Bel Leong-Hong

Ms. Belkis Leong-Hong is the Founder, President, and CEO of Knowledge Advantage Inc., a small woman-owned business specializing in delivery of IT And Knowledge Management Solutions, Program Management, Strategic Planning, Leadership Development, Training, and Workforce Initiatives. Her clients include Government agencies, Fortune-100 companies, systems integrators, product companies, and small IT services companies. Ms Leong-Hong is a strategist and a change agent. As a former career General Officer-equivalent senior executive in DOD, Ms. Leong-Hong has held a number of high-level positions in DOD, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for (C3I); Principal Director and CIO at the Defense Security Service (DSS); DISA's Deputy Commander of the Joint Interoperability and Engineering Organization (JIEO). She is a published author of a technical book, dozens of technical refereed articles; as well as keynoter on leadership, diversity, and technology.

Ms. Leong-Hong is active in her professional associations and in her community, and sits on corporate boards as well as several non-profit and appointed boards. She serves on the National Defense University Board of Visitors; the State of Maryland’s Commission on Cybersecurity Excellence and Innovation; the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board; the Univ. of MD Medical Systems Corporate Board; the NBC4 Community Advisory Board; founding member of the Board of Directors of AAGEN; the board of directors of AFCEA International; past President of the NOVA Chapter of AFCEA, President-Elect of AAA Fund, amongst others. Ms. Leong-Hong is a mathematician and computer scientist by training; she holds a BS degree from Hunter College and a MPA from American University; certificates from Harvard’s Kennedy’s School of Government. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the very prestigious Presidential Rank Meritorious Service Award, the DOD Distinguished Service Medal, the DOD Meritorious Service Medals, Oak Leaf clusters, and in 2011 she was recognized as one of "50 Women of Influence and Power" by MEA magazine.