April 12 - LIVE@5...

Franz Payer is the CEO of Cyber Skyline, the cloud-based platform and content provider that powers the National Cyber League. Founded in 2014, Cyber Skyline has helped more than 100,000 students and professionals in the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia through cybersecurity competitions, candidate skills assessments, and professional development opportunities. Prior to Cyber Skyline, Franz was a Computer Network Operations Software Developer at Tactical Network Solutions, supporting the work of the US Intelligence Community.

Colonel Ty Shepard was commission in 1998 from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as an infantry officer. He was assigned to the 3-502nd, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell where he served as an Infantry Platoon Leader, Battalion positions, and deployed to Macedonia and Kosovo. In 2005 he joined California National Guard and served at the Joint Force Headquarters and then mobilized to Iraq as an infantry Company Commander in 2007 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

Upon redeployment, Colonel Shepard served as a staff officer in the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, executive officer 1-184th Infantry, Joint Staff current operations officer, executive officer for the Joint Staff, and Brigade S3 for the 115th Regional Support Group.  He was selected and deployed to the U.S. Embassy Ukraine in 2017 as a C4SIR advisor.  In 2020 he trained and led a Joint Task Force headquarters element to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba and served as the Deputy Director in support of the Global War on Terrorism.  In a state active-duty capacity, Colonel Shepard has stood up and has grown numerous programs such as the veteran’s employment initiate Work for Warriors, national defense support to civilian authority C4ISR program, Joint Task Force Cyber Commander and currently the California Army National Guard’s Commander’s Action Group director full time, the Mday J3 and Civil Support Task Force Commander for the California National Guard.

Colonel Shepard completed his resident Intermediate level education at the United State Army Command and General Staff College and Advanced Operation Course. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), Ranger Tab, Combat Action Badge, Airborne badge, and Expert Infantrymen’s badge.