Maryland’s cybersecurity leadership bench is shaped by a distinctive mix of government, critical infrastructure, research institutions, federal missions, and public-sector innovation. The women in this feature reflect that range, with roles spanning cyber resilience, emerging technologies, enterprise risk, federal cybersecurity operations, and security leadership inside large technology environments. Some are leading formal security programs, while others are driving impact through governance, policy, education, and strategic modernization. That breadth is part of what makes Maryland such an important state in the cybersecurity landscape. It is a place where cyber leadership often sits at the intersection of mission, regulation, public trust, and long-term national relevance.
Netta Squires — Executive Director, Center for Critical Infrastructure Security
Netta Squires is Executive Director of the Center for Critical Infrastructure Security, bringing a background that combines cybersecurity strategy, resilience, emergency management, legal training, and public-sector leadership. She also serves as President of Government Affairs, Cybersecurity, & Resilience at Open District Solutions, where she leads consulting work focused on cybersecurity and crisis management. Her earlier experience includes serving as Maryland’s first Director of Local Cybersecurity, along with roles in emergency management, law and policy analysis, and public safety across state and local organizations. She stands out for her multidisciplinary approach to security and resilience, especially her focus on whole-of-state cybersecurity, data-informed decision-making, public-private collaboration, and governance models that support secure adoption of emerging technologies.
Kimberly Mentzell — Director of Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies (Quantum and AI), Maryland Department of Commerce
Kimberly Mentzell serves as Director of Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies (Quantum and AI) for the Maryland Department of Commerce, where she helps position cybersecurity, aerospace, AI, and quantum as strategic industries for the state. Her role includes coordinating cyber efforts across Maryland, supporting the growth of the quantum ecosystem, and helping advance the implementation of artificial intelligence across the region through the Governor’s AI Sub-Cabinet. Before becoming director, she served as Cybersecurity Program Manager at Commerce and built earlier experience across networking, programming, education, IT management, and cyber instruction. She stands out for the breadth of her technology background and for the way she connects cybersecurity with workforce development, economic growth, emerging technologies, and statewide ecosystem building.
Maureen Falvella — Acting Chief Information Officer, NIH
Maureen Falvella is Acting Chief Information Officer at the National Institutes of Health and previously served as NIH Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Cybersecurity. In these roles, she has led NIH-wide IT and cybersecurity strategy and operations across 27 institutes, centers, and offices, overseeing compliance, enterprise modernization, incident response, data protection, and security operations for a highly complex biomedical research environment. Earlier roles at NIH and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute included CISO and information system security leadership, where she focused on protecting sensitive research, healthcare, and administrative systems. She stands out for her deep federal cybersecurity experience and for her ability to lead modernization and security efforts in one of the country’s most important scientific and health research institutions.
Linda D. Dorsey — Cybersecurity Director / Sector CISO / Privacy & Security Officer, General Dynamics Information Technology
Linda D. Dorsey is Cybersecurity Director / Sector CISO / Privacy & Security Officer at General Dynamics Information Technology, where she works in executive security leadership roles supporting large enterprise portfolios. Her background includes more than 25 years of experience driving enterprise security, privacy, and compliance strategies across federal and state programs serving millions of citizens. Before her current role, she served as Privacy & Security Officer and Deputy CISO at GDIT, and earlier held senior security leadership roles at CSC and CSRA. She stands out for her long record of aligning cybersecurity strategy with operational and business objectives, reducing organizational risk, and leading complex compliance and security efforts across mission-driven environments.
Kallie Smith — Cyber Risk Management Manager, Maryland Department of Information Technology
Kallie Smith is Cyber Risk Management Manager at the Maryland Department of Information Technology, bringing a background rooted in information security, governance, privacy, and regulated healthcare and technology environments. Before joining the state, she served as Vice President Information Security Officer at ECRI and previously held information security leadership roles at Aledade, NewWave Telecom & Technologies, Venable LLP, and the University of Maryland Medical System. Her experience spans security by design, HIPAA risk assessments, privacy auditing and monitoring, compliance awareness, technical remediation, and broader information security management. She stands out for her practical, business-aligned view of cybersecurity and for her focus on embedding security into organizational culture and decision-making rather than treating it as a separate control function.
Where Maryland’s Cyber Leadership Meets Mission
The leaders in this Maryland feature reflect a state where cybersecurity is closely tied to public mission, critical infrastructure, health research, technology growth, and government modernization. Their roles differ in scope, but each one operates in environments where resilience, trust, and responsible decision-making matter at a very high level. Together, they show why Maryland continues to matter in cybersecurity not just as a center of technical talent, but as a place where leadership is shaped by policy, operations, education, and long-term strategic impact.
Explore more profiles of the amazing women shaping cybersecurity across numerous industries in our Women’s Month collection.