:30pm | 3:05pm | Afternoon Keynote |
| 3:05pm | 3:40pm | Closing Keynote: Lt. Gen. Heath Collins and Shubhi Mishra (Introducer) |
| 3:40pm | 3:45pm | Closing Comments |
