PETER MARINO
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Mr. Marino has held executive positions in government and private industry, including several senior positions with the Central Intelligence Agency. Upon leaving government, he has been President and COO of both Lockheed Electronics Co., Inc. and Fairfield Industries, Inc.; Senior Vice President of E-Systems, Inc.; CEO and President of Firearms Training Systems; and Senior Advisor at Morgan Stanley. He serves or has served on numerous boards including the Defense Science Board, Intelligence Science Board, QinetiQ North America Proxy Board, BEI Precision Proxy Board, DRS Proxy Board, Inmarsat, Proxy Board, MDA North America Proxy Board, Thetus Corp, IST Research, QTS, TASC, Engility, Argon ST, and others. Mr Marino Chaired the Congressional Commission on NIMA, was or is an advisor to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office.
Mr. Marino earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Rollins College and his master’s degree in engineering acoustics from Pennsylvania State University. He is a Harvard Senior Executive Fellow.
JOHN “jt” tHOMPSON
DIRECTOR
Lt. Gen. (Ret) John F. “JT” Thompson is a former Commander of both the U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and U.S. Air Force’s Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC). During his 36 years of uniformed service, he held a variety of critical acquisition, scientific and logistics-oriented positions; he was a four-time DoD Program Executive Officer (PEO) in the Department’s Acquisition Corps, running numerous multibillion-dollar major defense acquisition programs in ISR & SOF, strategic/nuclear systems, fighter, tanker and space portfolios. He also served as the Deputy PEO for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
Most recently, as the Department of the Air Force PEO for Space, JT managed the research, development, acquisition and sustainment of satellites, launch vehicles, and associated C2 systems. His $9B/year portfolio included military SATCOM, missile warning, GPS/PNT, space-based weather, space launch and test ranges, certification for launch, space superiority, responsive space and other successful revolutionary space initiatives. Additionally, JT led the space acquisition transformation for U.S. Space Force, resulting in the creation of Space Systems Command in 2021. JT is a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and a recipient of both the 2015 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award, and the 2020 General James V. Hartinger Award for Space Leadership.
KEN TOVO
DIRECTOR
Lieutenant General Ken Tovo, U.S. Army, retired, served in the military for over 35 years, much of it as a Green Beret. Ken developed and led high performing organizations at every level, from a 12-man Special Forces A-team to the 34,000-strong Army Special Operations Command, to include on numerous operational deployments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He serves as an advisor and board director for several companies, and is the chairman of a non-profit organization, the Green Beret Foundation. Ken was a distinguished graduate from the US Military Academy at West Point and earned a BS with concentration in Aerospace Engineering. He holds an MS in Advanced Military Studies from the US Army Command & General Staff College and a MS in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.