The MITRE Corporation appointed Samuel S. Visner to lead the National Cybersecurity Federally Funded Research and Development Center (NCF), effective October 30. The NCF supports the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE).
Visner succeeds Mark Maybury, who was recently appointed to serve as vice president and director of MITRE's intelligence portfolios.
Visner most recently served as senior vice president for cybersecurity and resilience at ICF International. Prior to that, he served as vice president and general manager of global cybersecurity at CSC; senior vice president at SAIC; and chief of signals intelligence programs at the National Security Agency (NSA), where he was awarded the agency's Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 2003, the agency's highest civilian award.
"Sam's experience developing and deploying technology-based capabilities will be a tremendous asset in our work with NIST towards measurable improvements in national cybersecurity," said William LaPlante, senior vice president and general manager, MITRE National Security Sector. "We look forward to his leadership as NCF works to strengthen the relevance and impact of NCCoE guidance, expand partnerships with federal agencies and state and county partners to address critical cybersecurity challenges, and accelerate innovation that will lead to greater impact."
NCF's recent work has focused on operating more efficiently while expanding publication of new practice guides; hosting CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) students; increasing National Cybersecurity Expert Partnerships; and enhancing partnerships with the University of Maryland, Academic Affiliation Council, and NIST sponsors.
Visner's involvement with public/private partnerships currently includes serving as a member of the Joint Task Force on Cybersecurity Education; the Intelligence and National Security Alliance's Cybersecurity Council; the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association's (AFCEA) Cyber Committee; and the Intelligence Community Studies Board, under the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Visner is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Visner also serves as an adjunct professor of cybersecurity policy at Georgetown University, where he was awarded a bachelor's degree in international politics. He also holds a master's degree in telecommunications from The George Washington University. His wife, Toni Burnham, is one of the nation's leading urban beekeepers.
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