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Meet Your Roundtable Hosts

 

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A.J. Eads

Cybersecurity Host

 

p Ca

 

AJ has over 20 years of experience in communications and marketing with a focus on strategy, content creation, distribution, public speaking and community management. AJ has worked for organizations spanning from solopreneurs to global Fortune100 businesses.

In his new role as the Director of Programs and Administration for the Global Center for Cybersecurity (GCC), AJ oversees the development and execution of programs, including the Secure Pathways student workshop series, the Washington University Cyber Roundtable, The SPARK Micro Internship Program and more. In addition to those responsibilities, AJ also works closely with the Executive Director on the administration of the organization.

 

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Maurice Mahone

Cybersecurity Host

 

p Ca

 

Maurice Mahone has over three decades of experience in Information Technology (IT) with a focus on audit and compliance, software development, business process management, and program management.  Maurice has worked for several government agencies including the Department of Defense at the Pentagon.  His private sector career has spanned multiple industries including Paper and Packaging, Agriculture,  Biotechnology, and Financial Services.  Before returning to consulting Maurice also worked for the Federal Reserve Bank where he led the technology teams that managed the financial programs and investment algorithms for the United States Treasury.

💡 Fun Fact: Maurice is a veteran of the United States Army, an avid photographer, and the President of the St. Louis Chapter of BDPA.  

 

Oleksa

Dave Oleksa

Data and Artificial Intelligence Host

 

 

In 32 years in consulting, Dave has worked in custom application development, data warehouse design, data strategy development, ERP implementations, business analyst roles, web architecture, manufacturing system support, operations management, practice leadership, and is now retired after leading the enterprise recruiting team at Daugherty Business Solutions (now CGI).  This broad experience helps Dave bring a holistic yet innovative view to solving business problems.  Throughout this history, Dave developed experience in classic and modern data platforms, and helping clients establish AI-readiness.  

💡 Fun Fact: Dave once participated in a cross-country data science road trip, where he visited various tech hubs and met with other data analytics enthusiasts to share insights and learn from different industry experts.

 

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Jeff Villmer

Agile/Project Management Host

 

 

 

Jeff has over 30 years of experience in project management, organizational change management, and digital transformation. He holds a BSBA in Management Information Systems from Rockhurst University. Known for his high-trust environment and adaptive feedback approach, Jeff has led technology teams at companies like AT&T, Edward Jones, and MasterCard. He is an experienced speaker and facilitator, hosting the monthly Project Management Roundtable at WashU's Technology & Leadership Center.

💡 Fun Fact: Jeff enjoys woodworking and has crafted several pieces of custom furniture for his home.

Testimonials
"You rarely get an opportunity to meet people outside of your own company that are going through similar challenges that you are. This is a great place where you can meet those folks and talk through shared challenges." Paul Thakadiyil - RGA
"There's no more valuable thing that I do each month" Randy Raw - Veterans United Home Loans
“WashU provides the groundwork for organizations to communicate with each other, speaking to current problems that we're all facing and relaying possible solutions back to leadership.” Jessie Showers - DISA
"Whenever we're in our own companies we kind of feel secluded but whenever we get out in these roundtables, we're like: Oh, we're actually a community." Natasha Zumwalt
"It's a good opportunity for networking with people from other companies doing similar work." Si Chen - Federal Reserve