From Risk to Reward

As co-founder and chief technology officer of C2 Labs, Travis Howerton is responsible for the R&D division that develops innovative products and services that solve customers’ most difficult challenges at the extreme end of complexity and scale. C2 Labs serves as a security-focused and agile digital transformation partner that blends Art and Science to enable its customers to expand their vision, drive cultural change and avoid being left behind. Prior to joining C2 Labs, Howerton served as the global director for strategic programs within Bechtel Corporation and also was the Bechtel lead for the merger, cost savings and transformation programs at Consolidated Nuclear Security. Prior to joining Bechtel, Howerton had a long and diverse career consisting of senior executive assignments throughout the U.S. Department of Energy. He served as the deputy director for the IT Services Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, chief technology officer for the National Nuclear Security Administration and as chief information officer for Y-12 Site Office. Howerton holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Tusculum College and a master’s degree in computer information systems from Boston University. He holds multiple certifications, including the CISSP, ITIL, PMP, Scrum Master, Harvard Credential of Readiness and AWS Certified Developer. He is an accomplished public speaker, has authored or been cited in over 50 publications and supports multiple nonprofit associations and educational institutions by serving as a board member.

Dennis Leber currently serves as chief information security officer for the UT Health Science Center in Memphis. His information security career began in the military and spanned to the automotive, health care, federal government and finance industries before joining UT. He has a passion for information security and igniting that same passion in others to create future leaders. Leber taught information security courses at various colleges and speaks regularly at conferences and events across the country. He holds an associate’s degree in business management, a bachelor’s degree in information security and a master’s degree in information systems. Upon completion of his dissertation, he’ll had a doctorate in technology and cybersecurity to his long list of accomplishments.

What started as a part-time student position helping implement UT’s financial, human resources and payroll system (running on SAP) has turned into a nearly 20-year career in end-user application security, customer support and change management. During his time at UT, Ruth has been involved in countless software deployments and loves focusing on helping end users through the changes those deployments bring. He is thankful for the opportunities he has had throughout his career to teach training classes, attend conferences and further his professional and personal development. Ruth is a certified Prosci Change Practitioner and his real passion is building relationships and coaching personal growth. He is an active participant in his church and has been involved with multiple mentoring initiatives in Knoxville for years. Ruth is a two-time alumnus of UT’s flagship campus in Knoxville.