Cyber Resilience Across Critical Sectors: Safeguarding Miami-Dade’s Business Community, Utilities, Ports, and Infrastructure 

Dr. Lynette Cardoch is Moffatt & Nichol’s Vice President & Director of Resilience & Adaptation, leading collaborative efforts to deliver comprehensive resiliency solutions & adaptation services in the coastal zone. Remit covers three practices: Ports, Water, and Transportation. Services range from coastal planning (e.g., decision economics and strategic consulting) to engineering of nature-based (e.g., wetlands and beaches) and built infrastructure (e.g. maritime structures). She is a coastal ecologist with over 20 years of experience in regulatory and water policies, coastal restoration, and urban and coastal resiliency. With her technical qualifications and collaborative management style, her assignments include steering interdisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists, and regulators. She has also worked closely with coastal utilities and natural resource agencies on integrated planning and operationalizing resiliency, particularly for coastal protection, storm surge, and interior flooding. She is an active resident of Miami-Dade County, having participated on the Biscayne Bay Task Force. She also serves on the County’s Planning Advisory Board. She was appointed by Gov. DeSantis to the Florida Commission on Community Service, colloquially known as Volunteer Florida. In October 2021, she was appointed to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Science Advisory Board’s (SAB) Ecosystem Sciences and Management Working Group (ESMWG). Lynette also serves as a government relations liaison, interacting with elected and appointed officials, taking the science and engineering to the policy level. As a native Spanish speaker, she frequently participates in international efforts. 

Jeffrey Bernstein is a director in Kaufman Rossin's Risk Advisory Services practice. His focus includes security incident and event planning and response, cybersecurity strategy, governance, compliance, training, and intelligence. Jeff is a member of the Kaufman Rossin Financial Investigations Team steering committee. 

Jeff has extensive experience providing cybersecurity response, governance, risk and compliance services for private clients and family offices, as well as businesses in regulated industries, including financial institutions, investment firms, healthcare organizations and law firms. He has over 20 years of experience advising clients on the security and compliance of their networks, applications, systems, people, property and information.

Prior to joining Kaufman Rossin, he was the managing director of cybersecurity advisory services and strategy at an independent public accounting and advisory services firm based in New York City.
Jeff is a recognized thought leader who has contributed to industry guidance, authored articles, written white papers, and been quoted by TV and print media. He is a contributor to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-46 Rev. 3: Guide to Enterprise Telework Security and NIST SP1800-1: Security Electronic Health Records on Mobile Devices. His articles have been featured in Scotsman Guide, USA Today/Gannett publications, The Straits Times, and other outlets. He regularly presents at conferences and has lectured master’s studies classes at New York University.

Jeff is an Advisory Board Member of the USF Muma College of Business Cybersecurity Education program and an Advisory Board member of the Ithaca College Cybersecurity Studies program. He is also an affiliate of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

He studied Computer Science and Business at Northeastern University and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Mike Asencio is the Director of the Cyber Policy Program at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy. In this role, he manages the statewide CyberSecureFlorida Training Initiative, funded by Cyber Florida. His expertise spans AI, cybersecurity, cyber infrastructure resiliency, cyber safety, and public policy in the cyber domain, demonstrating his commitment to protecting digital landscapes.

Mike Asencio's career highlights his extensive expertise in working with government entities and private sector companies to develop innovative solutions for complex challenges. His work in cybersecurity resiliency and policy-making has been instrumental in shaping robust cybersecurity strategies and public policies. His dedication to public policy, cybersecurity, and community engagement continues to shape the future for a safer cyberspace.

Fluent in Spanish, Mike holds an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, Learning Technologies, and a B.A. from Florida International University.

Chris Carr brings over 18 years of experience at Crown Castle, where he has held diverse roles in Sales, Business Development, and Sales Management. He currently serves as Manager of Cyber Defense & Managed Solutions, based in Lake Worth, Florida. When he's not leading cybersecurity initiatives, you’ll likely find him on the golf course, enjoying his favorite pastime.

Jim Betzhold is the Chief Information Security Officer at the South Florida Water Management District; Jim oversees the District's Cybersecurity and Application Security Teams. Jim’s technical acumen spans across multiple domains encompassing cybersecurity, networking technologies, electronic systems design, and software and hardware development. He excels in architecting IT and critical infrastructure systems, ensuring a balance between business requirements and robust cybersecurity controls. He is recognized for his pivotal role in establishing a comprehensive security strategy that effectively safeguards the organization's IT and OT critical infrastructure.