WASHINGTON, May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT), a nonprofit cybersecurity and technology think tank, announced the appointment of Joyce Hunter as their executive director. ICIT's former executive director and founder, Parham Eftekhari, has been appointed as the chairman of the board of directors for ICIT.

President Barack Obama appointed Hunter as the deputy chief information officer for policy and planning at the Department of Agriculture (2013-2017) and was the acting chief information officer from March 2016 to July 2016. An MBA holder from the Wharton School of Business, Joyce is a strategic-doer who has overseen an IT investment portfolio of $4.1 Billion and provided strategic management consulting to major corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. 

As the executive director, Joyce will be responsible for executing ICIT's mission of improving national security, increasing public and private sector cyber resiliency, and modernizing our critical infrastructures.  Her initial areas of focus will include developing new fundraising and sponsorship programs, modernizing ICIT's operations, and establishing an aggressive strategy for rapid, national expansion.

"Joyce is precisely the leader ICIT needs to institutionalize our processes and establish a strong foundation for explosive growth," said Eftekhari, who recently joined the Cybersecurity Collaborative as SVP and executive director. "Her appointment will significantly advance ICIT's ability to support its mission to improve national security."

"As the former DCIO for policy and planning at the USDA, I've had the experience of blending legislation with policy and technology opportunities that have ultimately become agency initiatives," said Hunter. "I am thrilled to become the next executive director of this esteemed organization and look forward to partnering with our members, fellows, sponsors, and the national security community to help ICIT map uncharted territory."

Several industry leaders were quick to celebrate ICIT's appointment. Former federal CIO for the U.S. Government and chairman at the Tony Scott Group, Tony Scott, said "Joyce Hunter is the perfect choice for executive director. Her years of experience in government and the private sector provide the perfect background for leading this important organization!"

"Ms. Hunter's experience and knowledge of the public and private sector are extensive," said Janet Vogel, chief information security officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "She is an innovative thinker and an effective integrator, which keeps her a step ahead; she will do the same for ICIT."

"As a long-time fellow of ICIT, I am excited to partner with Joyce in her new mission as director of ICIT," said Malcolm Harkins, chief information security and trust officer at Cymatic. "Her experience in the public and private sectors make her uniquely qualified for such an important role. She can thread the needle between the public and private sectors to cultivate the renewal needed to protect our nations' critical infrastructure."

Hunter has been honored numerous times as a nationally recognized technology executive, receiving the Joseph A. Wharton award and the Roy L. Clay Sr. Technology Pinnacle Award for being one of the 50 most important African-Americans in technology.

About ICIT: ICIT is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, cybersecurity think tank. Our mission is to cultivate a cybersecurity renaissance that will improve the resiliency of our nation's 16 critical infrastructure sectors, defend our democratic institutions, and empower generations of leaders. Through freely available research and educational events, ICIT convenes public and private sector stakeholders to offer a trusted source of objective learning for public and private sector policymakers, technology leaders, and business executives throughout the US. Together, we can defend against today's vulnerabilities while upgrading our security culture to create a more modern and secure future. www.icitech.org

SOURCE ICIT

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