LEXINGTON PARK, Md. (Dec. 1, 2025) — More than 200 defense industry professionals, government leaders and contractors gathered Nov. 19 at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center for the third annual Defense Summit presented by The Patuxent Partnership. The day-long event centered on the theme “Technology, Innovation and Capability to the Warfighter” and featured senior-level speakers and panel discussions despite complications from the recent federal government shutdown.
Bonnie Green, executive director of The Patuxent Partnership, opened the summit by acknowledging the logistical hurdles created by the shutdown. Many scheduled speakers could not confirm participation until the last moment because of federal travel and speaking restrictions. Green praised the flexibility of presenters and attendees that allowed the full program to proceed without interruption.
Summit Moderator, Mr. Steve Spehn, Deputy Science Advisor. European Command
Panelists, Steve Wills, PhD, Navalist, Center for Maritime Strategy,
John F Lehman III, Vice President of Strategy, Corporate Development and Government Relations for Abyss Defense Industries
Moderator, Mr. Travis Methvin, CDW-G, Former Deputy Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Partnerships at PEO Digital, Panelists,
Mr. David Meiser, SSTM, Technical Director, NAWCAD Systems,
Mr. Ken Senechal, Senior Technical Advisor, Supporting the Test Resource Management Center
Moderator: Mr. Rick Tarr, SOMD Tech Bridge & Tech Transfer Office Director
Co-Moderator: Mr. Kedar Pavgi, Director, Commercial Strategy and Operations at the Defense Innovation Unit
Mr. Garth Blakely, Director of Government Business Development and Strategy, Castelion
Mr. Todd Wesley, Senior of Hivemind Solutions, Strike Portfolio, Shield Ai
Mr. Andrew Thomson, Director of Growth and Development, Anduril Industries
All photos courtesy of The Patuxent Partnership
Steve Spehn, technology development advisor for U.S. European Command, served as master of ceremonies and provided transitions between sessions.
The morning keynote on cybersecurity was delivered by Mieke Eoyang, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. Eoyang highlighted risks associated with on-premise data centers versus cloud storage, citing Ukraine’s rapid migration of sensitive security data to commercial cloud providers after Russian strikes destroyed physical infrastructure early in the 2022 invasion. She stressed that distributed cloud architecture can preserve critical information even when physical sites are targeted.
Jim Woolsey, former president of the Defense Acquisition University, followed with a presentation titled “AI Implications for the DOD Workforce and Beyond.” Woolsey demonstrated practical applications of artificial intelligence in acquisition, including tools that translate complex legislative and regulatory language into plain English and help refine requirements documents. Audience members immediately requested copies of his slides during the question-and-answer period.
Russell Rumbaugh, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller and the 2024 summit keynote speaker, returned to discuss acquisition reform across naval aviation and shipbuilding programs. He described repeated calls for transformational change in defense acquisition but noted that meaningful structural reform has remained elusive.
A mid-morning panel on digital transformation featured Travis Methvin of CDW-G, who previously served as deputy chief strategy officer at PEO Digital; David Meiser, senior scientific technical manager and technical director for systems engineering at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division; and Ken Senechal of KBR, senior technical advisor to the Test Resource Management Center.
After lunch, attention turned to U.S. shipbuilding challenges. Naval analyst Steve Wills, PhD, from the Center for Maritime Strategy, and John Lehman III, a former naval aviator and shipbuilding executive, examined the difficulties of modernizing American shipyards to meet Navy and Coast Guard requirements while also supporting commercial maritime needs. The panelists emphasized the continuing strategic importance of aircraft carriers in power projection.
Steve Cricchi, executive director of NAWCAD, provided an update titled “The View from NAWCAD Forward,” outlining emerging capabilities and the imperative to expand industrial and technical capacity in the Patuxent River complex.
The final session explored nontraditional technology acquisition and the use of Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs). Rick Tarr, director of the Southern Maryland Tech Bridge and NAWCAD Technology Transfer Office, co-moderated with Kedar Pavgi, director of commercial strategy and operations at the Defense Innovation Unit. Panelists included Drew Thomson of Anduril Industries, Todd Wesley of Shield AI, and Garth Blakely of Castelion. Discussion focused on barriers nontraditional companies face when engaging with Department of Defense requirements and how OTAs and similar flexible contracting vehicles can accelerate fielding of innovative systems.
Spehn delivered closing remarks emphasizing the need to maintain technological overmatch against peer competitors. Green concluded by recognizing summit sponsors and partners.
The Patuxent Partnership, a nonprofit that fosters collaboration between Naval Air Station Patuxent River, industry and the Southern Maryland community, has hosted the Defense Summit annually since 2023. The event serves as a regional forum for senior leaders to address acquisition, technology and workforce issues directly affecting St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties.