Digital Pioneers: Empowering Women in Tech

Panelists

Fatima Terry

Deputy Director, Digital Service
USDA

Fátima Terry serves as the Deputy Director for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Digital Service (DS) in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). In this role, Fátima is responsible for recruiting and developing an expanded team of technology, innovation, and service delivery leaders to meet the myriad of missions needs across USDA.

Cherilyn Pascoe

Director of NIST
National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence

Cherilyn Pascoe is the Director of the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE). She provides strategic direction and technical leadership for the NCCoE, aligns the NCCoE’s work with the industry, government, and NIST priorities, and builds relationships with key stakeholders. Prior to her role as Director of the NCCoE she served as the Senior Technology Policy Advisor, advising NIST leadership on technology policy and strategy, including cybersecurity, privacy, and artificial intelligence. She also led the NIST Cybersecurity Framework program and was a team member of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

Lawana Jones

SVP, Chief Technology Officer
United Way Worldwide

Lawana serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at United Way Worldwide (UWW) and leads the development and implementation of the top- level strategy for UWW’s Information Technology Department, including oversight of key business priorities including data governance, privacy, accessibility, and cybersecurity. Lawana leverages her decades of industry experience spearheading large- scale IT programs to ensure UWW’s best practices and operational growth.

Jamie Danker

Senior Director of Cybersecurity and Privacy Solutions
Venable LLP

Jamie Danker combines her federal government and private sector experience to help clients build more trustworthy systems, products, and services through adoption of cybersecurity and privacy risk management practices. Jamie brings deep privacy, identity, and cybersecurity knowledge along with diverse perspectives from oversight, operational, and guidance organizations based on her prior roles in government and industry.

Kara Gundel

Senior Director of Public Policy
Engine Technology Forum

Kara Gundel has represented both the agricultural and manufacturing industries, served as the Director of Governmental Affairs of the Pennsylvania Retailers Association, and was a Legislative Director in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. She began her career as a legislative research analyst in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Currently focuses on issue management efforts on federal and state policies, as well as direct outreach and engagement with policymakers and non-governmental organizations.

Moderator

Victoria Hodge

Associate Product Manager
Leadership Connect

Victoria is an Associate Product Manager at Leadership Connect where she focuses on helping federal agency clients maximize their productivity with public sector decision intelligence. Prior to this role, she was a Researcher for NBC Nightly News, producing daily stories about world events, political affairs, and human interest. In 2021, she was selected for the competitive News Associate Program at NBC and MSNBC News.

She began her early career in journalism at PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs in the summer of 2019, where she co-anchored a special highlighting youth journalism. Following that, she reported at Bloomberg News during the summer of 2020 where she wrote over 129 pieces for the D.C. Breaking News Team.

She graduated with Distinction from the University of Virginia with a double major in Public Policy and Media Studies in 2021.

Victoria was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area.