AFCEA South Florida

06/17/2026

📣 Event Update: To accommodate this Friday’s federal holiday, the SOUTHCOM CIO/J6 Orange Call has been moved to next week.

Set against a South Florida backdrop, this no-host gathering brings together military, government, and industry professionals supporting the United States Southern Command mission. Whether you’re looking to exchange ideas, build partnerships, or expand your professional network, this is the place to be.

📅 Thursday, 25 June | 3:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 107 Steak & Bar, Doral, Florida

No agenda. No presentations. Just great people, meaningful conversations, and an opportunity to strengthen the relationships that drive our mission forward.

If you’re part of the SOUTHCOM ecosystem—or interested in becoming part of it—we invite you to join us.

Connect | Collaborate | Innovate | Partner

06/12/2026

🚀 Our Initial 2026–2027 AFCEA South Florida Program Calendar Has Arrived!

As part of our chapter revitalization efforts, the Board of Directors has been hard at work developing a robust lineup of professional development, networking, STEM outreach, and government-industry-academia engagement opportunities for our members, sponsors, partners, and the broader South Florida community.

We’re excited to kick off the new program year with two important July events:

🔹 July 8, 2026 – AFCEA South Florida Board of Directors Meeting
🔹 July 23, 2026 – SOUTHCOM CIO/J6 Orange Call

These events mark the beginning of a growing calendar designed to connect military, government, industry, and academic leaders while advancing AFCEA’s mission across South Florida.

This is only our initial program calendar. Additional events, guest speakers, corporate partner activities, networking opportunities, STEM initiatives, scholarship programs, and community engagements are currently under development and will be added as they are finalized. Updated calendars will be published throughout the year.

A special thank you to our Corporate Sponsors and Industry Partners whose support is helping make the chapter’s return possible:

- Axonius Federal Systems
• Rubrik
• Total Force Alliance
• Zera TechBridge
• Guardian Cyber

We also extend our appreciation to our dedicated board members and volunteers who continue investing their time and expertise to rebuild AFCEA South Florida into a vibrant chapter serving our defense, government, technology, and cybersecurity communities.

Stay tuned—there is much more to come!

06/12/2026

📣 The AFCEA South Florida Board of Directors recently held our June board meeting as we continue the exciting work of reestablishing chapter operations, strengthening governance, and building a robust program of events and opportunities for our members, sponsors, and partners.

We’re laying the foundation for a revitalized chapter focused on professional development, government-industry-academia collaboration, STEM outreach, and advancing the mission of AFCEA throughout South Florida.

Thank you to our dedicated board members and volunteers for their commitment and hard work. There is a great deal happening behind the scenes, and we’re just getting started.

Huge Thanks to our Corporate Soonsors and Industry Partners for supporting our efforts!

Axonius Federal Systems
Rubric
Total Force Alliance
Zera Techbridge
Guardian Cyber

Stay tuned for upcoming events, networking opportunities, guest speakers, sponsorship announcements, STEM scholarships and initiatives that will benefit our entire community.

06/05/2026

🤝 AFCEA South Florida is proud to partner with ERMProtect Cybersecurity Solutions for the inaugural Conversations with CISOs webcast series.

As AI rapidly transforms the cyber threat landscape, security leaders are facing new challenges, new attack vectors, and new questions about what defenses actually work. Join this peer-level discussion featuring two accomplished CISOs sharing real-world perspectives on how organizations are preparing for AI-powered cyberattacks, what’s proving effective, and where traditional security controls may be falling short.

🎙️ Bracing for AI-Powered Cyber Attacks
📅 June 25, 2026
⏰ Noon – 1:15 PM ET
🎓 Earn 1.5 CPE Credits

Featured Speakers:
• Georgios Mortakis, Former CISO & CIO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
• Alejandro Canola, Head of Information Security (U.S. & Caribbean), Itaú Bank

This is a great opportunity to hear directly from cybersecurity executives at the forefront of one of the most significant technological shifts of our time.

🔗 Register today: https://lnkd.in/gtHR26Nb

Thank you to Silka Gonzalez and the ERMProtect team for bringing together industry leaders to share practical, actionable intelligence with the cybersecurity community.

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

📣 New Board Member Announcement!

It is our pleasure to introduce our new Chapter President, Jay Hunter Anson.

Jay has more than two decades of technology and global business leadership experience spanning government, defense, telecommunications, Fortune 500 companies, and private-sector organizations. He is currently focused on post-quantum tech integration and cybersecurity risk management for a variety of national and international security initiatives.

An AFCEA member for almost 20 years, he previously served as AFCEA South Florida Chapter President (2021-2023) Vice President (2020-2021), and Treasurer (2023-2026). Jay is an AFCEA Life Member, an AFCEA Meritorious Service Award recipient, and an AFCEA JC4I Writing Award recipient.

Jay is also a member of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools STEM Advisory Board and the ISACA South Florida Board of Directors. He actively advocates for STEM access, workforce development, and community engagement throughout South Florida.

A Miami Florida resident, Jay has enjoyed serving the South Florida community since retiring from US Southern Command. He looks forward to rebuilding the chapter and delivering on AFCEA’s mission to foster collaboration, innovation, and professional growth across government, industry, and academia.

05/27/2026

📣 New Board Member Announcement!

It is our pleasure to introduce our new Chapter Secretary and 2nd VP, Waldy Cruz!

Waldy is a seasoned technology and cybersecurity leader with over 20 years of experience supporting the Department of War (DoW) and Intelligence Community (IC) across systems engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and mission-critical operations. Throughout his career, he has worked with organizations such as DISA, DARPA, DIA, NRO, NGA, DHA, and multiple U.S. Army programs, delivering strategic solutions that strengthen operational readiness and security.

Currently serving as a Senior Technical Account Manager at Axonius Federal Systems, Waldy partners with federal agencies to improve cybersecurity posture, enhance asset visibility, and drive mission success through strategic technology initiatives.

He is known for bridging the gap between technical teams and executive leadership, helping organizations align complex cybersecurity challenges with measurable business and mission outcomes.

05/27/2026

📣 New Board Member Announcement!

It is our pleasure to introduce the new AFCEA South Florida Chapter’s new Treasurer, David Durham MBA, CISSP!

David is a results-oriented Senior Cybersecurity Leader, military veteran, and educator with over 20 years of cross-functional expertise driving strategic management across information technology, cybersecurity, and global program ex*****on.

Backed by an MBA and a CISSP certification, he currently serves as the Mission Assurance Lead supporting United States Southern Command, where he leverages the DoW Mission Assurance construct for the J6 directorate to protect Key Terrain in Cyberspace (KT-C) and align defensive strategies with high-level command objectives.

A dedicated advocate for the next generation of security professionals, David also teaches cybersecurity on-campus at the University of Miami.

Throughout his diverse career—which includes a decade of leading mission-critical communication infrastructure deployments across four continents on active duty—he has consistently been hand-selected ahead of his peers to spearhead high-consequence initiatives and bridge the gap between technical engineering teams and executive decision boards.

05/27/2026

📣 New Board Member Announcement!

It is our pleasure to introduce our 1st Vice President, Bethany Peterson.

Bethany is a defense-focused technology executive with over 20 years of experience supporting the Department of War. She is the CEO of Total Force Alliance (TFA), a SDVOSB and EDWOSB specializing in mission-critical enterprise IT services and Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities serving DoW, Federal Civilian, and Intelligence Community (IC) customers.

Additionally, Bethany serves as an Intelligence Officer in the Air Force Reserve supporting Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), bringing an operational perspective and strong commitment to mission outcomes.

Based in Miami, Florida, she is passionate about strengthening partnerships across government, industry, and the warfighter community and is excited to help revitalize the AFCEA South Florida Chapter.

05/26/2026

📣 New Board Member Welcome!

It is our pleasure to introduce Devon Stephenson, our new Director of Membership to the AFCEA South Floroda Chapter Board of Directors.

A data and intelligence leader with 18+ years supporting U.S. military and Special Operations Forces, he specializes in data engineering, analytics, and mission-driven innovation. He is currently drilling as an Intelligence Analyst with CENTCOM in the United States Air Force Reserve while also serving as a Data Engineer within CENTCOM J28’s Data Analytics, AI, and Machine Learning branch. He recently completed a one-year assignment with USSOUTHCOM’s Office of the Chief Data Office (OCDO) as an MSS Integrator, advancing enterprise data integration efforts.

Previously, he served over three years with Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) as the Intelligence Data Science Team (IDST) Data Integrator, where he led data integration initiatives, expanded analytics capabilities, and helped scale the organization’s Data Strategy Initiative. He provided strategic recommendations on system modernization, testing and evaluation, and data-driven methodologies across SOCOM.

He brings more than a decade of direct operational support in Afghanistan and has been recognized for excellence by NATO Special Operations Component Command–Afghanistan (NSOCC-A), Special Operations Joint Task Force–Afghanistan (SOJTF-A), the Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG), and SOCSOUTH. He served 14 years in the Army National Guard across Michigan, Arkansas, and Georgia as a Geospatial and Intelligence Analyst.

He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zera TechBridge LLC, where he leads the development of scalable data solutions, AI-driven insights, and strategic partnerships that bridge complex data ecosystems with real-world operational and commercial impact. He also serves as the VetsinTech Miami Chapter Lead, supporting veteran transition, workforce development, and technology career pathways. He holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence Studies from American Military University, and is a dedicated husband and father.

CIVILIAN EDUCATION

M.S. Real Estate Development — Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL (2021–2024)

B.A. Intelligence Studies — American Military University, Charles Town, WV (2012–2019)

A.A.S. Intelligence Operations — Cochise College, Sierra Vista, AZ (2009–2011)

RESERVE AND NATIONAL GUARD UNITS

Data Engineer, CCJ28 Data – Advanced Analytics, AI/ML (A3IM), USAF Reserve (2024–Current)

All-Source Intelligence Analyst, 482nd Fighter Wing OSS IN, USAF Reserve (2022–2024)

Geospatial Analyst, D Co 177th BEB, 48th BCT, Georgia Army National Guard (2016–2022)

Intelligence Analyst, B Co 39th BDE STB, Arkansas Army National Guard (2013–2016)

Imagery Analyst, B Co STB 37th BDE, Michigan Army National Guard (2008–2013)