UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

The University of Texas at Tyler 2017 Retail Summit Announced

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February 1, 2017

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

The University of Texas at Tyler will present the seventh annual Retail Summit featuring guest speaker R. David Mahon, chief security officer at CenturyLink, Inc.

The event will be 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at The University of Texas at Tyler Ornelas Activity Center, 3402 Old Omen Road in Tyler. Tickets are $25 each and include lunch. Sponsorships are also available.

This year's summit is presented by The University of Texas at Tyler Center for Retail Enterprises and Center for Consumer Cybersecurity.

For tickets, visit the Eventbrite link. For additional information, call 903.565.5741 or email cre@uttyler.edu.

Mahon will present "Emerging Trends & New Technologies in Cybersecurity for Retail & Services." Afterwards, Dr. AJ Burns, assistant professor of computer science at The University of Texas at Tyler; and Paula Anthony, vice president and CIO at East Texas Medical Center, will join Mahon in a panel discussion, "Avoid Being Tomorrow's Headline: Securing Data in Your Organization."

Mahon was appointed chief security officer for CenturyLink, Inc. in April 2011. Prior to the merger with CenturyLink, Inc., he was the vice president of corporate security for Qwest Communications International, Inc. from August 2006 until March 2011, where he was responsible for similar corporate security programs that he currently responsible for.

In addition to his corporate security positions, Mahon was a Supervisory Special Agent with the Federal Bureau-Investigation. In that role, he was responsible for investigating violations of federal statutes in which the Internet, computer systems and networks were exploited as the targets of terrorist organizations, foreign government sponsored intelligence operations or criminal activities. He holds a bachelor of science in business administration and numerous certifications.

His memberships include U.S. Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council, International Security Management Association, Telecommunications Security Association, Domestic Security Advisory Council, and Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.

For additional information, contact The University of Texas at Tyler College of Business and Technology marketing coordinator Jessica Brown, 903.565.5741 or jessicabrown@uttyler.edu.

One of the 14 campuses of the UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler features excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at The University of Texas at Tyler, which has an enrollment of almost 10,000 high-ability students. The University of Texas at Tyler offers courses at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine as well as a location in Houston.