Following a distinguished career in public service, Senator Blunt left the US Congress in January 2023 after representing Missouri for 12 years in the United States Senate and 14 years in the United States House of Representatives. Among his many achievements in the Congress, Senator Blunt is one of only two Americans in congressional history to be elected to a leadership position by his colleagues in both the House and the Senate. 

During his 12 years in the Senate, Roy served as Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and Senate Rules Committee, and led the Presidential Inaugural Committees for the 45th and 46th Presidents of the United States. In addition, Senator Blunt was a key member of the Appropriations and Commerce Committees, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.  Within each of these policy areas Blunt led his colleagues to prioritize important issues for all Americans.  As Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Roy redirected resources and raised awareness of critical issues including increased funding for medical research. Blunt has been recognized by many health research advocates for his leadership during the Covid crisis and in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease research and mental health. And the National Institute of Health (NIH) recently named their Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia’s in his honor.

Prior to his tenure in Congress Senator Blunt was a history teacher, a university president, a county official, and Missouri’s Secretary of State.

Senator Blunt is actively involved in promoting and preserving the arts and history. He has served as a member of the Smithsonian Museum’s Council of American Art, a member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, and is President of the State Historical Society of Missouri.

Currently, Senator Blunt is the Chairman of the Leadership Strategies Advisory Services Group at Husch Blackwell Strategies, he serves as an Executive Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington DC, Chair of the Advisory Board of the National Geospatial Agency of the U.S. Government and serves on the Southwest Airlines and Tenet Healthcare Boards of Directors.

Lieutenant General, US Army, Retired
Executive Vice President Auburn University

Ron Burgess retired from the US Army, as the 17th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and joined Auburn University in 2012, as the Senior Counsel for National Security Programs, Cyber Programs and Military Affairs. In May of 2018, he assumed the duties as the university’s Executive Vice President (EVP). As Executive Vice President, Burgess advises the President on matters related to the overall direction, management, and the effective administrative operations of managed oversight in support of Auburn’s mission, strategic plan, core values and vision.

During his distinguished 38-year career in the U.S. Army, and now, at Auburn University, Lieutenant General Ronald L. Burgess, Jr. (Ret.) has and continues to serve as a driving force in the U.S. Intelligence Community by providing exceptional leadership and broad strategic vision that contributes to safeguarding U.S. national security interests. He has consistently guided outcomes that have strengthened our national and military intelligence capabilities and has been instrumental in transforming defense intelligence into a cooperative enterprise to better serve national policymakers, Combatant Commanders, and the warfighter in the field.

As head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and a former Acting Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Burgess served as a key player within the national security arena, called upon by the President, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Congressional leaders for his opinions, advice and expertise. His exceptional leadership skills were used to focus the Defense Intelligence Agency on the greatest challenges confronting the United States including Afghanistan-Pakistan, Iraq, transnational terrorism, and preventing strategic surprise elsewhere around the globe.

Lieutenant General Burgess’ personal military awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (One Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Superior Service Medal (Two Oak Leaf Clusters), Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (Four Oak Leaf Clusters,) Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, NATO Medal—former Republic of Yugoslavia, Parachutist Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge and Army Staff Identification Badge. During his career he has been recognized with awards by the governments of Colombia and Bolivia. Additionally, he was presented with the Order of the Star of Romania by the President of Romania and was inducted in the National Order of the Legion of Honor by the President of France. He received the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Auburn University Alumni Association. In June of 2015, he was inducted into the United States Army Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Army ROTC National Hall of Fame on June 10, 2016.

Throughout his career, Burgess has been recognized for his contributions to the U.S. National Intelligence Community. His comprehensive knowledge of defense intelligence organization and information systems, and his leadership, proactive coordination, and attentive follow-through contributed to the success of numerous missions of national significance. As a result of his leadership, the cornerstone Executive Order 12333, which governs all intelligence activities, was revised; critical Intelligence Community managerial operations were overhauled; and innovative human capital practices were pioneered.

Ron Burgess’ responsibilities include interfacing and coordinating with federal, state and commercial entities on all matters related to national security interests, cyber and Auburn University’s emphasis, focus and interaction with the military. He also interfaces, coordinates and briefs, as directed, Congressional offices and Alabama legislative offices on all of the above to advance Auburn University’s interests.

LTG Burgess was commissioned in Military Intelligence through the Auburn University ROTC Program in 1974, Burgess earned a Master of Science degree in Education from the University of Southern California in 1980, and a Master of Military Arts and Science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1986. On May 16, 2015, Burgess was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, from LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. On May 13, 2017, Burgess received an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. On July 27, 2018, he received an honorary Doctor of Strategic Intelligence, Honoris Causa, degree from the National Intelligence University in Bethesda, Maryland His military education includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, the Military Intelligence Officers Advanced Course, the Command and General Staff College, the Advanced Military Studies Program, and the Air War College.

Major General (RET) United States Army

Jason K. Kamiya has over 40 years combined military and corporate experience, and is best known for helping organizations achieve competitive advantage through strategy formulation and operational planning employing cross-functional coalitions, alignment and synchronization of resources, and enrolling talent.

Jason is a veteran of three combat campaigns during his military career. He was deputy operations officer for the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) Combat Team during Operation Desert Shield and became the division’s principal planner for Operation Desert Storm. He later commanded a multinational joint task force in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, a force comprised of all branches of the US Armed Forces and elements from US/NATO partner nations. Building upon his operational experience, he was subsequently assigned as Director for Joint Training, US Joint Forces Command, and principal representative to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) and Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for all US joint training matters. In this capacity, he executed technical direction and management of a $307 million joint training budget in support of US joint combatant commands, and extended joint training partnerships with foreign militaries and governments of US/NATO partner nations spanning five continents. Earlier in his career, Jason served in the Office of the President of the United States as senior military assistant to the Director of National Drug Control Policy, a US Cabinet-level official. There, Jason helped coordinate activities between the Director and the White House, Department of Defense, other US government departments and agencies, and city/state drug enforcement organizations to implement a $19 billion national drug strategy.

Upon military retirement Jason joined the United Service Automobile Association (USAA) as senior vice president. Over the next 11 years, he became best known for a unique joint enterprise approach to strategically plan and operate through cross-functional / cross-line of business coalitions. He led teams in a variety of functions including contact center operations, remote workforce strategy, business continuation, employee development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Jason is the founder of Jason Kamiya Associates, LLC, a consulting practice that assists clients with strategy formulation, operational planning, and team development. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Gonzaga University and a Master of Arts degree in National Security Affairs from the US Naval Postgraduate School. He is vice chairman of the board of Special Reach, a community non-profit that supports families of children with special needs, and a past board member of two other non-profit organizations.

Jason is a native of Hawaii and the son of a World War II veteran of the all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He is married to the former Carmen Unciano and they have two daughters and one grandchild.

As a member of the Westway Advisory Board, Mr. Rund brings 40 plus years of public and private sector experience, including 34 years with the US Federal Government. During his time with the federal government, Mr Rund successfully led several shared services enterprises. Upon retirement, Mr Rund joined the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) as their first Director of Shared Services Strategy. While at CSC Mr. Rund was a member of a CIO Council-sponsored Subcommittee on IT Shared Services. Later, Mr. Rund collaborated with the Partnership for Public Service (PPS) in the standup of a federal government-focused “Shared Services Round Table” and later, in the establishment of the “ODNI IC Shared Services Round Table”. The ODNI Round Table identified a strategic need for a “Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility” (SCIF) capability known as SCIF “Outside-The-Beltway” or SCIF “Beyond-The-Beltway” (SCIF BTB). Westway’s “SCIF-as-a-Service” is a key capability delivered in support of this ODNI strategic deliverable.

While at Microsoft, Mr Rund was an early supporter and an inaugural Board Member of the Shared Services Leadership Coalition (SSLC). He has been actively engaged in the “Shared Services Forum” series sponsored by SSLC, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and the Senior Executives Association (SEA); the annual “Shared Services Summit” in collaboration with SSLC and ACT-IAC; and the GWU / SSLC modules on Shared Services. Mr Rund is currently an Independent Advisor to The Clearing for Public Sector Strategy and Shared Services. Mr Rund earned both his BS and MS degrees from The George Washington University. He is a 2015 recipient of the Federal Computer Weekly’s FED-100 award for his work in support of advancing the adoption of shared services across the federal government.