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Conference Agenda

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Agenda as of April 18, 2024; subject to change

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Tuesday, May 21

8:30 am – 10:30 am

Welcome Remarks & the State of the Border

The men and women who serve on the border face never-ending waves of trials and tasks regarding human migration, transnational crime, illegal immigration, and a host of other obstacles in securing the border. The State of the Border panel brings the leadership that serves on the front lines daily to discuss what they're seeing, what they need, and what the next steps are in America's ongoing border crisis.

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Panelists:

  • Jason Owens, Chief, U.S. Border Patrol

  • Lloyd Easterling, Chief Patrol Agent, Spokane Sector, U.S. Border Patrol

  • Scott Good, Chief Patrol Agent, El Paso Sector, U.S. Border Patrol

  • Hector A. Mancha, Director of Field Operations, El Paso Field Office, CBP (Invited)

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Moderator: Ron Colburn, The Border Patrol Foundation Board of Directors; Former National Deputy Chief, U.S. Border Patrol

Juarez Room

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Exhibit Hall Open

Halls A-C

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

General Session: Border of the Future

The Border of Future presents a dizzying array of challenges to Government agencies, policy makers and enforcement officers on the border.  Stretched over 2000 miles with 25 recognized points of entry, the border of the future will have to accommodate over $1T in annual trade and an increase in mass migration. At the same time, border management will have to negotiate the movement of legitimate and illegitimate actors from an increased number of countries, human trafficking, the drug trade, health issues and multitude of other factors.  

 

How do we secure the physical border? How do we use technology as a force multiplier? How do we do all that while still allowing the economic security and prosperity that trade brings?

 

This session will discuss what the panel members see now, as well as what they see "over the horizon"–from increased technology at Ports of Entry, to manpower needs, to increasing our partnerships and joint efforts outside the U.S. in an attempt to address concerns further "down the pipe" to better manage the flow at the border.

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Panelists: 

  • Joshua Powell, Director of AI Implementation (Acting), Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Customs & Border Protection

  • Manuel Padilla, Jr., Advisor to CBP Commissioner

  • David BeMiller, Chief, Law Enforcement Operations, U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters

  • Ruynard Singleton, Executive Director, Program Management Office Directorate, U.S. Border Patrol

 

Moderator: Bobby Brown, Senior Partner, Capital Defense & Associates

Juarez Room

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

General Session: Expanding our Potential through AI

How can DHS leverage the responsible, ethical application of AI to mitigate the administrative burdens our operators face while expanding their capacity and capability to secure our borders and protect national security. This panel will tackle the most pressing operational use cases today and in the future; how the economies of scale created by responsible AI application administratively will make space for better, more efficient operations; the implementation considerations that underpin all AI applications whether in the administrative or operational arenas; and an overview of how the government procures AI today and in the future. 

 

Panelists:

  • Joshua Powell, Director of AI Implementation (Acting), Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (Invited)

  • Rachelle Henderson, CIO, ICE

  • Ntina Cooper, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Enterprise Services, CBP (Invited)​

  • Ray Shuler, Assistant Director, Cyber and Operations Technology, HSI, DHS

 

Moderator: Eric Hysen, CIO, DHS (Invited)

Juarez Room

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Happy Hour in the Exhibit Hall

    Sponsored by AXON

Halls A-C

Tuesday
Wednesday, May 22

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Virtual Marksman Challenge

    Title Sponsors: InVeris & Trango Systems

Paso del Norte Lobby

10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Exhibit Hall Open

Halls A-C

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm

Honoring the Memory Ceremony

Border Security Expo honors and recognizes law enforcement personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty. This ceremony, inaugurated at Border Security Expo 2012, continues to honor our fallen heroes each year at a special ceremony in the conference hall.

    Sponsored by AKIMA

Juarez Room

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

General Session: From Cartels to Consequences: Multifaceted Strategies to Combat Drug Trafficking at the Border

From a border perspective, the war against illicit drugs involves a multifaceted approach that combines law enforcement efforts, international cooperation, and focused border security measures.  

 

Panel members will dive into what we’re doing to strengthen border security, from increased patrols and drug-sniffing dogs to surveillance technology and detection tools. They’ll look at international cooperation and how we're collaborating with other countries to disrupt drug trafficking networks, share intelligence, and coordinate efforts to tackle drug production and distribution at the source. They’ll also go to the cutting edge of this fight, where agencies are utilizing advanced technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to track and disrupt illicit drug networks, as well as to identify patterns of drug trafficking and distribution.


Panelists:

  • Scott Oulton, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Forensics Division, DEA

  • Dave Fluty, Assistant Commissioner, Laboratories and Scientific Services (LSS), CBP

  • Ricardo Mayoral, Assistant Director, Countering Transnational Organized Crime, ICE HSI

  • Ryan Scudder, Executive Assistant Commissioner, Enterprise Services, CBP

  • JC Collins, Assistant Commissioner, Office of International Affairs (INA), CBP

  • Robert M. Renner, Chief Watch Commander, National Targeting Center - Cargo Division, Fentanyl Campaign Directorate, CBP

  • Ray Shuler, Assistant Director, Cyber and Operations Technology, HSI, DHS


Moderator: Patty Todaro Bolin, Managing Partner, ICS Advisory

Juarez Room

3:15 pm – 4:15 pm

Deep Dive #1: Understanding Drug Trafficking: Science, Forensics and Technology

As the follow-up session to “Cartels to Consequences,” this panel will take a deeper look into the methods and technology to detect drugs and trafficking, precursor and chemical anomalies, as well as the science of drug interdiction related to trafficking. Panelists will outlay the needs for tactical infrastructure between and at points of entry and during undercover operations; AI Anomaly Detection of drugs within and around our borders, screening equipment/ technology for people and cargo, and avionics and marine technology to intercept/locate trafficking and support investigations.

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Panelists

  • Scott Oulton, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Forensics Division, DEA

  • Dave Fluty, Assistant Commissioner, Laboratories and Scientific Services (LSS), CBP

  • Ricardo Mayoral, Assistant Director, Countering Transnational Organized Crime, ICE HSI

  • Ryan Scudder, Executive Assistant Commissioner, Enterprise Services, CBP

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Moderator: Patty Todaro Bolin, Managing Partner, ICS Advisory

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Deep Dive #2: Combating Transnational Crime Organizations: Interdiction & Investigation
While the modern-day cartels that dominate drug trafficking throughout the United States rely on the hallmarks of organized crime – corruption, intimidation and ruthless violence to create permissive environments to operate with impunity, they have also built large scale production, logistics and transportation organizations to manage and direct their global operations. Our panel of experts will explore the cartels’ sophisticated organizational and operational structures and what is being done in terms of interdiction and complex multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional investigations to significantly disrupt and ultimately dismantle these powerful transnational threats.

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Panelists

  • James L. Collins, Assistant Commissioner, Office of International Affairs (INA), CBP

  • Ray Shuler, Assistant Director, Cyber and Operations Technology, HSI, DHS

  • Robert M. Renner, Chief Watch Commander, National Targeting Center - Cargo Division, Fentanyl Campaign Directorate, CBP

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Moderator: Michael Braun, President SAVA Workforce Solutions; Former Assistant Administrator and Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

LMI Theater

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Peraton Theater

 

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Wednesday
Thursday, May 23

8:30 am – 9:45 am

Tone from the Top: Chief Procurement Officer

DHS Acquisition is key and essential to fulfilling the complex homeland security mission, including securing our border, ensuring the safety of our country’s people, and facilitating the movement of goods and people for and to our country. This panel will consist of contracting and acquisition professionals from DHS headquarters and will discuss what’s going on in the federal and DHS policy and regulation space; what was key from the NDAA, top FAR Cases, alternative contracting authorities, innovation, and the latest in Commodity Management, Cyber, Biometrics, Supply Chain, and Counter UAS. How will the evolving mission, policy and regulation affect what DHS buys and how it buys it from industry.

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Panelists:

  • Paul Courtney, Chief Procurement Officer, DHS (Invited)

  • Sarah Todd, Executive Director, Acquisition Policy and Legislation, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, DHS (Invited)

  • Jaclyn Rubino, Executive Director, Strategic Programs Division, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, DHS (Invited)


Moderator: Elaine Duke, Principal, Elaine Duke & Associates, LLC

Peraton Theater

9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Meet with Industry Liaisons

DHS industry liaison and small business representatives will be available to take your questions in 15-minute appointments. 

LMI Theater

9:50 am – 10:15 am

Tone from the Top: Chief Information Officer

Mission areas under the leadership of the CIO result in well over 50% of the procurement requirements in DHS. CIO Eric Hysen will discuss the main mission areas requiring industry partnership: IT infrastructure and systems, AI: CX, and Digital Services. He will also address Alternative Contracting & Partnerships to support the mission area.

 

Panelists:

  • Eric Hysen, CIO, DHS (Invited)

 

Moderator: Elaine Duke, Principal, Elaine Duke & Associates, LLC

Peraton Theater

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Exhibit Hall Open

Halls A-C

10:20 am – 11:30 am

Component Perspective: What is DHS Buying and How is It Buying It

DHS relies on contracts with industry to meet its mission objectives.  Hear from the heads of the contracting activities about current and projected contract areas and needs. Learn how you can engage with and prepare to meet these critical mission areas.

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Panelists:

  • Amanda Duquette, Head of Contracting Activity, USCIS (Invited)

  • Dina Thompson, Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA), Contracting and Procurement, TSA

  • Melanie Alston, Deputy Head of Contracting Activity, ICE (Invited)

  • Kerri Bishop, Chief of Contracting Activity, CBP (Invited)

  • KC Milligan, Component Acquisition Executive, Executive Director, Acquisition Governance and Oversight, Office of Acquisition, Enterprise Services, CBP

 

Moderator:  Elaine Duke, Principal, Elaine Duke & Associates, LLC

Peraton Theater

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