Don has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an MBA and an MS in Security Engineering from Southern Methodist University and a PhD in Information Assurance from Nova Southeastern University, the latter with a focus on improving computer and network security through machine learning techniques. Don has thirty years of experience in various technology-management roles largely in the telecommunications industry. He began his career in software engineering at MCI, ultimately becoming Vice President for Network Systems; following Verizon’s acquisition of MCI, Don served in various roles including Executive Director of Product Engineering for fraud, identity, and security solutions for enterprise customers.

At both MCI and Verizon, Don vetted dozens of products and companies for technical suitability, partnerships and investment and drove solution-proposals to C-level executives across various industry verticals. In his many roles, Don led groups of hundreds of professionals, in teams located across five continents. He is an early adopter, advocate, and implementer of technology solutions including, but not limited to: DevSecOps, geospatial information systems, data analytics including machine learning/artificial intelligence, big data, non-relational databases, operations research and agile design.

Don has been recognized for his many volunteer activities, having served as an organizer and instructor for computer programming, electronics, and robotics courses at a non-profit supporting at-risk youths, serving on two non-profit alumni association boards and in industry advisory roles for two universities.