It is hard to believe we have entered the final holiday season of 2021, but here we are here, getting ready to take a well-deserved break before starting anew on January 1, 2022.
But before we sign off, I wanted to take a moment to share some concluding thoughts on the year 2021. We have been posting many of our more memorable moments over the course of this week including our whitepapers, blog posts, and video links to our fireside chats. I hope you have a chance to view the videos because they provide some excellent thought leadership from some amazing leaders in the cyber community, both NTSC board members and special guests. You can also view videos from our keynote speakers who joined us for our national conference in September 2021 National CISO Policy Conference.
One accomplishment that I’m particularly proud of is the growth we have seen on our board. Overall, we have added twelve new members and currently have two additional nominations going through board approval. We ended 2020 with thirty-three board members and expect to finish with forty-five board members on 12.31.21. That’s over 40% growth in one year and speaks volumes to the need for an organization like the NTSC, an organization focused on representing the voice of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in Washington, D.C.
However, none of our accomplishments would have been possible without the full support of our members, and the generous support our underwriters have provided this year. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, and Collective Insights for investing in our mission and more importantly, rolling-up their sleeves and actively engaging in helping us achieve our mission.
We obviously have challenges ahead of us with the newest variant of COVID spreading across the country, but I clearly remember the life lesson I took away from my nine years in the U.S. Marine Corps, which is always be ready to Improvise, Adapt and Overcome. The NTSC will adhere to that mindset in 2022 and we will continue to focus on our mission.
Happy holidays to all.
Patrick D. Gaul
Executive Director