Meet the Staff

  • Russell Pierce

    DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

    Russell Pierce is a retired Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard. Having served in both the Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy, he is a veteran at heart. Following the military, he worked in telecom - specifically fiber optic network solutions - retiring in 2015 as a director of sales to the US Government.

  • Matt Sherrard

    WEB MASTER AND SENIOR INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT SPECIALIST

    Matt Sherrard is a self-proclaimed "technology nerd" who began tinkering with computers more than 40 years ago. His current consulting business, Sherrard Solutions, was founded in 2009 and continues to pursue its mission to help clients use technology to solve problems effectively.

  • Kathleen O'Hair

    SUPERVISORY INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT SPECIALIST

    Kathleen O’Hair is a graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a major in Homeland Security and Intelligence with a minor in Terrorism Studies. She is pursuing higher education at the University of South Florida. She is majoring in Geography, with a concentration in Human Geography.

  • Marc Zavarro

    INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT SPECIALIST

    Marc Zavarro is a junior at Emory University and its Goizueta School of Business majoring in pre-Diplomacy Political Science and International Business. He has consulted domestic and international clients on cybersecurity, business operations, and marketing communication.

  • Madalena "Mada" Cantacessi

    INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT SPECIALIST

    Madalena Cantacessi recently graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a bachelor’s degree in Global Security and Intelligence Studies. She was honored with the Outstanding Graduate Award and the Distinguished Graduate Award for her academic and professional achievements. Madalena has experience creating physical security plans for high-risk environments and working as an OSINT analyst.

  • Deering "Desi" Shaw

    INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT SPECIALIST

    Deering Shaw is a senior at Shawnigan Lake School in BC, Canada, with an interest in global policy, national security, and analysis. She was the 2023 winner of the CEPA Policy Pitching Competition and was a speaker at the 2023 IV Fulbright Canada Colloquium. Deering has experience in developing security plans for at-risk educational institutions.

  • Bennett Paine

    INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT SPECIALIST

    Bennett Paine is a senior in the Global Conflict Studies degree program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. His minors include Terrorism Studies and Intelligence. Bennett is working towards attending law school after completing his undergraduate at Embry-Riddle.

8-Hour Counterterrorism Modules