About the Federal Identity Forum & Expo Planning Committee
The Federal Identity Forum (FedID) is the U.S. Government’s annual identity conference, and is strategically designed to promote information exchange and enhance collaboration between the federal government and external identity experts. The FedID Planning Committee primarily consists of senior federal officials (who represent federal departments, independent agencies or cross-agency administration priorities), with additional members from the private sector and academia. These members work to understand what information federal entities need to share with, and what insights and guidance they need from, non-federal entities as well as topics that require public-private deliberation to solve government’s toughest challenges or ensure a vibrant identity community. The Planning Committee then develops the FedID agenda to meet those needs, often leveraging additional experts from both within and outside the government to ensure success.
Planning Committee
Commerce
Larry Nadel
Electronics Engineer
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Recognized technology applications specialist, project manager (PMP), and client trusted advisor. Experienced in analysis, research, and development for homeland security, law enforcement, financial services, and healthcare. Expert in full life-cycle systems engineering (SDLC), imaging, and biometric identification. Focused on assuring solutions are forward-looking and meet customer and stakeholder business and technical requirements. Enjoy working across organizations to achieve cost-effective solutions through collaborative standards-based initiatives.
Defense
Ryan Triplett
Branch Chief, Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency
Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency
An IEEE Certified Biometrics Professional with 18 years of management and engineering experience, including 17 years in the field of biometrics, forensics and identity management. As an internationally recognized subject matter expert, directly advises senior executive level governmental leadership on critical science and technology topics in order to make informed strategic and technical decisions. I maintain an extensive knowledge of Sensors and Systems and a deep understanding of the roles that biometrics and forensics play in Federal, State and local Law Enforcement, as well as the private sector and academia.
Justice
Strategic level security and technology executive with 30 years of success in directing, managing and conducting highly complex investigations and platforms with National and International impact. Executive experience with directing and securing multiple diverse data systems and mobile platforms. I work well with established talented teams to spearhead new programs to address security, safety and technology protection with outstanding results. Positioned programs to support significant growth and turned around struggling programs to achieve great success. Formulated new concepts to strengthen core services, led new foundation initiatives, and boosted and maintained staff morale despite times of uncertainty and change. Read More
GSA
Phil Lam
Executive Director of Identity
GSA
Solving identity for all Americans through strategic partnerships between private sector and government agencies. Over five years of public service at President Obama's NSTIC and at GSA developing a trusted identity shared-service platform. Additionally, nearly a decade of experience in consulting and product development for public and private-sector clients.
Homeland Security
Kimberly Weissman
Senior Communication Specialist
DHS/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Entry/Exit
Kimberly Weissman serves as the Senior Communication Advisor for the Biometric Entry/Exit program at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She advises CBP senior leadership who oversee the Entry/Exit program on communication strategies and outreach. With more than 20 years of federal service specializing in Public Affairs and stakeholder outreach, she has spent the majority of her career educating and informing various audiences, including the press, public, and key stakeholders, about the benefits of expanding facial comparison technology into the travel process through public-private partnerships to further secure and enhance the customer experience.
Treasury
Kay Turner
Senior Counselor to the Director of FinCEN
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Experienced cybersecurity and risk management professional with a demonstrated background in U.S. military intelligence and the Federal executive and legislative branches of government who is committed to protecting people. Skilled in cybersecurity and emerging technology policy, security operations and risk management, unconventional warfare, and strategic and operational planning. Strong research professional with a Master of Arts (M.A.) focused in Security Studies from Georgetown University.Read More
Private Sector
Ross Nodurft
Senior Director, Cybersecurity Services
Venable LLP
Ross Nodurft counsels clients on issues related to risk management, government policy standards and regulatory compliance, and incident management. Having served as principal of Risk Management and Government Solutions at a digital identity and cybersecurity firm and chief of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Cyber Team in the White House overseeing federal government cybersecurity policy and federal agency incident response, Ross has significant experience on advising clients on how to navigate issues at the nexus of homeland security, technology, and cybersecurity policy.
Private Sector
Ryan Howells
Principal
Leavitt Partners
Ryan Howells is a Principal at Leavitt Partners based out of the Washington, D.C. office. Ryan has worked with the White House, Congress, HHS, and VHA on health care policy and interoperability issues. He currently helps lead the CARIN Alliance, a multi-sector, public-private alliance focused on giving consumers digital access to their health information. Ryan is a member of the CMS Medicaid Information Technology Architecture (MITA) Governance Board, Carequality Steering Committee, ONC’s FAST Identity Tiger Team, Technology Association of Georgia's Digital Health Board, VCI.org Steering Committee, and COVID-19 Health Care Coalition. He also serves as board observer for multiple health care companies. Ryan received his master’s in health administration from the University of Southern California, where he was a Dean’s Merit Scholar. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University and is a Project Management Professional (PMP). He and his wife Alison live with their five children in Atlanta, GA.
Academia
Michael King
Associate Professor
Harris Institute for Assured Information, Florida Institute of Technology
Accomplished scientific research/program management professional with 10+ years of service to the United States Government (USG), recognized for demonstrating vision, persistence, and drive in the creation and management of advanced research programs in biometrics and identity science. Recognized Subject Matter Expert (SME) in biometrics and identity intelligence; invited to brief the Director of National Intelligence, Congressional staffers and science advisors, Defense Science Board, Army Science Board, and Intelligence Science Board on matters pertaining to biometrics and identity intelligence.
Executive Secretary
Combiz Abdolrahimi
U.S. Tech Innovation Leader
Deloitte
Combiz Richard Abdolrahimi is a national security lawyer, banking & financial services regulatory and policy expert, and until recently, he served as senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Combiz has more than 12 years of experience working with senior executives and world leaders on shaping the business, policy, legal, regulatory, and technology dimensions of blockchain/DLT, AI, crypto, tokenization, cybersecurity, smart city technologies, FinTech and RegTech, energy and utilities, banking, payments, digital identity, compliance and risk management, privacy and big data. He serves on numerous professional boards and is the Special Advisor to the Federal Identity Forum having served as Treasury’s first Representative and bringing a unified voice to key identity issues. He provides leadership on public-private partnerships, strategic planning, and innovation.
He has served extensively in government since he was 19 years old; and has worked on national security, technology and innovation, public policy and diplomacy, economic, and regulatory reform initiatives as well as global engagement. He joined Treasury after serving in the U.S. Senate. He also served in The White House and State Department, liaising with senior foreign government officials from over 90 countries and receiving commendations from Republican and Democratic leadership. Born in Texas, the son of immigrants, Combiz’s first job was working the cash register for his family’s small business—at the age of 12. He is a graduate of UCLA; American University of Beirut; and Georgetown University Law Center, receiving his B.A., J.D. and LL.M. Combiz speaks several languages critical to U.S. interests, such as Turkish, Persian (Farsi and Afghan-Dari), Arabic (MSA and Lebanese), Azerbaijani, and has a working proficiency in Spanish. He aspires to follow in the footsteps of an American hero, Ambassador Col. Charles W. Hostler, USAF (ret.), and serve as our country’s Ambassador.
Member at Large
Nicholas Uehlecke
Principal
Todd Strategy Group
Combiz Richard Abdolrahimi is a national security lawyer, banking & financial services regulatory and policy expert, and until recently, he served as senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Combiz has more than 12 years of experience working with senior executives and world leaders on shaping the business, policy, legal, regulatory, and technology dimensions of blockchain/DLT, AI, crypto, tokenization, cybersecurity, smart city technologies, FinTech and RegTech, energy and utilities, banking, payments, digital identity, compliance and risk management, privacy and big data. He serves on numerous professional boards and is the Special Advisor to the Federal Identity Forum having served as Treasury’s first Representative and bringing a unified voice to key identity issues. He provides leadership on public-private partnerships, strategic planning, and innovation.
He has served extensively in government since he was 19 years old; and has worked on national security, technology and innovation, public policy and diplomacy, economic, and regulatory reform initiatives as well as global engagement. He joined Treasury after serving in the U.S. Senate. He also served in The White House and State Department, liaising with senior foreign government officials from over 90 countries and receiving commendations from Republican and Democratic leadership. Born in Texas, the son of immigrants, Combiz’s first job was working the cash register for his family’s small business—at the age of 12. He is a graduate of UCLA; American University of Beirut; and Georgetown University Law Center, receiving his B.A., J.D. and LL.M. Combiz speaks several languages critical to U.S. interests, such as Turkish, Persian (Farsi and Afghan-Dari), Arabic (MSA and Lebanese), Azerbaijani, and has a working proficiency in Spanish. He aspires to follow in the footsteps of an American hero, Ambassador Col. Charles W. Hostler, USAF (ret.), and serve as our country’s Ambassador.