Black Hills Defense & Industry Symposium – Presented by Northrop Grumman

Featuring representatives from Black Hills Energy, West River Electric, and Rushmore Energy, join us for a panel discussion on what they do, how they do it, and what “cyber security” looks like for these organizations.

This fireside chat discussion will explore the Five & Thrive initiative; a grassroots effort aimed at improving the quality of life for military families in five key areas: childcare, education, healthcare, housing, and spouse employment.

Featuring a representative from Eide Bailly’s Risk Advisory Services Group, learn more about CMMC — what it is, why you need it, and how to obtain it.

This session will be led by two cyber security experts from the esteemed Dakota State University. Stacy Kooistra will talk about Dakota State Applied Research Corporation (DARC) and its work in the cybersecurity arena, as well as the trends and potential risks in the cyber security realm. Dr. Brent Van Aartsen will cover cyber threats and what is on the horizon in this area.

This session will provide information to businesses on what criteria they would need to meet in order to contract with/sell to the government. This would include certifications as well as prohibited sources/funding for components.

Learn how SD Mines and local companies are working together to shore up America’s munition and critical mineral infrastructure and supply chains.

Get valuable tips and lessons on submitting Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Technical Transfer Research Contracts.

Every year, the Department of Defense, via the Defense Support Liaison Office, establishes a list of priority items impacting military families and their quality of life. Additionally, the Air Force has certain areas which they deem critical for future basing decisions. This session will bring awareness to the focus areas and basing criteria critical to our community posturing for new/expanded missions and safeguard against possible future BRACs.

A panel of presenters will discuss emergency response within the community, highlighting the collaboration between government agencies and local organizations. For Ellsworth, this includes mutual aid agreements for fire response, support from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams for bomb disposal calls, and the involvement of military working dogs at community events. The goal is to inform the community about how we partner with and support local emergency efforts.

With recent headlines, undoubtedly many people understand drones pose a credible threat. Hear from one of the industry experts on drone technology and drone defense as he discusses the threat and what can be done to mitigate this threat.