Role

I’m responsible for overseeing a bunch of smart people pushing the boundaries of what we can do with AI for our customers by focusing on building deployable solutions that incorporate the latest AI technology and approaches. 

Q&A

What are you passionate about?  

I’m really excited about new technologies, particularly Generative AI and 3D printing (I own two 3D printers). These innovations are truly empowering consumers by making advanced tools and capabilities more accessible. They are starting to break down the traditional scarcity economy, turning both knowledge and many physical items into commodities. It’s fascinating to watch how these changes will shape society, and I hope it will be for the better.

What drew you to ManTech?

I had been working in healthcare IT for a while and had a chance to work with a number of people at ManTech as a subcontractor on a data sharing project. I saw how dedicated and passionate they were and when one of them reached out to me to ask if I’d like to interview, I jumped at the chance. I would say it is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made regarding my career. 

What do you like most about ManTech?

I’ve been with ManTech for over a decade, and one of the things I truly appreciate is its perfect balance of size. It’s large enough to provide support like a large company and has a diverse array of projects, yet it maintains a small-company atmosphere. This allows you to make a meaningful impact and connect with a wide variety of colleagues.

What is or has been the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?

One of my projects was developing software for cancer treatment systems. It was very eye-opening to see both the radiation planning and dosing machines and how they treat patients up close and how IT management supports the chemotherapy process.

What advice do you have for those looking to start a career in Data and AI?

With the advent and rapid progression of generative AI, entirely new realms of opportunities are emerging. Just as the proliferation of smartphones and the Internet gave rise to new career paths like influencers and YouTube creators, we’re going to see similar opportunities with AI. I would recommend focusing on two primary areas. First, educate yourself on the capabilities of foundation models, keeping track of their development and what can be achieved with them. Second, explore new approaches for using these models, such as AI agents. If you’re currently working in a technology field, look for ways to solve problems using these technologies for your existing clients. For those not currently in the field, being able to apply AI to solutions will be critical in the future.

What’s the coolest thing you’re working on now?

Currently, my team and I are focused on developing autonomous AI agents. These agents have the remarkable ability to solve problems without human intervention and collaborate with other agents or applications to deliver sophisticated solutions all while operating within a human-defined context defined by guardrails coded into the agents that prevent the agents from completing tasks humans dont believe agents should act upon. The potential impact of this agent-based approach to solve our customers problems is immense. We are continuously pushing the limits of what these agents can achieve. We have found that tasks that typically take a team of developers months to complete are now being accomplished using agents in just a few days. What’s particularly exciting is that this innovation shifts AI from the front end, where humans usually interact with it, to the backend, letting enterprise systems join in the Generative AI revolution.

What do you wish people understood about Data and AI?

It is important to understand that while the advancements in AI technology over the past five years have been remarkable—almost like something out of science fiction—these technologies don’t provide value on their own. For AI to be genuinely useful, it needs to be seamlessly integrated into existing systems. This means connecting it to resources such as databases, document stores, and external services so that it can effectively understand and work with the data it processes.

How do you balance career and home life?

Balancing career and home life has always been a priority for me. I maintain a clear boundary between work and personal time. With three daughters, the youngest of whom is starting college this fall, it’s crucial for me to put my family first. Work is important as well, so my approach is to stay organized, avoid procrastination (this is really important), and concentrate on completing my tasks efficiently. This has enabled me to make time for my family.

What’s your favorite place in the world?

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a bit and grew up in Hawaii and Florida, so I’ve seen many beautiful places, but I think my favorite place is Paris, France. One of my daughters studied abroad there recently, and we had a chance to go there again to visit her and see the city more like locals and I never get tired of it. Especially the bread.

How do you stay current with the latest advancements in your field?

In addition to the usual answer of attending conferences and continuing education, I recommend three great sources: YouTube, Reddit, and arXiv.org. Reddit is great for hearing about new AI projects usually with GitHub links, YouTube for summarizing a lot of the recent product announcements, and arXiv.org for a deeper dive via technical papers