Alexandria Royal
Salado,TX
Summary
Accomplished leader with mastery of applying advanced cyberspace and IT principles, concepts, methods, standards, and practices sufficient to develop and interpret policies, procedures, and strategies governing the planning and delivery of global cyberspace capabilities and services in support of strategic national security objectives.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Executive Director
Marshall University
09.2024 - Current
- Employed as the University Executive Director for their Institute for Cyber Security, serves as the Marshall University Cyber Security subject matter expert to mentor and engage faculty in ICS-related activities, and provides advice and direction in resolving complex technical issues as they arise.
- Collaborates with industry, city officials, state government, policy makers, and federal government to ensure encouragement, and secure support for the ICS.
- Develops and manages the ICS budget, membership recruitment and retention, and fundraising efforts, ensuring that resources meet current and projected needs
- Develops, leads, and exercises a Continuous Process Improvement yearly examination of the ICS progress to include internal/external processes, funding and budget, research projects, partnerships, facilities, marketing, etc
- Manages overall ICS requirements, priorities, and success criteria to design transformational plans; identifies gaps in future and existing research topics, and recommends changes or enhancements based on government and/or industry requests. Reviews proposed requirements for systems, networks, and software designs for potential security risks.
- Responsible for developing successful proposals to programs such as Centers of Excellence, University-Affiliated Research Centers, and Cooperative Agreements, to grow and sustain cyber security-oriented research and development initiatives in support of the ICS.
- Develops and leads the ICS Innovation efforts to facilitate a full range of research and development activities, including the demonstration of capabilities to a broad range of stakeholders.
- Studies and analyzes deliberate plans, programs, and projects involving the ICS to create solutions that balance business requirements with information security and cybersecurity requirements.
- Collaborates with faculty, staff, and assigned SMEs to advance the ICS’s research development direction and create value for the ICS collaborative partnership ecosystem.
- Provides expert technical advice, guidance, and recommendations on critical cyberspace and IT issues, applying new developments to previously unsolvable problems, and making decisions or recommendations that significantly influence critical national security policies or programs. Performs needs analysis to determine opportunities for new and improved business process solutions.
- Serves as an expert consultant and evaluator for functional teams, overseeing them in anticipating, identifying, evaluating, mitigating, and minimizing risks associated with IT systems vulnerabilities.
- Provides guidance to customers about the applicability of systems to meet business needs, and analysis while planning, developing, and coordinating policies, and implementing improvements.
- Evaluates the work performance of subordinates, assuring reasonable equity in performance standards and rating techniques, and meets with each employee to plan and direct the work to be accomplished by subordinates.
Cyber Fusion Officer in Charge (Subject Matter Expert / Instructor - Air National Guard)
United States Air Force
Buzzards Bay, USA
09.2009 - Current
- U.S Air Force Officer, subject matter expert and unit instructor supporting a global cyberspace operations mission set
- Led regionally dispersed signals intelligence (SIGINT) crews during high tempo operations while also conducting analysis and reporting effects and developing analytical procedures for exploitation of network intelligence data
- Interpreted and managed requirements and provided recommended courses of action in accordance with plans, standing procedures, policies, orders, directives, and regulations while leading a diverse and dispersed team
- Supervised teams that analyzed network communications traffic to prepare technical and intelligence reports and develop signals network diagrams; provided technical assessments addressing cyberspace associated with established operations and contingency plans
- Deployed to conduct theater and tactical-level intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) coordination networks, and processed, analyzed, and disseminated ISR information obtained from onboard sensors during mission progress.
- Cross-trained to obtain additional, in-demand qualifications needed to fill critical mission readiness shortfalls; employed as the sole Multi-Systems Analyst (MSA) for a Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) team; performed historical analysis of intelligence provided from, but not limited to: SIGINT, HUMINT, IMINT, and MASINT derived from national and tactical assets
- Spearheaded a theater-wide training program as the sole instructor in multiple mission qualifications, leading to a 70% decrease in the training pipeline timeline.
- Established two command-wide programs required to accomplish the federal mission safely and efficiently, directly correlating to an over-satisfactory rating during sequential annual inspections.
Senior Technical Advisor
ByLight Professional IT Services
National Capital Region
09.2023 - 09.2024
- Employed as the Command’s Senior Technical Advisor providing expert technical advice, guidance, and recommendations on critical cyberspace and IT issues, apply new developments to previously unsolvable problems, and make decisions or recommendations that significantly influence critical national security policies or programs
- Work directly with senior leadership (GO/FO/SES) to identify and communicate current and emerging security threats, identify appropriate capabilities, and train users in implementation or conversion of systems/processes
- Develop and deliver both oral and written congressional correspondence, for members and staff of Armed Services Committees, regarding the employment of technical solutions, technical nuances associated with broad implementation, funding requirements, and other relevant items as required
- Develop and advance key Command processes through the application of expert knowledge of principles and techniques of vulnerability and threat assessment, mission, and function analysis sufficient to formulate and direct efforts to solve complex and time-sensitive problems
- Review overall Command requirements, business priorities and success criteria to design transformational plans; identify gaps in future and existing architectures and recommend changes or enhancements based on government and/or commercial specifications
- Co-developed the strategy to establish the National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure through coordination with industry, academia, and federal partners
Technical Architect
Palo Alto Networks
National Capital Region
09.2021 - 07.2023
- Oversaw a multi-year, $125M contract with Palo Alto's largest federal customer for capability delivery addressing key strategic requirements
- Studied and analyzed deliberate plans, programs, and projects involving Cyberspace Defense to create solutions that balance business requirements with information and cybersecurity requirements; collaborated with resident engineers and SMEs to ensure customers received most accurate vulnerability testing, risk analyses and security assessments, based on their unique mission set
- Reviewed, analyzed, and synthesized Cyberspace Operations and Defensive policies and doctrine to determine and/or develop potential operational avenues to ensure mission readiness
- Aligned organizational security strategy and infrastructure with overall product, business, and technology strategy to develop complete alignment of technology and information systems with strategic objectives
- Managed all resources and assets against stakeholder demands and other external influences; aligned approaches and resources with federal law, industry standards and best practices, and government regulations to achieve the most favorable outcomes
Cyber Fusion Lead/Integration SME
JFHQ-DODIN
07.2020 - 09.2021
- Directly influenced numerous concurrent defensive cyberspace operations, providing expert guidance and recommendation to command senior leaders, decision makers, and other key stakeholders through extensive knowledge in cyberspace sensoring, analysis, and reporting
- J3 Integration SME providing foundation for Command to pursue proactive operations and information sharing with DOD and interagency mission partners in defense of DODIN infrastructure
- Developed and delivered both oral and written congressional briefings, for members and staff of both Armed Services subcommittees, regarding identified successes, limitations, and other relevant items regarding technical solutions and processes in use by the Command
- Maintained situational awareness and provided continuous updates of existing intelligence information on cyberspace threat capabilities; developed plans to safeguard DOD data against modification, destruction, or disclosure
- Supported operational updates to DOD senior leaders throughout key defensive cyberspace operations; translated key technical aspects into consumable, executive level dialogue necessary to inform key decisions
- Developed and maintained wide array of mission partner relationships, at all levels, aligned to the organizational mission; created new information exchanges, coordinated intelligence sharing efforts, highly successful in problem resolution and influence of key stakeholder decisions to effectively manage limited resources against critical national security requirements
Senior Cyber Intelligence Fusion Analyst
USCYBERCOM-JFHQ-DODIN
Ft. Meade, USA
08.2019 - 07.2020
- Formalized and enhanced 24x7 daily cyberspace operations and cyber intelligence support functions of the Analysis and Production (J22) Cross Functional Team (CFT) within the Intelligence Directorate (J2)
- Directed and matured a diverse team of over 30 analysts comprised of military, civilian and contractors
- Aligned and modeled foundational functions against policy and practices of other agencies, as well as legal, regulatory, and organizational operations relevant to the mission
- Leveraged diverse background and in-depth knowledge of Joint Cyberspace Operations, concepts, and methods to help the team develop detailed plans to achieve short-term or long-term objectives requiring immediate resolution of conflicting, ambiguous, or subjective defensive cyberspace problem sets
- Coordinated defensive cyberspace actions and/or opportunities with DOD cyberspace operations, led structuring of team’s approach to problem resolution and improvement opportunities; determined appropriate scope and level of DoD involvement, and integrated group products into appropriate Command processes and formats
Mission Controller/Airborne Sensor Operator (Instructor)
L3 Technologies
OCONUS
06.2016 - 01.2019
- Mission-based, diverse team setting, providing support, training, and guidance to new employees to ensure safety and efficiency in a war-time environment, directly resulting in a 15% decrease in training time
- Identified targets of opportunity during flight operations; assembled target information and hostile defensive locations to plan for missions
- Gathered, recorded, displayed, and disseminated full-motion video, still imagery, and target location information via operation of infrared sensor systems, illumination equipment and allied components used to operate and monitor detection systems by searching for, acquiring, and identifying threats and objects
- Managed multiple voice/data communication circuits ensuring ground forces safety and optimal mission execution; received and processed raw intelligence data and provided actionable products for mission analysis
- Performed all pre and post flight activities which included: mission briefs and debriefs; planning and filing daily flight plans for missions, sorties, and patrol flights; identifying issues with sensor equipment and conducting troubleshooting methods for resolution; and performing aircraft and sensor inspections
Education
BS - National Security
Excelsior University
Albany, NYAA - Intelligence and Technology
Air Force, AETC
Montgomery, ALJoint Cyber Analysis Course - Network and Cyber Analysis
Specialized Training
Pensacola, FLNetwork Intelligence Analyst Course -
San Angelo, TXSkills
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Decision-making
- Staff development
- Effective communication
- Cross-Functional Team Management
- Managing Operations with Efficiency
- Budgeting and Cost Control
- Contract Development and Management
- Leadership and Staff Management
- Training and Certification
- Issue and Conflict Resolution
- Managing Career Progression of Subordinates
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Systems Integration & Implementation
- Personnel Management
Certification
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Network+
- Security+
- ISC2 CC
Clearance
Dept. of Defense (DoD) TS/SCI with CI polygraph
Specialized Training
- Joint Cyber Analysis Course (JCAC), Pensacola, FL, Network and Cyber Analysis
- Network Intelligence Analyst Course, San Angelo, TX
Timeline
Executive Director
Marshall University
09.2024 - Current
Senior Technical Advisor
ByLight Professional IT Services
09.2023 - 09.2024
Technical Architect
Palo Alto Networks
09.2021 - 07.2023
Cyber Fusion Lead/Integration SME
JFHQ-DODIN
07.2020 - 09.2021
Senior Cyber Intelligence Fusion Analyst
USCYBERCOM-JFHQ-DODIN
08.2019 - 07.2020
Mission Controller/Airborne Sensor Operator (Instructor)
L3 Technologies
06.2016 - 01.2019
Cyber Fusion Officer in Charge (Subject Matter Expert / Instructor - Air National Guard)
United States Air Force
09.2009 - Current
BS - National Security
Excelsior University
AA - Intelligence and Technology
Air Force, AETC
Joint Cyber Analysis Course - Network and Cyber Analysis
Specialized Training