Sushila Nair
President
CISSP, GIAC GSTRT, GSNA GDSA, CISA, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE, CCSK, CCAK

Sushila is a globally recognized cybersecurity executive with over 25 years of experience leading security strategy, building high-performing practices, and advising global enterprises and government agencies. She currently serves as President of the ISACA Greater Washington D.C. Chapter, the second-largest ISACA chapter in the world.

Sushila has held leadership roles as CISO in the United Kingdom and Malaysia, global portfolio and practice lead in the United States for global consulting companies. She has led multi-million-dollar cybersecurity portfolios, managed global delivery teams, and driven the development of next-generation cybersecurity services.

An active contributor to ISACA Global’s Emerging Trends workgroup, Sushila is a respected voice in the industry, regularly featured in top publications and global conferences such as RSA and ISACA. She is the host of the public radio segment Shore Tech Pulse, where she educates the community on cybersecurity and technology trends. Her awards include ISACA’s Technology for Humanity Award and recognition as a Top Cybersecurity Leader by Security Magazine and Cyber Magazine in 2024.

Katherine Scott
Vice President
CISM, CGEIT, CRISC

Having been an ISACA GWDC member since 2007, Katherine began her work with the Board as scribe in 2014. Katherine served as Director of Membership from July 2016 to June 2020. She focused on the retention and growth of chapter membership, coordinated social events, and organized volunteers for the chapter. Katherine served as chapter Secretary from July 2020 through June 2024, recorded Board meeting minutes and maintained chapter compliance and records.

Katherine supports the Board and other directorates in her role as Vice President. She co-hosted the Women in Technology conference for two years, helped at Academics and Outreach events, supported CPE issuance, and wrote newsletter articles. She wrote a chapter roles and responsibilities document, reviewed Board SOPs, and led the chapter bylaw review for several years. She attended ISACA’s Global Leadership Conference, the Eastern Leadership Conference, and served on a task force with ISACA Global to define the role that ISACA plays in helping students get into IT. In 2023 and 2024, Katherine participated in ISACA’s Global Day on the Hill which allows various ISACA chapters the opportunity to meet with members of Congress and the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss key topics such as the cybersecurity workforce shortage and various cybersecurity matters.

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Virginia and has her CISM, CGEIT, and CRISC.

Magali Velazquez
Secretary

Magali Velazquez has been an ISACA member since 2005 and has been actively involved with the ISACA Greater Washington DC (GWDC) Chapter since 2012. Throughout her time with ISACA, she has contributed to a variety of chapter initiatives, including Programs, Certifications, Membership, and CPE Certificates. In her roles, she has efficiently managed communications with chapter members, ensuring timely and accurate responses to Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requests, thereby enhancing member satisfaction and engagement. Additionally, Magali has played a key role in organizing and supporting both live and remote events, coordinating tasks such as event registrations, speaker coordination, and logistical planning. She has also volunteered onsite at multiple events, ensuring smooth operations and a high level of participant engagement. Currently, she serves as the Secretary on the Board, where her leadership and dedication continue to support ISACA’s mission.

With over 20 years of professional experience, Magali has worked across diverse and international environments in sectors such as banking, biotechnology, transportation, and government. Currently, she serves as Vice President, Technology – Cyber & Infrastructure Audit Manager at Citibank. Prior to this, she held senior roles at organizations like WMATA, BFSFCU – World Bank – IMF Credit Union, and AstraZeneca Inc., overseeing key cyber audit and risk functions in global settings.

Her broad international experience, combined with her expertise in IT auditing, cybersecurity, risk management, and compliance, makes her a valuable asset not only to ISACA but to the global cybersecurity community.

Mickey Gandhi
Treasurer

Mickey is the current Chapter Treasurer. Mickey is a longtime member of the GWDC and has served two terms as Treasurer. As Treasurer, Mickey has been instrumental in improving chapter financial operations, including improvements to processes for budgeting and payment processing.

Jermaine Stanley
Past President

Jermaine is the current Chapter Past President.  He previously served as President, Vice President, and Outreach Director.

Jermaine is a Cybersecurity, Information Technology (IT), and Risk Advisory leader with more than 25 years of experience working with Financial Services, Technology, Insurance, Non-Profit, and Government organizations. He is a thought leader in the industry, having advised clients on complex IT Audit and Cybersecurity matters.

Jermaine is also a Board member for ISACA Global’s ISACA Foundation whose mission is to provide opportunity for under-represented individuals to enter security professions and support the advancement of untapped talent into leadership positions.

Jermaine is a sought after speaker for various national and international conferences. He also is a frequent speaker during the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s visits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) as part of their ‘HBCU See Yourself in Cyber Career Program’.

He played a key role in our Chapter establishing the ISACA GWDC Scholarship Award Program which provides college students in our region with financial assistance towards their studies in digital trust, cyber security, and other emerging technologies.

Over the years, as a Board member of ISACA GWDC, Jermaine has represented our Chapter during ISACA Global’s Annual ‘Capitol Hill Day’. This event allows various ISACA Chapters the opportunity to meet with members of Congress and the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss key topics such as the cybersecurity workforce shortage and various cybersecurity matters.

Jermaine holds a Master’s degree in Software Engineering, a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering, as well as the CISA and CDPSE certifications.

Jermaine is the Founder of Stanley Consulting Group whose mission is to “ensure that the business leaders and employees we serve have the tools and insights to help them build diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace environments.”

Ruchi Shewaramani
Director, Academics

Ruchi is a seasoned cybersecurity executive with over 18 years of experience in Information Security, Identity and Access Management, and Governance, Risk, and Compliance, specifically within healthcare, education, and finance sectors. She currently holds the positions of Chief Information Security Officer for Washington Health Benefit Exchange, Academics Director for the ISACA Greater Washington DC Chapter, and serves as a member of the Cybersecurity Advisory Board at Seattle University. Ruchi earned her master’s degree in software engineering from Seattle University.

Prior to her role at Washington’s exchange, Ruchi oversaw security initiatives for several DC healthcare agencies, focusing on the development and enhancement of cybersecurity frameworks designed to ensure compliance and protect sensitive data. Her expertise includes NIST 800-53, FISMA, HIPAA, and CMS MARS-e standards, and she has successfully completed multiple federal audits.

Recognized for her meticulous attention to detail and results-oriented leadership, Ruchi works collaboratively with senior executives, subject matter experts, and regulatory authorities to strengthen enterprise IT security strategies.

Altan Tugay Bulut
Director, Communications
CISM, CISSP, OSCP, OSWE, CCSP, CISA, CCNA, and OSWP

Altan is a Cybersecurity and Information Technology professional currently serving as a Security Architect at The World Bank Group. With a career spanning global financial institutions and international development organizations, Altan brings deep expertise in cloud and application security architecture, IT auditing, penetration testing, technology compliance, and risk management.

As the Director of Communications for the ISACA Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter (GWDC), he leads strategic communications, content development, and member engagement initiatives. He also co-hosts the chapter’s podcast, helping to amplify thought leadership and foster community dialogue around cybersecurity and governance.

Altan holds over 20 industry-recognized certifications, including the CISM, CISSP, OSCP, OSWE, CCSP, CISA, CCNA, and OSWP, along with several advanced credentials from both Microsoft and AWS. He was inducted into the CEH Hall of Fame as one of the global top 100 Certified Ethical Hackers and received a service recognition award from ISACA GWDC for his notable contributions to the chapter’s mission.

In his role on the ISACA GWDC Board, Altan continues to support the chapter’s strategic direction and community engagement efforts, promoting cybersecurity awareness and professional development across the region.

Avneet Sabharwal
Director, Virtual Conferences
CISA, CMMC-AB Registered Practitioner

Avneet Sabharwal is an experienced IT Auditor with nearly a decade of expertise across various industries, including consulting, finance, and telecommunications. She has worked extensively on SOX, SOC 1, and FSA audits. In her current role, Avneet is an Internal Audit Manager at a financial planning firm, focusing on information systems and data analytics.

Avneet holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems and Technology and an MBA from the George Washington School of Business. She is also certified as a CISA and a CMMC-AB Registered Practitioner.

In addition to her professional role, Avneet serves as the Director of Virtual Conferences on the ISACA GWDC chapter Board, where she is responsible for planning, organizing, and hosting monthly conferences.

In her free time, Avneet enjoys traveling and exploring new places with her family, reading thriller novels, and, recently, delving into the art of prompting.

Mike Howard
Director, Information Technology
CISA, MBA

Mike has served the GWDC for over 20 years overseeing the Chapter’s website, event registration, and other technologies. He was served as the Internet Director, Communications Director, and Analytics Director. In recent years, Mike has taught seminars for the GWDC on how to use PowerShell in performing audits.

Mike Howard is an experienced IT auditor with over 30 years of IT auditing experience in the Federal Government. Mike is a technical auditor who has audited numerous technologies, including mainframes, Unix environments, Active Directory, databases, Cisco devices, and Windows computers. Mike embraces innovative technologies to accomplish his audits, most notably using PowerShell to write custom scripts. Over the 10+ years that he has been using PowerShell, he’s written over 300 PowerShell scripts.

Mike has a B.S. in Accounting from Old Dominion University and a Masters in Business Administration from George Mason University.

Nirali Chawla
Director, External Relations
MBA, CISA, CISSP, CRISC, CAP, IAM, ITIL v3 Foundations, HBSS, Six Sigma Green Belt

Nirali Shah Chawla is a Partner at Guidehouse, a global AI-led professional services firm delivering advisory, technology, and managed services to the commercial and government sectors. She has more than 20 years of experience leading large-scale modernization and transformation projects to commercial and Federal clients, including the Department of Defense (DoD). She has extensive experience providing Federal clients Cybersecurity, Identity, Credential & Access Management, Data & Analytics, Governance, Risk & Compliance, Emerging Technology, Financial & Information Technology Audit Readiness, Technology Enablement and Process Optimization services. She currently leads some of the largest Federal Agencies at the brink of transformational change and growth, leveraging her knowledge of existing and emerging technologies to uncover IT opportunities for business process and internal controls improvements. She is the co-author of NIST Special Publication 800-137, Information Security Continuous Monitoring (ISCM) for Federal Information Systems and Organizations.

Nirali sits on the ISACA GWDC Board of Directors, AFCEA NOVA Board of Directors, George Mason University College of Engineering and Computing Advisory Board, and Pratham Mid-Atlantic Executive Board. Nirali is recognized as a 2025 Top 50 Women Leader of Virginia, 2024 Women Leader in Consulting by Consulting Magazine, 2023 Women in Technology Leadership Award finalist for the Washington, DC Corporate Large-Market Sector. In addition, she is the recipient of two awards: The V. Lee Conyers 2025 Information Systems Audit and Control Association Greater Washington DC (ISACA GWDC) award and 2025 Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International Meritorious Service award.

Jay Ahuja
Director, Membership
CPA, CMA, CISA

Mr. Ahuja serves as a Public Arbitrator with The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Dispute Resolution Services that involves arbitration of securities and employment disputes between and among investors, brokerage firms, and individual brokers.

His ongoing accomplishments include:

1. Serving as an Advisor to the CEO and the Board of Grameen Foundation to help increase the scale, sustainability, and impact of social enterprises focused on the poor. He has worked on assignments in the Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya and the USA addressing financial management and IT challenges.
2. Volunteering for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Fraud Watch Network involving counselling victims of fraud and scams. He also advises individuals on ways to protect them from future fraudulent attempts as well as support to recover from their financial losses. In addition, he assists with advocating laws and regulations to mitigate scams and fraudulent techniques.

Previous accomplishments include:

1. Serving as the first Chief Risk Officer (CRO) of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) – the 401(k) investment program for the US Federal Government with a portfolio exceeding $850 billion. Mr. Ahuja was a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) cadre. At TSP, Mr. Ahuja created and led enterprise risk management, internal controls, anti-fraud, data analytics, and external/internal auditing initiatives.
2. Serving as the Group Leader of Risk Management at the US Treasury leading enterprise risk assessments and supporting internal controls for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) programs (a $465 billion investment portfolio).
3. Working at global consulting firms (Booz Allen Hamilton and PricewaterhouseCoopers) providing consulting services to clients in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA.
4. Traveling to 90+ countries and 49 of 50 states in the USA. Mr. Ahuja spends part of the year in Panama.

Mr. Ahuja is a founding member of the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management Association (AFERM). He served as President of the Washington D.C. chapter of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). Mr. Ahuja has presented at conferences on enterprise risk and internal controls topics at seminars hosted by ISACA, the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), and AFERM.

Mr. Ahuja holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Virginia, a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Jim Wiggins
Director, Public Relations and Media
AAISM, AAIA, AIGP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, CISSP, ISSEP, CGRC (CAP), SCNA, SCNP, IAM, IEM, SSCP, CEH, ECSA, CHFI, LPT, TICSA, CIWSA, Security+, FITSP-M, CGEIT, MCITP, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCSA, MCDST, Server+, Network+, A+, CDPSE, CIPP/US, PMP, ICE-CCP, DACUM Facilitator

Jim Wiggins is a seasoned IT and cybersecurity expert with over 29 years of industry experience, 24 of which have been dedicated to information security – and, more recently, the last 3 years on artificial intelligence. He is the Founder and CEO of Securible, LLC, a Washington, DC-based cybersecurity training and consulting firm specializing in practical, forward-thinking solutions. Through Securible, Jim has championed innovative approaches to address emerging threats, ensure regulatory compliance, and harness the power of Artificial Intelligence in IT audit, cybersecurity, governance and privacy. Throughout his distinguished career, Jim has trained well over 20,000 IT and cyber professionals, underscoring his commitment to education and the advancement of the field.

In addition to his leadership at Securible, Jim also serves as the Founder and CEO of the Federal IT Security Institute (FITSI), a 501(c)(6) non-profit certification body accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under ISO 17024:2012. FITSI provides role-based cybersecurity certifications designed to fortify the U.S. federal cybersecurity workforce.

Enhancing his contributions to the cybersecurity community, Jim hosts a TV show in the Washington, DC area called Cybersecurity Today. The program offers expert insights, in-depth analysis, and the latest updates on cybersecurity trends and threats, further establishing his role as a prominent thought leader in the industry.

Recognized as a Federal 100 award recipient in 2019 and the Federal Information Systems Security Educators’ Association (FISSEA) “Educator of the Year” in 2011, Jim is widely respected for his commitment to elevating cybersecurity education.

In the rapidly evolving arena of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Jim has directly trained well over 1,000 IT and cyber professionals on generative AI fundamentals through intensive sessions with the Department of the Interior’s University, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the National Risk Management Center (NRMC) within CISA, and the Greater Washington DC Chapter of ISACA. He leverages AI-driven tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Dalle, Midjourney, and Copilot to translate complex concepts into practical, governance-focused applications.

Jim holds numerous certifications, including:

• Artificial Intelligence: AAISM, AAIA, AIGP
• Cybersecurity: CISM, CISA, CRISC, CISSP, ISSEP, CGRC (CAP), SCNA, SCNP, IAM, IEM, SSCP, CEH, ECSA, CHFI, LPT, TICSA, CIWSA, Security+, and FITSP-M.
• Information Technology: CGEIT, MCITP, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCSA, MCDST, Server+, Network+, A+.
• Privacy: CDPSE, CIPP/US
• Project Management: PMP (Project Management Professional).
• Education: ICE-CCP (I.C.E. Certified Credentialing Professional), DACUM Facilitator

Laura Sawka
Director, Special Events
CISSP, CISA, Six Sigma Green Belt

Laura Sawka is the Founder and GRC Executive of Sawka Advisory Group, LLC, bringing enterprise-grade governance, risk, and compliance leadership to organizations seeking to grow with confidence. She is the former SVP, Security GRC at Salesforce, where she led a global program that supported hyper-growth (5X revenue scaling).

Leveraging deep experience across security governance, risk management, and compliance, Laura specializes in transforming GRC from a reactive, compliance burden into a strategic advantage that enables business growth and empowers risk-based decision-making.

Before pursuing entrepreneurship, she spent over a decade in multiple leadership roles at Salesforce, and began her career at KPMG conducting IT audits and advisory services. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated how smart compliance, strategic risk, and purposeful governance can directly enable strategic outcomes.

Known for thriving in rapidly changing environments, Laura is a passionate leader who inspires and develops high-performing teams. Beyond her work in security, she is an advocate for women’s leadership, a dedicated mentor, and an active non-profit board member. Additionally, Laura holds CISSP, CISA, Six Sigma Green Belt certifications.