About
CBRNE Industry Group
The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) Industry Group is a non-profit association composed of 130+ companies, not-for-profit organizations, and consultants who support national and international CBRNE defense activities. In addition to military defense against CBRNE weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the CBRNE Industry Group interests encompass domestic preparedness against WMDs, the Chemical Weapons Convention and other treaties. Member organizations also are actively involved in CBRNE programs that include destruction of WMDs around the world.
Officers
Kimberly Chamblin, Ph.D., Chair
BostonDynamics Kimberly Chamblin, Ph.D. is the Director of Partnerships, Public Sector for Boston Dynamics. Prior to joining Boston Dynamics, Kim was the CBRNe Business Development and Category Manager for ADS, Inc. In this capacity, Kim called upon the JPEO, DHS and other key government stakeholders. Kim is passionate about CBRNe threat mitigation and emergency response. Prior to joining ADS, Kim served as a Legislative Affairs Consultant to the J1/8 and in the J5 at U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Kim proudly served as a GS14 at the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office from 2006-2008. She started her federal career at the Department of Energy/NNSA after graduating with an M.A.I.A. from American University in 2001. She holds a Ph.D in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma (2016), and her dissertation, “A CASE STUDY OF A RADIATION DETECTION EQUIPMENT PROGRAM: DO THE ADVOCACY COALITION FRAMEWORK AND THE ISSUE ATTENTION CYCLE INFORM CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET DECISIONS?” addresses the challenges that face decision makers who allocate resources and drive decisions related to complex technical equipment. Kim is happiest in her roles of USMC wife and mother to three boys.
JRAD. COL Tim Greenhaw, USA, Ret, 30-year Army Chemical (CBRN) Officer, currently at Joint Research and Development Inc. as a Senior Program Manager with over a decade of experience in chemical and biological defense programs. His last active-duty assignment was at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) while serving as the Acting Director, Chemical & Biological Technologies Department. Prior to his assignment at DTRA Tim was selected for the Chief of Staff of the Army’s fellowship program with the Brookings Institution, and served as ambassador and strategic scout for senior Army leadership focused on enhancing strategic thinking, understanding and influencing policymaking at the national level. He previously served on the Joint Staff / J8 as Deputy Director for the Joint Requirements Office (JRO) for CBRND. Tim commanded the US Army Environmental Command, Fort Sam Houston, TX and served as the Deputy Director for Chemical and Biological Technologies Department at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. He also commanded the Pueblo Chemical Depot (CO), with tactical and operational tours in Fort Bragg, Korea, and Hawaii. Deployments include OIF with MNC-I / 18th Airborne Corps. Education: BA- Environmental Policy from Bowling Green State University in 1992, Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University in 2004, and Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University in 2015.
​
BIG, LLC John Wheeler has been involved in the CBRNE industry supporting the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) for over 25 years. He has overseen numerous contracts that resulted in the successful delivery of over $1B of services and products throughout the world in support of national defense. In 2005, John co-founded Veteran Corps of America (VCA) intending to hire military veterans and their families to support CBRNE and technology requirements. VCA’s motto, “We Are Veteran Enabled!” reflects a family legacy of military service that includes General Earl G. Wheeler, 46-year Army veteran and longest-serving Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (1964-1970). In 2013, John was awarded the Order of the Dragon by the Chemical Corps Regimental Association for his ongoing patronage and support. Prior to being acquired by INTERFUZE Corporation in 2017, VCA provided over $1M to numerous veteran charities and support events and was named to the Inc 500 four times, including #30. In 2020, John left VCA to form Bullock Island Group (www.goBIG.llc) to support strategic relationship development, public policy, and natural resources conservation. In addition, he is President of the Jefferson Islands Club (www.theJIC.org), a 501c non-profit formed in 1931 whose mission is to support bipartisanship and compromise in Government leadership. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Virginia and resides in Clifton, Virginia with his wife Jennifer.
Jeff Lesho, Ph.D., Secretary
jeffl@dasystemsinc.com |
Phone: (240) 300-3765
Defense Architecture Systems Dr. Lesho is a Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Defense Architecture Systems specializing in Systems Architecture and Engineering, Chem-Bio sensor integration and satellite instrumentation production. Previously a Principal Professional Staff Engineer in the National Security Analysis Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory with 32 years of technical experience, 10 years in line management and 6 years of program management experience, including writing proposals, technical guidance and producing contract deliverables. At APL, Dr. Lesho was the Group Supervisor of the Systems and Software Engineering Group which focuses on national security issues including communications, networking, health care and intelligence technology. Manager of 35 engineers working on enterprise architectures, software integration, special mission networks, assured communications and systems optimization. Previously, he was the chief engineer leading the Development Cell for the Global Combatting WMD Awareness System. Dr. Lesho has expertise in electrical and biomedical engineering, intelligence analysis, counter WMD and counter IED engineering, data analysis, software design, materials science and engineering, organizational development and leadership. In the biomedical area, his work involved ingestible and implantable biomedical telemetry devices, prosthetics, human robot interaction and catheter launched diagnostic devices, with 14 US Patents. In the intelligence area, he invented a method that maps insurgent activities which is included in the CENTCOM campaign plan. He led the effort to deploy defense in depth Chem-Bio sensors to border crossings and has a practical understanding of chemical and biological based sensors. He has grown a 20 person organization to a 55 person organization and then reorganized it into two groups and then into a new department. He has experience as the lead engineer in the design and deployment of space-qualified hardware with over 10 years of on-orbit operations and has taken instruments from the conceptual stage through flight qualification testing, launch, on-orbit operations, data analysis and publication of results in peer-review journals. He teaches 3 graduate-level classes for the Johns Hopkins University, in Human Robotics Interactions, Sensor Systems Engineering and Sensors and Systems for Homeland Security. He has been Secretary of the Group for several years.
Directors
Carolanne O'Neil, Executive Director
carolanne@caoneil.com | contact@cbrneig.com
Phone: (703) 989-8789
CAO Carolanne O’Neil is the owner of CAO, a woman-owned small business specializing in CBRN consulting and award-winning creative design. A graduate of the College of Arts + Architecture Graphic Design program at Penn State University, Carolanne brings over 20 years of experience in branding, identity systems, invitations, retail and corporate marketing, publication design, and event management.
Previously, she served as Vice President of Marketing for Domenix, contributing to innovative solutions supporting defense and national security. Earlier in her career, Carolanne joined Veteran Corps — now Interfuze — where she expanded her focus into the defense sector full time, supporting critical missions through marketing, branding, and strategic communication efforts.​ Carolanne has been an active member of the CBRNE Industry Group for the past 12 years, proudly promoting the group through her design and management of the CBRNE Industry Group event engagement and promotional initiatives. Through CAO, based in the Washington, D.C. metro area, she focuses on delivering brand strategy, marketing, and high-impact visual communications that help organizations enhance acquisition pull, stakeholder engagement, and mission success.​ She excels at translating complex technical topics into accessible, engaging narratives and materials, partnering with government agencies and industry leaders to elevate visibility, influence, and market presence. Carolanne is also a member of CLONE: CBRNE Ladies Only Network, and actively supports the Chemical Corps Regimental Association, managing golf events that help raise significant donations for the Corps and foster community engagement with soldiers. Her work has earned recognition for excellence in design, innovation, and event execution across diverse CBRN initiatives.
Wake Forest School of Medicine The Regenerative Medicine Hub continues to grow and attract top talent with the addition of Ron Hann, PhD, a former senior level official with the Department of Defense. As Director for Technology Integration, he will be working with the RegenMed Development Organization (ReMDO), one of the driving forces behind the RegenMed Hub and its RegeneratOR programs, as well as its collaborative research partner, the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM). Hann’s areas of focus includes national and government business development. Formerly, Hann was a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), in the Department of Defense (DoD), serving as the Acting Director, Research and Development Directorate for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), located on Fort Belvoir, VA. In that role, he supported DTRA’s mission to enable the DoD and U.S. Government to prepare for and combat weapons of mass destruction and emerging threats and to ensure nuclear deterrence. From 2014-2020, he served as Director of the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, which addressed the threats posed by chemical and biological weapons. He also served as Director for the Joint Science and Technology Office, a component of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program, which was established by Congress in 2003 and tasked to coordinate, integrate, execute, and transition DoD chemical and biological science and technology medical and nonmedical programs. “WFIRM and its collaborating research partner, ReMDO, have a long history of DoD research funded programs to develop regenerative medicine therapies for wounded warriors,” said WFIRM Director Anthony Atala, MD. “The addition of Hann and his wealth of experience in military leadership positions and commercial product translation is invaluable.” Gary Green, EdD, Chief Operating Officer for ReMDO, said Hann would play a valuable role in the mission of the RegenMed Hub -- to bring together resources and partnerships. “Dr. Hann will be instrumental in helping us continue to build and expand the regenerative medicine ecosystem.” The RegenMed Hub is the one of the fastest growing intersections of biotechnology innovation and business in the nation and is centered in and around the Innovation Quarter district in Winston-Salem, NC, which is focused on research, biomedical science education, and business. For Hann, moving on from the DoD, but remaining involved in research efforts through WFIRM and the RegenMed Development Organization (ReMDO), was a good fit. “The opportunity to be a part of these organizations and help support the advancement of regenerative medicine technologies is exciting,” he said.- “As a combat veteran, it is important to me that our warfighters get the best healthcare possible, especially when they are wounded in action. I like to tell my friends there is still a lot of camouflage covering my heart. Regenerative medicine has been at the forefront of improving the quality of life of our wounded veterans for decades and I see a spectacular future ahead in this scientific discipline.” Hann retired from the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in 2014, following nearly 27 years of active-duty service. Assignments included command and staff positions at all levels within the Army. Academically, Hann served two tours as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Researcher at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. While there, he professionally developed the Army’s next generation of future leaders. He is a decorated combat veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also served in the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Operation Joint Forge. Hann holds bachelors and master’s degrees in chemistry from the College of William and Mary and a doctorate in organic synthesis from the University of Virginia.
Hexagon US Federal Neil A. Cohen has served on the CBRNE Industry Group board in different capacities since 2009 and has led new membership recruitment as well as current member outreach. Neil has been actively involved in the CBRNe GovCon space since 2002. Neil serves as Executive Account Manager, All Hazards-Emerging Threats for Hexagon US Federal, the US-based IT provider and system integrator for all Hexagon AB technology, including PNT, C4ISR, Geospatial Intelligence, Public Safety, Digital Twins, and more. Neil has over 30 years’ experience in sales, marketing, and business development, has earned his B.A. from The College of New Jersey in 1989 and his M.B.A. from Marymount University in 2000. Neil also has written four published fiction and non-fiction books. He is married with two daughters.
Cullin Consulting After 18 years working in various roles in commercial industry and almost 15 as a US DOD Civilian, Dr. Cullin formed Cullin Consulting, LLC to provide strategic business growth and technology commercialization consulting services to his clients. Prior to this, Dave served as Vice President of Technology and Product Management for Teledyne FLIR Defense. In this role, he led a team focused on product innovation, commercialization and developing transformative customer solutions to grow Teledyne’s market position. Dave served in many capacities within the Teledyne FLIR Defense organization. He was General Manager of the Teledyne FLIR Defense Unmanned and Integrated Solutions business, overseeing a broad portfolio of unmanned aerial and ground systems. He served as General Manager of Teledyne FLIR’s Detection business, comprising a wide range of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) sensors, as well as systems integration capability, all mainly serving the global defense and security markets. Before Teledyne Technologies acquired FLIR Systems in 2021, Dave was General Manager of FLIR’s CBRNE business unit, where he developed and brought to market a suite of CBRNE sensors and integrated systems. Earlier, Dave was Chief Technology Officer of FLIR Government Systems after they acquired ICx Technologies, which he had joined in 2005. Before moving to the private sector, Dave enjoyed a successful 15-year career with the U.S. Department of Defense, starting in 1991 as a Research Chemist with the Naval Surface Warfare Center. In 1996, he assumed duties as NSWCDD Project Manager of the Portal Shield Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration Program, supporting the Joint Program Office for Biological Defense (JPO-BD). In 1998, Dave was named Director of JPO-BD’s Critical Reagents Program, where he managed procurement and fielding for all of DoD’s reagent-based consumables as well as a robust research and development effort. From 2003 until 2005, he served as Director of Technology at the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense and was focused on transitioning new technologies into advanced development and procurement programs. Dave earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, and his master’s and doctorate degrees in Physical Chemistry from The Ohio State University.
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Boston University in 1995, COL(R) Eric Towns was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. During his 27 years as a CBRN Officer, Eric served in a variety of command assignments, including command of the 5th Special Forces Group’s CBRN Detachment, 63rd Chemical Company, 22d CBRN Battalion (Technical Escort), and the U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Leonard Wood. Additionally, Eric held numerous enterprise-level staff positions, including serving as the Chemical Corps’ Chief of Officer Training, the Chemical Corps’ Human Resources Branch Manager, and the Chief of Materiel Requirements for the Army Engineer, Military Police, and CBRN Branches. Eric also deployed to Afghanistan, Cuba, and Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism. His final assignment on active duty was as the Deputy Director of the Joint Requirements Office for CBRN Defense within the Joint Staff J-8. Upon retirement from the U.S. Army in 2022, Eric joined the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab as a CBRN Defense Professional. Eric holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Boston University, a Master of Science in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Strategy from the U.S. Army War College. A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Eric is married to the former Karen Gwaltney of Mililani, HI, who is an Associate Chief Counsel at the Food and Drug Administration. They have one son - Luke (age 15).
ATI MIKE STEBBINS, Ph.D is the Executive Director for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Consortium. The CWMD is an enterprise partnership between the US Government (DoD, JPEO-CBRND) and the CWMD Consortium connected through a “contract-like” Other Transaction Agreement (OTA). This OTA operates outside the Federal Acquisition Regulations and targets prototype development to understand, detect, counter and ultimately defeat exposure to weapons of mass destruction. The CWMD Consortium has nearly 400 entities comprised of industry, academia and non-profits that all have expertise in aspects of counter WMD technologies. The usage of an OTA allows government to partner with the CWMD to leverage cutting-edge R&D and develop prototypes. This gives government agencies an agile and flexible way to develop CWMD prototypes using new and innovative technology. The CWMD provides the flexibility for better public and private collaboration by providing access to innovative concepts, ideas, and technologies from traditional and non-traditional technology providers. Through the OTA with the CWMD Consortium, the JPEO-CBRND and other government customers are looking to work with new industry partners to provide soldiers with safe and effective weapons of mass destruction countermeasures. To date, the CWMD Consortium and OTA have awarded 165 unique prototyping projects valued in excess of $1B. The CWMD government customer base includes JPEO-CBRND, DTRA, PEO ACWA, DHS CWMD Office, DEVCOM CBC and others. Dr. Stebbins also serves as the Executive Director for the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC), also aligned with the JPEO and their CBRN Medical Group. The MCDC and associated OTA work in a similar manner to that of the CWMD and address the development of prototypes that diagnose, treat or prevent CBRN exposure by DoD’s warfighters. The MCDC has just over 300 members and has awarded 78 unique prototype projects valued at $8B. Dr. Stebbins has been with the MCDC (2016) and CWMD (2017) since inception and has a 15-year history with ATI (the Consortium Management Firm), managing numerous FAR and OTA-based programs as well as business development. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the College of Charleston and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Chair Emeritus
Year Chair Organization When Chair
1996-1997 Bill Richardson Bill Richardson Consulting
1997-1998 Marilyn Ripin JAYCOR
1998-1999 Manuel Sanches System Planning Corp
1999-2000 John Carrico SRI International
2000-2001 Sam Ankerbrandt Braddock Smith Group
2001-2002 Amoretta M. Hoeber AMH Consulting
2002-2003 James F. Horton Horton Consulting
2003-2004 Arlene Selber GEO-CENTERS, INC.
2004-2005 John Wade Battelle Memorial Institute
2005-2006 Allan Cameron CSC
2006-2007 Bruce Dobbs Washington Group International
2007-2008 Virginia Morlock Northrop Grumman
2008-2009 James T. Ferguson, Sr. Technology Marketing
2009-2010 Lynn Henselman Capitol Consulting Group, LLC
2010-2011 Chris Parker Northrop Grumman
2011-2012 Eric Reid SAIC
2012-2013 Mandy Lopez Tex-Shield, Inc.
2013-2014 Bill Baugh Bill Baugh Associates
2014-2015 Rebecca Robertson INFICON, Inc.
2015-2016 Virginia Morlock Northrop Grumman
2016-2017 Justin Haynes Gore® Creative Technologies Worldwide
2017-2018 Pat Sharon LMI
2018-2019 Charles Janney Veteran Corps – An INTERFUZE Company
2019-2020 Scott Robinson Battelle
2020-2022 William King Booz | Allen | Hamilton
2022-2024 Ron Fizer ARServices
Meet Our Dynamic Industry Partners! Contact us.
We are here to assist. Contact us by phone, email or via our Social Media channels.