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Mr. Kenneth C. McNeill, CIO/J6

Kenneth C. McNeill, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the National Guard (NGB) Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director of the Command, Control, Communications Computers (C4) Systems Directorate. He serves as the principal advisor to the Chief of the NGB (CNGB) on all matters related to C4, information technology (IT), information sharing, and information management (IM). Mr. McNeill assists National Guard senior leadership by coordinating and facilitating the use of NGB C4/IT/IM capabilities to support Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities missions.

Mr. McNeill is responsible for setting policy and synchronizing IT initiatives across the National Guard. A key focus of his is modernizing the National Guard into a data-centric organization. He leads the effort to equip the National Guard with cutting-edge technologies, securing support from both the NGB and USNORTHCOM, as well as resources from the DoW Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office through an 8-star memorandum. He is overseeing the implementation of Project Homeland, the National Guard's critical contribution to the Department of War's Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control strategy. Additionally, he continues to champion the 'Bring Your Own Device' framework, which enables secure and flexible access for personnel across the DoW. Mr. McNeill also leads the modernization of the Joint Continental United States (CONUS) Communications Support Environment to efficiently meet current mission demands and ensure the reliable flow of information for homeland defense and civil support.

Before assuming the role of NGB CIO, Mr. McNeill was the Chief of the Operations and Plans Division within the Headquarters Department of the Army CIO/G-6. His office was the central point for Army CIO/G-6 current operations and Army-wide C4 coordination during overseas contingency and combat operations. He was also responsible for synchronizing C4 programs and support agencies on major projects, such as establishing coalition networks in Afghanistan and Korea, instituting centralized Army-wide cybersecurity reporting, and improving IT infrastructure in CONUS to prepare for training and deployment. Mr. McNeill assisted in managing an annual budget of over $3.0 billion, ensuring that Army Signal Forces were resourced to support forward-deployed commands and emerging requirements.

Mr. McNeill earned his undergraduate degree from Bowie State University and was commissioned as a Signal Corps Officer in May 1983. He holds a Master of Science in Organizational Communications from Bowie State University and a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. With over 40 years of federal service as an Army Officer and a DoW Civilian, Mr. McNeill has received numerous awards and decorations. The most notable of these are the Superior Civilian Service Award, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the National Guard Association of the United States Distinguished Service Medal, the Joint Staff Identification Badge, and the Army Staff Badge.