Plenary Speakers

Begin your morning with a continental breakfast followed by a thought-provoking keynote from Brigadier General Tyler Nick Hague as our opening speaker. Brig. Gen. Hague currently serves as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations within the United States Space Force, where he is responsible for the policy, training, and readiness of our nation’s newest military branch. In his presentation, “The Space Force of Today and Tomorrow and the Importance of Readiness Through Intelligent Telemetry,” he will explore the strategic evolution of the U.S. Space Force and how telemetry is transforming from a passive monitoring tool into an “intelligent” strategic asset to achieve predictive readiness and space superiority.

During the Opening Ceremony, we will also recognize excellence in our field with the presentation of the John Jensen Best Conference Paper Award, the Lawrence Rauch Award for Standards, and the Myron Nichols Award for Telemetry Spectrum.

As part of this year’s new Talent Connect Program, ITC 2026 is proud to host a featured panel dedicated to industry growth, talent pipelines, and mentorship titled “Building the Next Generation Telemetry Workforce.” Designed specifically for undergraduate and graduate students, this panel addresses critical industry challenges, emerging technical skill requirements, and effective recruitment strategies needed to strengthen the telemetry engineering pipeline and prepare students for successful transitions from academia into the field.

The discussion brings together distinguished experts across key industry sectors with deep expertise in talent acquisition, workforce development initiatives, internship and university partnership programs, early-career engineering development, and executive workforce planning. Students will gain actionable insights into current hiring trends, emerging skillsets for tomorrow’s leaders, and practical advice on navigating career pathways in telemetry.

We are honored to announce Paul Mann, Chief Technical Officer for the Golden Dome Strategic Alliance, AE Industrial, as our featured Tuesday morning opening keynote speaker. With decades of high-level leadership driving critical defense advancements, Mr. Mann will deliver a powerful presentation titled, “Speed Matters! A Lifelong Journey Bolstering Defense Readiness Outcomes.”

In this compelling address, he will lead a provocative exploration of telemetry systems across their past, present, and especially their future, anchoring their vital role in securing National Security imperatives. The presentation will place a special focus on the modern demand for intelligent telemetry feedback to capability stakeholders throughout operational employment and readiness sustainment. Join us Tuesday afternoon to discover what it means to learn, innovate, and adapt at operationally relevant speed.

Join us for an insightful keynote presentation featuring George Rumford, Director of the Department of War (DoW), Test Resource Management Center (TRMC). As the leader of a vital field activity reporting to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Mr. Rumford oversees the readiness and modernization of the nation’s essential test and evaluation (T&E) infrastructure.

The TRMC provides governance over DoW test resources (open-air test ranges, ground test facilities, hardware-in-the-loop laboratories, measurement facilities, software testbeds, and modeling and simulation used for testing), including the Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB).

The TRMC forecasts future T&E needs, defining strategic investment portfolios to test hypersonics, directed energy, autonomy and artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, cyber, nuclear effects, space systems, and multi-domain operations. Addressing the highest priority test gaps, the TRMC invests in the development of new and upgraded test resources, executed in partnership with the Services and Defense Agencies, to improve Joint and multi-Service DoW test capabilities that support acquiring advanced warfighting capabilities.

Join us for one of the week’s top highlights at the Conference Luncheon, an exclusive event that brings together attendees, exhibitors, and industry leaders for an afternoon of valuable networking, key insights, and celebration.

This year’s midday centerpiece proudly features Derrick Hinton, Sector Vice President of Research and Test & Evaluation (ATS Division) at Scientific Research Corporation (SRC), alongside the presentation of the prestigious Cliff Aggen Award, which honors outstanding student papers and the exceptional academic talent shaping the future of our industry.

To ensure everyone can participate, the exhibit halls will close for two hours during the event. Because space is limited and tickets routinely sell out, we encourage you to secure your luncheon ticket in advance for $25 during the online registration process, as only a limited number of seats will be available on-site.