SPARK exists because leaders are being asked to make decisions about systems, risks, regulations, cybersecurity, AI, and recovery that did not exist when many of us started our careers.
When I got into this business, nearly 34 years ago, there was not a roadmap. There were green screens, green-bar paper, blinking cursors, and a lot of figuring things out as we went.
Technology was different. The risks were different. The people trying to cause trouble were different. And leaders had more room to learn along the way.
That room has gotten a lot smaller.
Today, technology touches nearly every part of an organization. Cybersecurity is no longer something one department can quietly handle in the background. Recovery, continuity, policy, vendors, AI, and risk all end up in the executive conversation sooner or later.
I want to help leaders stay ahead and not fall behind.
You do not need to become the cybersecurity expert. You do not need to understand every technical detail. But you do need enough clarity to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, understand the answers, and make a decision you can explain later.
My career has taken me through higher education, financial services, utilities and critical infrastructure, information technology, cybersecurity, governance, policy, disaster recovery, business continuity, risk management, and executive leadership.
That matters because most real problems do not stay in one department. A technology problem can become an operational problem. An operational problem can become a communications problem. A policy problem can become a legal or regulatory problem. And eventually, one of those problems can become a leadership problem.
A policy nobody follows is not a good policy. A recovery plan nobody has tested is not much of a recovery plan. A 200-page binder nobody can use during a crisis is not a solution.
I believe the work should be practical enough that people can use it, clear enough that leadership can understand it, and realistic enough that the organization can actually maintain it.
You will not find me trying to build a large public digital footprint. That is intentional. In this kind of work, I believe in practicing the same security and privacy habits I recommend to others.
SPARK is about relationships, trust, good questions, straight answers, and helping organizations make progress without unnecessary theater.
Practical advice. Real-world experience. Clear priorities. No unnecessary complexity.
You do not have to know what service you need before you call.