SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Security Industry Association (SIA) has announced Adam Stahl of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as the opening keynote speaker for the 2025 SIA GovSummit, SIA’s annual public policy and government security technology conference.
SIA GovSummit 2025 is scheduled for May 20-21 in downtown Washington, D.C.
Each year, SIA GovSummit “brings together government security leaders with private industry technologists for top-quality information sharing and education on security topics affecting federal, state and local agencies,” according to the SIA announcement.
The 2025 GovSummit program “includes specialized sessions on essential topics in contracting, procurement, infrastructure and facility protection; highlights how security product standards help meet government needs; and explores the latest policies, practices and trends impacting security,” the announcement says.
Why Adam Stahl is 2025 GovSummit Keynote Speaker
Stahl was initially named TSA’s chief of staff in January 2025. In this role, Stahl “provides strategic counsel on policy, planning, public affairs and engagement with members of Congress while serving as a liaison to the presidential administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies.”
He previously served as the DHS deputy chief of staff in the Office of Strategy, Policy and Programs as well as a stint with Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Trade Relations in 2021.
During his DHS tenure, Stahl led the drafting and policy development of National Security Council policy documents and department-wide strategies, including the first-ever DHS Arctic Strategy and DHS Strategy to Counter Malicious Activity From the People’s Republic of China.
Stahl has more than a decade of national security experience in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, he served as the chief of staff and strategic advisor at a global energy company, focused on national security-related policies, regulations and governance matters tied to the company’s assets, people and operations.
He has worked on national security and global trade issues at both the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In addition to his professional roles, Stahl is a fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University. Stahl received his master’s degree in foreign affairs at the University of Oxford, where he assessed the geopolitics of energy and supply chain weaponization, using Russia and Eastern Europe as case studies.
“SIA is thrilled to have Adam Stahl join us at the 2025 GovSummit, sharing his national security and policy expertise with attendees and shedding light on the implementation of security technology in transportation and related TSA priorities,” says SIA CEO Don Erickson in the association announcement.
“This year’s conference will bring together top leaders in government, security and technology for critical exploration of the biggest security issues affecting federal government entities like the TSA, as well as state and local agencies,” he says.
In addition to Stahl’s keynote, SIA GovSummit will offer sessions on essential topics including:
- Key security priorities under the Trump administration and 119th Congress
- Research-informed strategies and tools K-12 leaders can use to enhance school security
- Safety, security and compliance planning as organizations return to the office
- Strategies for manufacturers in navigating the tariff landscape
- How enterprise federation architecture meets federal security requirements
- How digital and contactless access control solutions enhance federal government security
- Strategies for mitigating drone incursions at sensitive sites
- How agencies can protect against artificial intelligence-powered cyberattacks
- How the public and private sectors collaborate in using AI for national defense
In addition to the 2-day conference program, SIA GovSummit will include an evening reception on May 20 and a roundtable luncheon on May 21 with special guests from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with both events featuring networking and refreshments.
Some of the additional confirmed experts sharing their insights at GovSummit 2025 include leaders at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within DHS, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Defense Intelligence Agency.
This event is free for all government employees, including U.S. and international federal, state, county and municipal-level staff, plus all military, law enforcement and public safety personnel.
