2022 Workshop Leaders and Panels

MAJ GEN (ret.) Keith Meurlin

President, Washington Airports Task Force.  Mr. Meurlin retired in 2005 after 28 years with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, serving as Vice President and Airport Manager of Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, VA for over 16 years. Mr. Meurlin also served in the United States Air Force, retiring in 2009 in the rank of Major General. He served both on Active Duty and in the Reserves, attaining the highest rank a traditional reservist can achieve, one of only 25. He began his career in the Air Force flying the KC-135 aerial tanker and serving in the Wing Standardization and Evaluation Section.  After leaving Active Duty, he continued his service flying the C-7 and C-130 aircraft.  He then transitioned to aircraft maintenance at Dover Air Force Base working with the C-5, where he commanded the Logistics Group, five maintenance squadrons, including the largest in 22nd Air Force, winning every maintenance/logistics award in Air Mobility Command: Daedalian Trophy, Maintenance Effectiveness Award, Logistics Excellence, and Airlift Rodeo Competition.  He also served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Director of Logistics, Air Force Material Command and Air Combat Command.  After his retirement from Dulles Airport, he returned to Active Duty, serving as the acting Vice Commander of Air Force Material Command, Mobilization Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and concluding his career establishing for the Secretary of Defense, the office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.  Since his retirement from the Air Force in 2009 and Airport Manager in 2005, he has been the Owner and President of the Meurlin Group LLC, providing valuable services to SAIC, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Alutiq, Chenega and Clear, supporting their pursuit of winning solutions to airport and aviation challenges.  Mr. Meurlin holds a BA degree from the University of Vermont, and a MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.  He also is a graduate of the FAA Executive School and the Air War College.

CAPT (ret.) Mark J. Winter

Mark Winter is a New London, New Hampshire area native, graduating from Kearsarge Regional High School in 1984, Maine Maritime Academy in 1988, and the University of Maine, School of Law in 1998.  Mark served 30 years in the U.S. Navy, both on active duty and in the reserves, retiring as a Captain in 2018.  One of his last assignments was as Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force – Guantanamo, the organization responsible for detention operations in Cuba.  Mark was previously the General Counsel at the National Maritime Intelligence Center and served on the Joints Chiefs of Staff in the Detainee Affairs branch.  He served as the Assistant Inspector General at the Office of Naval Intelligence, conducting command inspections at various Navy intelligence units around the world.  He previously served as Counsel for U.S. Senator Susan Collins from Maine in Washington D.C., serving as Professional Staff on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee.  Mark now works as a State Office Representative for Senator Collins in Portland, Maine.  

CMC (ret.) Jason Tuschen

Jason was born in Milwaukee, WI and graduated from Whitefish Bay High School in 1988. In October of 1990, he enlisted in the US Navy. In March of 1992, he successfully completed Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA and was assigned to SEAL Team THREE. After multiple deployments, he applied and was selected for assignment to Naval Special Warfare Development Group, where he served as an operator and later a leader for an 18-man assault force. In December of 2001, he took an assignment as an instructor at the Naval Special Warfare Center and spent the next two years teaching tactics and values to future SEAL operators and leaders. Upon completion of that assignment, he transferred to SEAL Team SEVEN where he was the senior enlisted advisor for an 80-person task force, responsible for leading the team through pre-deployment training and a follow-on deployment to Baghdad, Iraq. Upon return from that deployment, he was promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer and put in charge of First Phase at BUD/S. After a successful tour at BUD/S, he spent the next decade in executive leadership positions throughout Naval Special Warfare. His career culminated at Naval Special Warfare Group ONE (NSWG-1) where he served as the Command Master Chief, responsible for 2000 personnel, four SEAL Teams and five ancillary commands focused on executing National Security Strategy in the Middle East, South East Asia, and the Korean Peninsula. In January of 2018, Jason transitioned from a 27-year career in the military to the private sector. Along with retired SEAL Command Master Chief Jason Torey, they founded Randori INC in order to help develop the leaders and cultures of organizations ranging from start-up to well-established companies. In November of 2019, he was hired as Chief of Strategy by Randori’s biggest client RSTOR Inc. In April of 2020, he took over as CEO of Sylabs Inc; a strategic partner of RSTOR.

LtCol Michelle Macander, USMC

Lieutenant Colonel Macander is from Clifton Park, NY and earned a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Georgia Tech in December of 2000. Following The Basic School and Marine Corps Engineer School (MCES), where she was the honor graduate, she was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 in Camp Pendleton, CA. She served as the Construction Platoon Commander, Engineer Company Executive Officer, and Headquarters & Service (H&S) Company Commander and participated in the initial movement into Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I in 2003.

In July 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Macander was transferred to 9th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB) in Okinawa, Japan and deployed as the liaison to the FBI in Iraq, then returned to Okinawa and served concurrently as the H&S Company Commander and the Logistics Officer. Lieutenant Colonel Macander subsequently reported to the University of Colorado NROTC, where she served as the Marine Officer Instructor.

In 2009, Lieutenant Colonel Macander was ordered to Quantico, VA to complete Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS).  Upon graduation, she was assigned to 8th ESB, where she served as Operations Officer and deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Following the deployment, she was assigned as the Engineer Support Company Commander. In May 2012, she received orders to MCES, where she assumed command of Combat Engineer Instruction Company, then was assigned to serve concurrently as the Director of Instruction and Operations Officer.

In June 2014, she reported to EWS as a Faculty Advisor. In her second year, she filled an individual augment assignment to serve as Central Command's Counter-Narcotics Officer in Charge (Forward) in Kabul, Afghanistan. She returned to her primary duties at EWS before transferring in July 2017 to I MEF to serve as the MEF Engineer. In October 2017, she was promoted to her current rank, and in June of 2018 assumed command of 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division. Upon relinquishing command in June of 2020, she reported to the Naval War College, earning a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies and graduating with highest distinction. In July 2021, she was assigned as a CMC senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

Lieutenant Colonel Macander's personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with three Gold Stars, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with one Gold Star, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a Gold Star and combat distinguishing device, and the Combat Action Ribbon.

CAPT (ret.) Derek Lavan, USN

Derek M. Lavan currently serves as the Fleet Policy Program Manager for U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF).  He is responsible for all strategy, policy and doctrine for USFF, Naval Forces Northern Command, and Naval Forces Strategic Command.  

Following his retirement from the Navy, Derek worked for Huntington Ingalls Industries in support of Commander, Naval Surface Forces, as the Program Manager for the U.S. Navy's "Maintenance University".  He was responsible for providing training to over 12,000 Officers and Sailors annually on shipboard Maintenance Management and Shipyard Availability planning and execution.

He previously served in the U.S. Navy for nearly 29 years as a nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer, culminating as the first Chief of Staff for U.S. SECOND Fleet upon its re-establishment in 2018. Other significant Naval service included operational tours in command of Destroyer Squadron 28 based in Norfolk, VA; Reactor Officer in USS GEORGE HW BUSH (CVN 77) for its maiden deployment and first shipyard availability; and command of USS JOHN L HALL (FFG-32) home ported in Mayport, FL.

Derek earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tufts University and holds an M.A. degrees in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA.  He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

CDR Jay "McFly" McVann, USN

Jay “McFly” McVann is a commander in the United States Navy who currently serves on the Joint Staff as a division chief within the Intelligence Directorate. 

​His operational assignments include his initial tour as the squadron intelligence officer for Strike Fighter Squadron THIRTY-ONE, where he deployed to the Gulf of Oman and supported Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.  Next, he led Carrier Air Wing ONEs information warfare enterprise through the first Dynamic Force Employment deployment to the High North and a subsequent deployment to the Fifth Fleet area of responsibility.

His ashore assignments have included a Personnel Exchange Program tour with the United States Air Force’s 547th Intelligence Squadron and 64th/65th Aggressors in Las Vegas, Nevada; Naval Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) Fallon, Nevada; and Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland.  

Allied Officer Panel

CDR Simon Rogers, Royal Navy

Commander Simon Rogers is a surface warfare officer in the Royal Navy. He was appointed to the Joint Military Operations Department in the summer 2020 after graduating from the U.S. Naval War College. Specializing as a principal warfare officer (PWO), he has served on a range of platform types during his 23 years at sea and has commanded two mine countermeasures vessels on deployments to Bahrain. Ship deployments have ranged from the Arctic to the Falkland Islands as well as the Caribbean to India that have included operations supporting counter narcotics, counter piracy, NATO missions and Operation TELIC (Iraqi Freedom).

Capt. Yuki Bito, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Capt. Yuki Bito is a Japan Maritime Self-Defense (JMSDF) officer. She was commissioned and served on JS Kashima (TV 3508) during a training cruise in 1997. As a JMSDF officer, her duty assignments include Air Station Atsugi and Air Traffic Control Service Group in Atsugi Air Base. She also served as an aide to Administrative Vice-Minister of Ministry of Defense, a foreign liaison officer at Maritime Staff Office, a staff member of Defense Intelligence Headquarters, and a faculty member of the Maritime Command and Staff College in Tokyo.

SQN LDR Tara Brown, Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Brown is a commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force and joined the Stockton Center in September 2021. Her primary area of research is within the space law domain. She has served in various assignments including prosecuting and defending at court martial, a deployment to the Combined Air Operations Center and most recently advising a wide range of policy clients within U.K. Headquarters Air Command.

USMC Officer Panel

Col. (ret.) Jamie Gannon

Col. Jamie Gannon (USMC ret.) is an Associate Professor of Joint Military Operations at the Naval War College, Newport, RI. He served at numerous command and principal staff positions in the Marine Expeditionary Forces, and as a joint logistics planner and Exercise branch chief at USCENTCOM during the early stages of OEF and OEF. He commanded a logistics battalion and a Marine Wing Support Group; during both periods he deployed in command of JTF support forces in major HADR events in Pakistan and Japan. His combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan included staff assignments with I MEF and USCENTCOM HQ. Other staff tours include HQMC, MARCORSYSCOM and MARCORLOGCOM.

Col. (ret.) James Donnellan

Professor Donnellan served for 30 years as a Marine Corps officer with command assignments at the platoon, company, infantry battalion and training installation level. He commanded 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines on combat deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq. He served as officer in charge, II Marine Expeditionary Force Special Operations Training Group and commanded U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. He served as the deputy commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa. His staff assignments included deputy Strategy Division Chief, U.S. Central Command; AC/S G5, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa; and AC/S, C3, Regional Command Southwest, Afghanistan.

Col. (ret.) Robert Gardner

Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 Operations Officer for the 1st Marine Division, where he deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Served in artillery units, as a Naval Gunfire Instructor; a Marine Expeditionary Unit FSO; an instructor with MAWTS-1; speechwriter for the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps and Senior Aide de Camp to the 32nd and 33rd Commandants; Chief, JPG, CJ-5, CJTF-HOA in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM; Deputy Chief of Combined Policy, C5, for Combined Forces Command and the Chief of Policy, U5, for United Nations Command in the Republic of Korea; and Team Chief, Regional Border Team – North in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.