Top 25 Cyber Execs to Watch in 2020

Venice Goodwine, Chief Information Security Officer, Agriculture Department

Just a few weeks after Venice Goodwine became the Agriculture Department’s chief information security officer in December 2018, she successfully led the department’s Information Security Center through the 35-day partial government shutdown. During that time, she continued to secure USDA’s mission leading a team of  essential staff, who operate the 24/7 security operations center.

While providing USDA with cybersecurity thought leadership throughout the year, Goodwine’s 2019 signature accomplishment was consolidating all USDA cybersecurity operations into a single Security Operations Center. This move enabled USDA to be a leader in achieving compliance with the White’s House’s 2017 executive order on hardening federal networks and improved SOC service delivery through a unified vision with consistent implementation. In November 2019, more than 100 USDA cybersecurity professionals who provided SOC and SOC-like functions were reorganized into the new center.

These achievements demonstrate the value of the extensive leadership training Goodwine received through her 35 years of service in the U.S. Air Force both as active duty and as a reservist, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. Through her service, she realized the value of her people and the importance of investing in them. This passion continues through her dedication to the workforce by providing USDA employees opportunities through the federal CIO Council’s Federal Cyber Reskilling Academy, speaking to fellowship groups and higher education and supporting her staff with educational and detail opportunities.

Why Watch:

During 2020, Goodwine continues her work to mature USDA’s SOC with the goal to provide mature, world-class SOC services and to achieve Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity service provider certification. She continues to lead USDA as it works toward cybersecurity tool rationalization and modernization.

As USDA continues its work with robotic process automation and network flattening, Goodwine advocates for thinking differently about cybersecurity to support and enable technologies that advance mission delivery.

“From fighting forest fires, supporting the hungry, performing cutting-edge research, opening agriculture markets, making capital available to rural America, supporting producers and much more, I continue to be amazed at the broad and diverse mission of the USDA,” she said. “It is my honor and privilege to secure the systems that support a mission that impacts every American, every day.”