CISO · Cybersecurity Executive
25+ years securing universities, health systems, and complex enterprises. Marine Corps discipline. Executive clarity. Risk that makes sense to boards.
25+
Years in security
From USMC communications to advising Fortune 500 clients
150+
Client Engagements
CISO-level advisory across 50+ organizations, prior to Boise State
Track record from prior consulting & leadership roles (2011–2023)
60%
Faster incident recovery
Structured playbooks, executive escalation protocols, and tabletop exercises embedded into ERM-aligned continuous improvement.
50+
Organizations advised
CISO-level advisory across higher education, healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing clients.
$200K+
Annual savings per engagement
Bloated security stacks rationalized into integrated cloud-native architectures without sacrificing coverage.
50%
Phishing click reduction
Role-specific, behavior-driven security education that changed actual user habits across client portfolios.
I currently serve as Chief Information Security Officer at Boise State University, where I lead enterprise security, IT risk, and compliance. Before joining Boise State, I spent over a decade in consulting and executive security leadership, advising 50+ organizations across higher education, healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing.
Most security leaders talk about frameworks. I talk about what the institution is trying to accomplish and how security can support that. Whether it's unlocking defense-funded research through a CMMC enclave, guiding a health system through regulatory complexity, or presenting breach risk to a board that wants clarity, not jargon.
My foundation started in the Marine Corps. That experience taught me how to operate clearly under pressure, make decisions with incomplete information, and keep people focused on what matters. Those habits carried directly into more than 25 years in security, from hands-on operations to executive leadership.
Security only works when the organization sees your team as a partner, not a gatekeeper. I start by understanding what people are trying to accomplish and figure out how security can support that, not by showing up with a list of things they can't do.
I've led M&A security diligence, stepped in as interim CISO during leadership transitions, guided organizations through multiple regulatory certifications, and presented to boards across a wide range of technical backgrounds. The constant is translating complex risk into decisions leaders can actually make.
Philosophy
Programs succeed when people trust them and see security as a partner, not a gatekeeper.
Executives don't need more dashboards; they need clear risk context and confident decisions.
Every environment is different. Security has to align with your culture, structure, and goals.
Practical, incremental improvements build momentum and create lasting change.
Experience
// Domain expertise
// Experience
2023 – Present
Chief Information Security Officer
Boise State University
2019 – 2023
Fractional CISO
Stoneclad Technologies
2020 – 2023
vCISO | Director of Cybersecurity Services
Ascent Solutions
2016 – 2019
Director of Information Security
Enabling Technologies Corp
2015 – 2016
Consulting Services Director
Seitel Systems
2011 – 2015
Infrastructure Services Manager
Avanade
2008 – 2011
IT Operations Manager
Bechtel
1998 – 2008
Communications Officer
United States Marine Corps
// Credentials
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
ISC²
Certified Information Systems Manager (CISM)
ISACA
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
EC-Council
Cybersecurity Career Mentor
EC-Council
Azure Security Engineer Associate
Microsoft
Security Operations Analyst Associate
Microsoft
Identity & Access Administrator Associate
Microsoft
Security Administrator Associate
Microsoft
ITIL Foundations
EXIN
Get in touch
Whether you need a board-level advisory, advice on building a program from the ground up, or just someone with whom to toss around ideas; let's have the conversation.