General Brown is an experienced commander who has led at every level, from platoon through Army Service Component Command.  Serving as Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific, General Brown led the Army’s largest service component command responsible for 106,000 Soldiers across the Indo-Pacific Region before his September 2019 retirement.

General Brown is a 1981 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he was commissioned as an Infantry Second Lieutenant.  His assignments took him across the globe including deployments in support of Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and two combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Before U.S. Army Pacific, he commanded the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; and the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning, Georgia. 

He also served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Army Europe; Deputy Commanding General for the 25th Infantry Division; Commander, 1st Brigade (Stryker) 25th Infantry Division; Commander,  2nd Battalion 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division; the Joint Staff, J-8; Army Staff, Strategy and War Plans Division G3/5/7 in the Pentagon; Aide-de-Camp, Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; Executive Officer to Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Assistant Professor and Deputy Director, Center for Enhanced Performance, West Point and Infantry Assignment Officer, HRC.

General Brown holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Education from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Science in National Security and Strategic Studies (Distinguished Graduate) from National Defense University.
General Brown retired after more than 38 years of service. He was a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Association of the United States Army before becoming President & CEO in October 2021.

He and his wife, Patti, have three daughters, three sons-in-law and seven grandchildren.

Lieutenant General David D. Halverson, retired on June 30, 2016 from the United States Army after over 37 years of service. On 1 October, he became the Chief Executive Officer of Cypress International Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia. On 1 January 2018, he became the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

He grew up in Babbitt, Minnesota and graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science Degree and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery. He attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he was awarded a Master of Science degree in Operations Research and Systems Analysis. He graduated from the Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Executive Development Program at the University of North Carolina.

Dave’s last active duty assignment was the U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, where he transformed the business approach to the global installation management and programmed the $19B annual energy, general services, force protection, construction and quality of life programs for over 154 installations in the Total Army. He has served in various staff and leadership positions including command at every level from Battery to Post Command to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command. He has served in Continental America, Europe, Korea, Panama, and South West Asia. His staff positions, focused on program development, testing, concept and requirement development, strategic planning, cost-benefit and risk analysis, with assignments as the Senior Military Analyst in the Joint Wargaming and Policy Division of the U.S. Southern Command in Panama, joint requirements and Army budget development in positions such as the Commander in Chief Team Chief in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army, Program, Analysis, and Evaluation Directorate. He was the Central Command J3, Chief of Plans, and planned, coordinated, and executed war plans for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM after 9-11. He deployed as the Deputy Commanding General (Support) for the 4th Infantry Division for OIF 5/7. After his deployment, he assumed duties on the Army Staff, as the Director of Operations, Readiness, and Mobilization, G-3 and then became the Director of Force Development, G-8, where he developed the RDT&E investment, modernization and equipping programs for the Army totaling $200B across the POM. He transformed the training and modernization as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where the Air Defense and Field Artillery merged under one post. Dave served as the Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command where the newest doctrine and concepts were developed, along with leader development, training and learning models programs were revamped.

His military education includes the Field Artillery Basic and Advanced Courses, the Armed Forces Staff College, the Army War College, and the British Higher Command and Staff College.

He is a lifetime member of the Association of the US Army, a lifetime member of the Field Artillery Association and the Air Defense Association. He is on the Board of Director’s for the Armed Services YMCA, the President of the National Field Artillery Association, Leadership Council for the Legal Services Corporation, a Board Member of the Youth Impact Program, and he is on the Senior Advisory Group for the Commanding General at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. LTG Halverson’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Cluster, Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Joint Unit Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Staff Badge, and the Parachutist Badge.

Commandant, United States Army Field Artillery School

BG Stephen J. (Steve) Maranian was born and raised near Boston, Massachusetts. He is a 1988 graduate of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania from which he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery. He holds a Masters of Arts degree in Human Resources Development from Webster University, and a Masters of Strategic Studies degree from the Army War College. His military education includes the Field Artillery Basic and Advanced Courses, the Command and General Staff Officer’s Course, the Army War College, and the NATO Defense College.

BG Maranian’s commands include two batteries in the 1st Cavalry Division Artillery, 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, and the 19th Battlefield Coordination Detachment. He has served in Field Artillery staff positions including tours as Brigade Fire Support Officer, 173rd Airborne Brigade; Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery; and Executive Officer, 1st Infantry Division Artillery. Additional staff assignments include service as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff G3, 1st Infantry Division; Executive Officer for the Headquarters Department of the Army Director of Training; Special Assistant and later Executive Officer for the Commanding General, United States Army Europe; and most recently Chief of Staff, United States Army Africa/Southern European Task Force.

BG Maranian has extensive overseas experience having completed 10 overseas tours in six countries, including deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait, and he is a Defense Language Institute trained Greek linguist.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit (3rd Award), Bronze Star Medal (2nd Award), the Meritorious Service Medal (5th Award), the Army Commendation Medal (7th Award), the Air Force Commendation Medal (2nd Award), the Army Achievement Medal (5th Award), and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal. He is also authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Army Staff Identification Badge, and the Canadian Parachutist Badge. BG Maranian is married to Cynthia Hall Maranian of Stedman, North Carolina.

Program Executive Officer, Missile and Space

Mr. Pike is the Program Executive Officer, Missiles and Space, Redstone Arsenal, Al. He is responsible for the development, production, fielding, sustainment, and international program aspects for assigned missile and space systems. In January 2016, Mr. Pike was promoted to Senior Executive Service, Tier II.

Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Pike was the Deputy Program Executive Officer, Missiles and Space, which he assumed in 2010. Mr. Pike was selected for the Senior Executive Service in January 2010.

Mr. Pike served as the PEO MS Chief of Staff from 2005-2010. From 1992- 1999, he served in a variety of key leadership positions in the Army National Missile Defense Ground Based Elements Program Office including the Deputy Program Manager, Chief of the Program and Acquisition Management Division, Assistant Program Manager for Program Planning, and Chief of the System Engineering and Analysis Branch. In the DPM position, he shared responsibility with the SES Program Manager in directing the development, testing, integration, and deployment planning of the ground-based NMD elements including the ground-based interceptor, ground-based radar, and associated battle management/command, control, and communications capability.

In 1991, Mr. Pike was selected for a prestigious one-year developmental assignment in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition at the Pentagon. He led the THAAD Milestone I Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) coordination efforts across the Services, Joint Staff, and OSD Staff.

From 1988-1991, Mr. Pike led the Army’s Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Initiative and was assigned as the Army focal point for ASAT management. He led the program through the Milestone 0 and Milestone I DAB Reviews resulting in the initiation of the Kinetic Energy (KE) ASAT program and the establishment of the KE ASAT Joint Program Office. In the KE ASAT JPO, Mr. Pike led various systems engineering teams.

Mr. Pike has received numerous government and defense industry awards including two Meritorious Civilian Service Awards, two Superior Civilian Service Awards, two Commander’s Awards for Civilian Service, the OSD Award for Excellence, the National Defense Industrial Association Materiel Acquisition Award, and the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara’s for Air Defense Artillery. He has also been nominated three times for the Redstone/Huntsville AUSA Civilian of the Year Award. He is Level III certified in Program Management and Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering career fields.

Mr. Pike is a native of Hartselle, Al. He graduated with honors from Auburn University with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Chemical Engineering. While at Auburn, he was elected to the Student Government Association Senate and was a member of numerous professional engineering organizations and honor societies including Tau Beta Pi. He is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition University Program Management Course and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.

Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation

John Gordon IV is a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. He joined RAND in 1997 after a 20-year U.S. Army career and has since participated in and led numerous studies for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Departments of the Army and Navy. Gordon has authored or coauthored several RAND studies on counterinsurgency and irregular warfare. He has led or participated in RAND research projects for the governments of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, and Germany. Gordon is also an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown and George Mason universities, where he teaches graduate-level courses on counterinsurgency and military operations. He has written numerous articles on military subjects that have appeared in a variety of professional journals. Gordon received his Ph.D. in public policy from George Mason University.

Dean, Defense Acquisition University, South Region

Mr. Mark D. Lumb is currently serving as the Dean of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), South Region, Huntsville, Al. As the Dean he is responsible for the delivery of Defense Acquisition Improvement Act (DAWIA) functional training and defense acquisition consulting services to a diverse set of defense acquisition organizations in the southeastern United States. DAU-South is comprised of three campuses spanning 8 states and reaching over 35,000 government employees in 12 career fields in the Defense Acquisition Workforce. Since arriving at DAU in 2002, Mr. Lumb has served in a variety of positions including Professor of Acquisition Program Management where he was recognized for excellence and innovation in adult education and as the Director of Program Development where he was instrumental in the deployment of a professional forum for sharing on-line learning best practices for regional education institutions in the greater Tennessee Valley. Mr Lumb was most recently the chairman of the DAU-South Acquisition Program Management Department. In this position Mr Lumb pioneered a number of innovative training delivery methods and garnered recognition for efficiency and effectiveness.

Mr Lumb also serves as the Executive Director of DAU’s Army Senior Service College Fellowship Program (SSCFP), a unique, Military Education Level I equivalent leadership program for the Army’s senior acquisition civilians.

Mr. Lumb was the DAU representative to the 2006 Defense Acquisition Program Assessment (DAPA) Panel which was the most comprehensive review of defense acquisition practices since the 1986 Packard Commission. Mr Lumb was directly involved with the DAPA recommendation which lead to the creation of a training and certification program for the Armed Service’s requirements generation communities. He was also deeply involved in the 2007 Defense Acquisition Structures and Capabilities Review, also known as the section “814 study.” He played a key role in one of the 814 Study’s major products which was an in-depth survey of the contractor component of the Defense Acquisition Workforce. The Defense Acquisition and Structures Capability Review is best known for leading to the creation of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund (aka sec 852).

Mr. Lumb is a retired U.S. Army Infantry Officer with multiple field and acquisition assignments. His Army career included assignments with Redstone Arsenal’s Unmanned Ground Vehicles Joint Project Office (UGVJPO) where he played a pivotal role in the development of man portable ground robots later deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr Lumb served at the Ft Benning, Georgia Office of the TRADOC Systems Manager for Anti-Tank Missiles (TSM-AT), where he was in charge of the effort to modernize the requirements for the Army’s TOW missile system. Mr. Lumb’s last active duty assignment was as in the Utility Helicopter Program Management Office where he served as the Product Manager (provisional) for the UH60M upgrade program and was responsible for shepherding the UH60M through a successful Milestone B decision.