South Carolina’s cybersecurity leadership bench reflects a mix of higher education, federal mission support, financial services, defense, and entrepreneur-led innovation. The women in this feature show how cyber leadership in the state is shaped not only by formal security roles, but also by adjacent executive positions that influence resilience, enterprise protection, governance, and workforce development. Some are leading inside major institutions and regulated environments, while others are building companies, shaping federal cyber strategy, or helping translate security into practical outcomes for underserved organizations. That range is part of what makes South Carolina worth watching. It is a state where cybersecurity leadership increasingly extends across education, public mission, private enterprise, and national security.
Diana Parr StMarie — Cybersecurity Instructor, University of South Carolina
Diana Parr StMarie is a Cybersecurity Instructor at the University of South Carolina, where she teaches courses in building secure software as well as cyber warfare and policy. Her role in the classroom is only one part of a broader cyber leadership profile that includes advising the national security community and applying cybersecurity expertise in the commercial sector through board leadership and investments. Before joining the University of South Carolina, she served as Senior Principal Cyber Advisor to the Department of Defense through SAIC, directly supporting US Cyber Command leadership on defensive and full-spectrum military cyberspace operations, and earlier held cybersecurity strategy roles at Bank of America, the Department of Defense, and other government organizations. She stands out for the way she connects cyber operations, policy, strategy, and education, while also helping shape future cybersecurity professionals.
Sallie Sweeney — Vice President of Cybersecurity Services, Edgewater Federal Solutions, Inc.
Sallie Sweeney is Vice President of Cybersecurity Services at Edgewater Federal Solutions, where she helps shape cyber strategy, build enterprise capabilities, lead rapid prototyping efforts, and drive delivery excellence across engagements. Her background includes leadership roles at 9th Way Insignia, Leidos, KPMG, General Dynamics Information Technology, Apprio, and other organizations, with experience spanning federal, defense, health, and state and local government missions. Across those roles, she has led solution architecture, Zero Trust strategy, cybersecurity program delivery, business growth, and high-profile client engagements in highly regulated environments. She stands out for combining executive vision, technical credibility, and a people-first approach, while remaining deeply involved in mentoring and advancing the cybersecurity workforce.
Katie Arrington — CIO, IonQ
Katie Arrington is Chief Information Officer at IonQ, where she oversees the protection and modernization of global enterprise systems, digital assets, supply chains, and operational and cyber resilience. Her current role builds on senior federal cybersecurity and technology leadership, including service as DoD CIO and earlier as Chief Information Security Officer for Acquisition and Sustainment, where she helped develop and implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. Her broader background includes leadership roles at Exiger, Booz Allen Hamilton, Centuria, and Dispersive Technologies, along with public service as a South Carolina state representative. She stands out for her blend of government, defense, and industry experience, and for a career centered on strengthening secure technology access for warfighters, government agencies, and industry.
Tracey Hughes — Vice President of Information Security, Pathward
Tracey Hughes is Vice President of Information Security at Pathward, where she leads enterprise Identity and Access Management and Security Governance, Risk and Compliance. Her work includes driving enterprise strategy and roadmaps for IAM, information security program governance, third-party risk management, security awareness, audit and compliance, and regulatory alignment across frameworks such as SOX, GLBA, FFIEC, PCI, CIS, and NIST. Before joining Pathward, she held cybersecurity leadership roles at Kudelski Security, IBM, Deloitte, and IBM Security Professional Services, with a long track record in IAM implementation, policy and standards, global awareness programs, and consulting for large organizations. She stands out for her depth in IAM and GRC, along with her ability to pair strategic roadmap development with hands-on execution across complex enterprise environments.
Yvonne Rivera — CEO / CISO / Co-Founder, CyberMyte
Yvonne Rivera is CEO, CISO, and Co-Founder of CyberMyte, a company focused on helping small businesses meet federal cybersecurity requirements without the cost and complexity of enterprise-scale approaches. Through CyberMyte, she has led the development of cybersecurity strategies, system security plans, contingency plans, vulnerability assessments, and scalable compliance-focused solutions, including a secure cloud platform designed to support small businesses pursuing CMMC compliance. Her earlier work includes national security and public-sector cybersecurity roles at Imagine Believe Realize, ManTech, GRSi, USAREUR, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, and the U.S. Army, where she led RMF efforts, accreditation work, compliance programs, and infrastructure security initiatives. She stands out for making cybersecurity more practical and accessible, especially for small businesses, veterans, women, and minority-owned organizations.
Where South Carolina’s Cyber Leadership Reaches Beyond One Lane
The leaders in this South Carolina feature reflect a cybersecurity ecosystem that is broader than any single title or sector. Their work touches higher education, federal missions, defense, financial services, startup and small-business enablement, and enterprise resilience, with each bringing a different lens on what strong cyber leadership looks like. Together, they show that South Carolina’s influence in cybersecurity comes not just from technical capability, but from the ability to connect security to education, mission readiness, economic opportunity, and long-term trust.
Explore more profiles of the amazing women shaping cybersecurity across numerous industries in our Women’s Month collection.