GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members of Goodfellow Air Force Base attended a networking and community partnership conference to open a dialogue about where cybersecurity is currently at, and future potential, at Angelo State University’s Rassman building, June 23.
Members of the 17th Training Wing and 17th Mission Support Group introduced themselves to the community members and discussed how to potentially integrate and share cybersecurity resources with community partners.
“During my time working with the National Security Agency and retiring from the military, I wanted to bring a cybersecurity program that NSA would be able to track here,” said Air Force Retired Lt. General Ronnie Hawkins, Hawkins Group President and CEO. “What the program would do is have a Center of Excellence here to feed into the Department of Defense the type of individuals they want to have. And then tying it back into Goodfellow from the intelligence side of the street and the infrastructure in San Angelo.”
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed June 11, to designate a Center of Excellence between community partners in San Angelo and Goodfellow in a shared effort to develop passionate, dedicated instructors and faculty in order to create and develop the best instruction possible, and enable students to succeed, develop, and foster a passion for learning and development.
Falling under the Air Education and Training Command, Goodfellow builds a more ready, resilient and rapidly innovative force by modernizing learning techniques through the augmentation of community partnerships.
“We continue to grow in conversation and continue to add rigor into our ideas,” said Col. Andres Nazario, 17th Training Wing commander. “The absolute, logical ply-in to Goodfellow Air Force Base and what we are doing there, and the mutual relationship we have as we both continue to grow. It’s important to us, to Angelo State University, and to San Angelo.”
Future goals start with a conversation today.
“In 10-15 years from now, I see Goodfellow as a global hub of knowledge,” said Nazario. “Where actual development happens and delivery of content. And this conversation is just another step in that direction.”