Penn State Great Valley alumnus Col. Jeffery Lipson has an impressive résumé, writes Christy Selagy for Penn State News.

The former U.S. Marine Corps communications officer – who worked in the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, U.S. Cyber Command, and the National Security Agency – was once the CIO of Baker Tilly and is now the CEO of Layer 8 Security.

Lipson also has the distinction of being awarded the Legion of Merit, given to members of the Armed Forces for outstanding achievements, after he led the creation of cybersecurity units for the Marine Corps Forces Reserve.

In 2015, Gen. Rex McMillian, then-commander of the Marine Corps Forces Reserve, asked Lipson to lead the creation of reserve units for the Defensive Cyber Operations Company. Lipson worked with an operational planning team to discuss the purpose and focus of the new unit, which was initially met with some skepticism, he said. Erasing those doubts was easy, though, thanks in large part to his time in Penn State Great Valley’s Master of Science in Information Science program.

“Every single class, you would work on a team, you’d do a project, and you’d present the project to the group,” Lipson said. “When you get your graduate degree, you’re not just learning, but also learning really important business skills. … You have to want people to work with you. You have to find common ground, and you have to explain why (a change) is good for them, why it’s good for the institution, and bring them on board.”

Lipson was commissioned to the Marine Corps after receiving his undergraduate degree from Villanova University in 1992. After almost six years on active duty, Lipson enrolled at Penn State Great Valley, deciding it would be a good way to transition from military to civilian life.

“I’m such a believer (in Penn State Great Valley’s mission),” he said.

Click here to read more about Col. Jeffery Lipson from Penn State News.