"Solved! Unmasking the Golden State Killer"

Barbara Rae-Venter, J.D., Ph.D

Our speaker will share how she used Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) in assisting the FBI and the Sacramento DA’s office to identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer. IGG is the use of crime scene DNA to identify a suspect by building family trees of people who share DNA with the suspect. The Golden State Killer was responsible for over 100 home invasions, 50 rapes and 13 murders in California between 1974 and 1986. 

Barbara Rae-Venter is the President and a Co-Founder of Firebird Forensics Group that focuses on assisting law enforcement with identifying suspects in violent crimes and identifying unidentified human remains. She is a retired intellectual property attorney who specialized in the patenting of biotechnology inventions. Barbara identified the mother of Lisa Jensen, abducted in infancy and then abandoned by her abductor as a 5 year old. This was the first use of IGG in a criminal case, and led to the NH State Police solving the murder of the Allenstown Four. She and her team have solved about 75 cases.

Venter earned a J.D. from the University of Texas and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of California at San Diego. She was recognized by the journal Nature as one of “10 people Who Mattered In Science In 2018,” and was one of Time100’s Most Influential People of 2019. Her book, I Know Who You Are, about the early cases that she assisted in solving, was published by Penguin Ransom House in 2023.

"How we Meet our National Security Challenges in Asia" 

ADM Thomas Fargo

former Commander U.S. Pacific

Four-star Admiral Fargo will review the key national security issues in the Indo-Pacific region and how they have evolved most recently, including our allies and security partners and their ability to contribute to a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” He will discuss our military capacity and readiness to support these national objectives. ADM Fargo served as Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command covering all branches of the military in East Asia, the Pacific, and Indian Ocean areas. He was the senior military leader in that wide and critical region and is thus extremely qualified to address national security issues in that area.

Prior to that position he was Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), Commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet and Naval forces of the Central Command during two years of the Iraqi contingency operations. In total, he held five commands and six tours in Washington at DoD during his 35-year career. After retiring from the Navy ADM Fargo was Chairman of the largest military shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Chairman of Hawaiian Electric, and Chairman of USAA Insurance Company. During his tour as Commander of the attack submarine USS Salt Lake City, several members of the cast from the movie Hunt for Red October spent time onboard to research their roles as submarine crew members.

ADM Fargo is an extreme heavyweight, senior military leader, with a stellar record of leadership. We are fortunate to secure him as a speaker. Do not miss this luncheon! 

“AI and National Security at the Tactical Edge” 

Zac Staples

Founder and CEO, Fathom5

This talk explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping national security through real-time decision support at the tactical edge. Zac Staples will break down the real-world challenges and opportunities of putting advanced decision support tools into the hands of the Navy and Marines. Drawing on his experience leading AI innovation aboard Navy warships and serving as a Commissioner for the Atlantic Council’s “Software Defined Warfare” initiative, he will provide perspective on how the U.S. can responsibly harness AI at the tactical edge, where speed, trust, and resilience matter most.

Zac Staples is the Founder and CEO of Fathom5, a technology firm advancing secure infrastructure for AI-driven machines that redefine industrial resilience and support national defense. Fathom5 deployed the first AI platform on U.S. Navy warships and has secured 17 patents in actuator technology and cybersecurity. It aims to protect critical systems for the U.S. Department of Defense and other industrial partners, ensuring secure and efficient operations in contested environments. Focusing on cybersecurity, operational technology, and AI, it connects established infrastructure with next-generation solutions, setting new standards for defense and industry security. Staples is a 20-year Navy veteran and former Director of the Center for Cyber Warfare at the Naval Postgraduate School.

“Death of Newspapers While Pine Cone is Thriving”

Paul Miller

Owner, Publisher, Editor of The Pine Cone 

The death of newspapers, if not traditional journalism itself, is considered a settled fact in much of the U.S. media. But The Carmel Pine Cone is thriving, and Paul Miller will explain why.

After starting his career as an assistant for industry legends like Walter Cronkite, Charles Osgood and Mike Wallace, Miller embarked on a 14- year career chasing breaking news for CBS and NBC, including a fouryear stint in the Middle East. In 1997, he bought The Carmel Pine Cone, and over the last 28 years he has led the newspaper to a position of dominance in the Monterey Peninsula’s media landscape. Miller’s years as owner, publisher and editor of The Pine Cone have been marked by a strong emphasis on breaking news, investigative reports and in-depth analysis with a minimum of fluff — but always with a small-town perspective, as well as respect for local traditions and values. 

“Because Carmel is so beautiful and quaint, a lot of people think nothing happens here,” Miller says. “But it does. And because Pine Cone readers are so well educated and involved in the community, it takes a lot of effort and enterprise to keep them informed.” Working with his very experienced reporting staff, Miller edits all the copy for each week’s issue and writes weekly editorials. “I love The Pine Cone, and I love this community, and I like to think our readers can tell,” Miller says.

“Peace at the Poles-- Treaties, Climate, History and Wildlife” Raymond Arnaudo

Past President American Polar Society

Our speaker will discuss both poles (i.e. "bi-polar”) from several aspects. There are various international treaties and current challenges posed by China and Russia which are threatening to break consensus and pose global disagreements. He will go into the climate and environmental issues, the meltdown, and his depiction of the history of discovery of the two poles is enthralling. The animals at both poles also play a role, penguins, etc., which he will reveal. Mr. Arnaudo has a graphic slide presentation that is fascinating.

Ray Armando has been President of the American Polar Society. He’s a retired State Dept. official and is currently active on the National Science Foundation’s Polar Affairs Advisory Committee. Arnaudo was head of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, was stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, directed the Office of Oceans and Polar Affairs at the State Dept., and was lead Arctic and Antarctic U.S. negotiator during the ‘80s and ‘90s. He has degrees from Stanford and Johns Hopkins.