The 2024 TechNet Fort Liberty Symposium and Exposition has officially begun at the Iron Mike Conference Center. 

Produced and held annually by the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International’s (AFCEA) North Carolina Chapter, this year’s event runs from Feb. 21-23.

This year’s theme is “Data at the Helm: Steering the Future of National Security” and the event promises to be a bridge between individuals in the military or government civilians working in the technology industry and potential opportunities with the Department of Defense and beyond.

New to the Symposium’s offerings; the Resource and Career Fair which took place on Wednesday, February 21 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

AFCEA NC Board Member and Career Fair Organizer Linnea Gavrilis shared that brainstorming for the Career Fair began in summer 2023 and it was designed to highlight the potential careers in Government organizations and associations that allow transitioning service members to serve their communities in a different capacity.

“That prompted the creation and the vision for this event which includes a number of government associations and organizations…and then we have others from the North Carolina government and some others because the idea is you can retire from the military or leave the military and still serve your community and your nation. So that's what we really wanted to support,” shared Gavrilis.

The Career Fair vendor space featured a total of 28 vendors looking to connect with Symposium attendees ranging from government to local organizations.

Vendors included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the United States Secret Service, the NC Air National Guard and more local names such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Cumberland County Schools and Chick- fil- A. (Full list of vendors available here.)

Wednesday also saw the first panel for the event, a 501 C3 panel featuring a presentation from the AllTru Organization.

AllTru celebrates women in Special Operations and is committed to inspiring the next generation of problem solvers and leaders through thought-provoking engagement, sponsorship of internet and digital tools and the application of the Women, Peace and Security Act.

Panelists included AllTru Role Model and Activist Mahnaz Akbari, AllTru Founder Jessica Yahn and Lieutenant General Francis Beaudette. The panel also helped to educate attendees about being involved or starting a nonprofit organization.  (Learn more about AllTru here.)

“We get a lot of Veterans who would like to still serve the community, and they'd like to know how to do that. Do they start their own nonprofit? Do they join a nonprofit? Do they just support some nonprofits? What does that look like? So that panel was ‘How do you do it?’” shared Gavrilis. “You’ve got two active-duty panelists who are so involved answering ‘How do they do it?”’ and ‘Why did they do it?’ and “What are some lessons learned?’” shared Gavrilis.

Registration is still open to attend the next two days of the Symposium. Register to attend  here and see the full agenda for Feb. 21-23 online here.