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
Kenneth Bedingfield
SVP, CFO, & President Aerojet Rocketdyne
L3Harris Technologies
David Broadbent
President Government Solutions
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
Jerome Dunn
Vice President
Booz Allen
Dr. Arthur Grijalva
SpaceWERX Director
U.S. Space Force
Greg Heckler
Program Executive for Commercialization, SCaN Program
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Andy Henson
Senior Vice President, Innovation Factory
SAIC
Stacey Hirata
Chief of Military Programs Integration Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Cameron Holt
President, Exiger Government Solutions
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
Maj Gen Joseph Kunkel
Director of Force Design, Integration, and Wargaming, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures (AF/A5/7I),
U.S. Air Force
Shubhi Mishra
Founder & CEO
Raft
John Otto
Deputy President, Raytheon Advanced Technology (AT)
Raytheon, an RTX business
Col. Marqus Randall
Director of Intelligence
Space Operations Command [SpOC]
Col. Alexander Rasmussen
Chief of the Tracking Layer
Space Development Agency (SDA)
Peter Schemmel
Assistant Program Manager, Capability Development
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Theresa Terry
Director, Enterprise Program Support
U.S. Department of the Air Force
Tim Walsh
Director, Office of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Observations
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Agenda
| 7:00am | 8:00am | Networking Reception |
| 8:00am | 8:10am | Welcome & Opening Remarks |
| 8:10am | 8:45am | Opening Keynote |
| 8:45am | 9:20am | Morning Keynote: Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy |
| 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, Maj. Gen Joseph Kunkel |
| 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) and Kevin Kelly |
| 11:00am | 12:00pm | Panel B: The New Space Race: Can Technology Outpace Emerging Threats?: David Broadbent (Moderator), Col Alexander Rasmussen, Dr. Lisa Costa, and Col. Marqus Randall |
| 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 Otto, Jerome Dunn and Dr. William Conley. |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Panel A: Modernizing Mission Communication in Mobile and Operational Environments: Leigh Dow (Moderator) and Theresa Terry |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Panel B: Powering Through: Resilient Energy Architectures for Sustained Space Operations: Justin Kasper (Moderator) and Lindsay Kaldon |
| 2:00pm | 2:30pm | Networking Break |
| 2:30pm | 3:05pm | Afternoon Keynote: Gen. Michael Guetlein |
| 3:05pm | 3:40pm | Closing Keynote: Lt. Gen. Heath Collins |
| 3:40pm | 3:45pm | Closing Comments |
