Advisory Committee Selected for N.C. Defense, Security Technology Accelerator

North Carolina Technology Association

have selected the first members of the advisory committee for the N.C. Defense and Security Technology Accelerator (DSTA).

The DSTA is to be constructed in Fayetteville and will be overseen by the Partnership for Defense Innovation. The Partnership is a non-profit corporation and is part of the Cumberland County Business Council.

Candidates for president of the DSTA are being interviewed, according to the Partnership and NCTA. Once selected, the president may add members to the advisory committee.

Named to the committee were: Helen Ballentine, Bank of America; Kent Blossom, IBM Information Technology Services for the Americas; T.J. Bryan, Fayetteville State University; Terry Cox, Business Innovation & Growth Council; Herb Crenshaw, BellSouth, Rep. Margaret Dickson (D-Cumberland), North Carolina General Assembly; Scott Dorney, N.C. Military Business Center.

Also: Monica Doss, Council for Entrepreneurial Development; Randall Fraser, Time Warner Cable; Joe Freddoso, Cisco Systems, Gary Gardner, TotalEAccess; Rep. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), North Carolina General Assembly; Mark Gross, Oak Grove Technology; Mirsad Hadzikadic, Ph.D, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Jerry Heneghan, Virtual Heroes; Dennis Kekas, N. C. State University, Networking Technology Institute.

And: General W.F. Kernan (retired), MPRI, International Group; Sen. John Kerr (D-Wayne), North Carolina General Assembly; General James Lindsay, U.S. Army (retired); William Martin, Cumberland County Business Council; Robert McMahan, Science and Technology Advisor for the Governor, State of North Carolina; Joan Myers, NCTA; Larry Norris, Fayetteville Technical Community College; C. Steve Parrott, Sprint; Sen. Tony Rand (D-Cumberland), North Carolina General Assembly; Jim Roberts, Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council; Robert L. Schumeier, Jr., Insignis Security Solutions; Sen. Richard Stevens(R-Wake), North Carolina General Assembly; Rep. Joe Tolson (D-Edgecombe), North Carolina General Assembly; and Janet Wylie, Engineous Software.

The DSTA, which is being funded by the state's General Assembly, is designed to act as a technology accelerator for technology to support national defense and security initiatives.