Speakers

Congressman Rob Wittman was first elected to the United States Congress to serve Virginia’s First Congressional District in 2007. While in office, he has focused on strengthening our military and supporting our nation’s veterans, promoting a flourishing economy through fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies, fixing our crumbling infrastructure, increasing access to high-speed internet, and promoting workforce development through Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. 

In the U.S. Congress, Congressman Wittman serves as vice chairman of both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, where he is well-positioned to represent the needs of Virginia's First District. He has earned a strong reputation for being an advocate for our men and women in uniform and for being a champion of the Chesapeake Bay. 

On the Armed Services Committee, Congressman Wittman serves as vice chairman of the full committee and the chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee. On the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, Congressman Wittman oversees the largest portfolio of modernization programs on the House Armed Services Committee, with vast ramifications for the future of the U.S. military’s ground and air forces and munitions stockpiles. Congressman Wittman also serves on the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As co-chair of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, he is a staunch advocate for a robust naval fleet and a healthy domestic shipbuilding industry. He also serves on the U.S. Naval Academy’s Board of Visitors. 

As vice chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Congressman Wittman serves on both the Energy and Minerals Subcommittee, as well as the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee, where he brings his professional expertise in water quality, fisheries, and other natural resource issues. He is a proud champion of the Chesapeake Bay for its environmental and economic attributes and has introduced legislation that will increase the accountability and effectiveness of cleaning up the bay. He serves as co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Caucus, which brings the bay’s issues into focus for Members of Congress. 

As a co-chair of the House Rural Broadband Caucus, Congressman Wittman is leading the way to bring high-speed internet to the unserved areas of the First District and the nation. His Serving Rural America Act served as a model for the NTIA Broadband Infrastructure Program, a $288 million funding program for partnerships between localities and providers of fixed broadband service to support broadband deployment. His other infrastructure priorities include deepening and widening the Port of Virginia, easing congestion on I-95, improving traffic and safety concerns along I-64, improving and expanding the Long Bridge, expanding the capacity of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), and providing sustainable funding mechanisms to Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA). 

Congressman Wittman was re-elected for his ninth full term in the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2024 and prior to that, he served in several levels of government. Congressman Wittman won his first campaign for public office in 1986 when he was elected to the Montross Town Council, where he served for 10 years, four of them as mayor. In 1995, he was elected to the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors and was elected its chairman in 2003. In 2005, voters in the 99th Legislative District elected Rob to the Virginia House of Delegates, where he served until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007. 

Prior to his election to Congress, Rob spent 26 years working in state government, most recently as field director for the Virginia Health Department's Division of Shellfish Sanitation. Earlier in his career, he worked as an environmental health specialist for local health departments in Virginia's Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula regions. 

He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Virginia Tech.

Eric Chewning is executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy.  His responsibilities include working alongside the division presidents in leading the company’s strategy for future maritime capabilities and fleet architecture, development of hybrid manned-unmanned teaming strategies; identifying outsourcing partners to accelerate throughput; driving business pursuits for new maritime capabilities; managing enterprise strategic partnerships; managing HII’s Dark Sea Labs Advanced Technology Group, and overseeing enterprise strategy and corporate development.

In addition, he serves as a director on H&B Defence Board of Directors, the HII-Babcock International joint venture in Australia.

He has 25 years of experience across government and industry working issues at the intersection of national security, technology, and business.

Prior to joining HII, he co-led McKinsey & Company’s Aerospace & Defense practice in the Americas.

While in government, Chewning was the chief of staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. In this role he led the secretary’s executive team, working across the military services, Joint Staff, combatant commanders, and senior civilian political appointees. He also provided counsel and advice to the secretary on all matters concerning the department.

Prior to serving as the chief of staff, Chewning was the deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy. In this capacity, he was the principal advisor for analyzing the capabilities, policies and overall health of America’s defense industrial base.

A former U.S. Army military intelligence officer, he is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Prior to his military service, Chewning was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley & Co. where he focused on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in the global industrials sector.

Chewning received a MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia where he was recognized as a Shermet Scholar. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in international relations and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of Chicago. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and appointed to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Margaret Boatner is the Vice President of National Security Policy at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). In this role, she is responsible for developing and executing AIA’s national security and industrial base policy agenda. Boatner brings nearly 15 years of direct experience in shaping DoD acquisition and procurement policy in the Pentagon and working closely with Congressional committees in advancing acquisition reform efforts.

Most recently, Boatner served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Strategy and Acquisition Reform (DASA(SAR)). In this role, she was the Army’s lead executive for the design and implementation of acquisition policy affecting R&D and production of warfighting capabilities. Boatner was also responsible for leading consistent implementation of new statutory authorities affecting Army programs, engaging with Congressional committee staff on legislation affecting the acquisition process, and guiding the development of related acquisition legislative proposals. During her tenure, Boatner orchestrated Army-wide initiatives that overhauled policy on intellectual property, software development and acquisition, industrial base resilience, and led a broad effort to streamline and simplify the acquisition process.

Prior to this role, Boatner spent over ten years in various roles in Army acquisition and contracting. Notably, between 2018 and 2022, Boatner served as Acting DASA(SAR) and Principal Director within the Office of the DASA(SAR). Between 2015 and 2016, Boatner served as Director of Initiatives for the Army’s Deputy Acquisition Executive where she directed special projects, including managing an effort on behalf of the DoD to develop, draft, and coordinate a series of legislative proposals to streamline the acquisition system by eliminating redundant processes and documentation. Between 2011 and 2015, Boatner served as Special Assistant to the Army’s senior contracting executive, where she helped to implement new metrics for Army contracting organizations designed to reduce procurement timelines and promote best practices.

Boatner holds a Master of Business Administration from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington. She lives with her husband and son in Alexandria, VA.

Ryan Tseng is President, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Shield AI. He is responsible for driving long-term vision, shaping corporate priorities, and guiding the company's positioning at the intersection of autonomy, national security, and emerging technology. He previously served as CEO, guiding the company from inception to becoming one of the most impactful defense technology companies of its generation. Under Ryan’s leadership as CEO, Shield AI raised over a billion dollars, grew to 1,000 teammates, and became the fourth multi-billion-dollar defense technology company. Prior to Shield AI, Ryan was the founder, CEO, and CTO of WiPower, a wireless charging company acquired by Qualcomm. He holds more than 20 patents, and his technical works have been cited more than 2,000 times. Ryan is a graduate of MIT and the University of Florida.

Kim Lynch leads Oracle’s Government, Defense & Intelligence (GDI) organization, leveraging Oracle’s advanced cloud technologies, data application solutions, and artificial intelligence tools to drive efficiency and transformation for U.S. government agencies. With a focus on the unique needs of the federal sector, GDI helps agencies improve mission outcomes, streamline operations, and enhance decision-making capabilities.

A seasoned executive, Kim has spent over 26 years shaping national security practices and managing high-impact technology programs to drive results across federal government. Serving as a trusted advisor to senior government leaders, she has extensive experience in the implementation of cutting-edge solutions in technology, cybersecurity, software, and information analysis for a range of defense and intelligence organizations. As Executive Vice President, Kim is responsible for maintaining Oracle’s long history of continued investment in and commitment to national security.

Kim is an active member of the Potomac Officers Club 4x24 Intelligence Leadership Group and serves on the board of directors for the Professional Services Council. She has previously served on the board of the Women’s Center of Metropolitan Washington, DC, and was named to Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit.

Kim has been honored twice as an Executive Mosaic Wash100 awardee, recognizing her leadership, innovation, and vision in the government sector.

Audrey M. Schaffer is the Senior Vice President of Global Policy and Government Strategy at Slingshot Aerospace, where she is responsible for leveraging her deep experience in the space industry to shape the company’s long-term strategy and influence U.S. and international space policies.

Before joining the private sector, Audrey served in the U.S. government for over 15 years, holding positions in the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense, Department of State, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She most recently was the director for Space Policy on the National Security Council staff, where she advised the President, Vice President, and National Security Advisor of the United States on military, intelligence, civil, and commercial space policies and strategies.

Additionally, Audrey is a senior associate (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world’s greatest challenges. She also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Secure World Foundation, a private operating foundation that promotes cooperative solutions for space sustainability and the peaceful uses of outer space.

Audrey holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MA in International Science and Technology Policy from the George Washington University. She began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Department of the Air Force and is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service.  She lives with her family in Washington, DC.