Joel Waugh

About Joel Waugh

As an executive cybersecurity leader, I drive the strategic shift toward a secure, Zero Trust–aligned foundation that accelerates business enablement across Metro’s digital and AI ecosystem. My focus is transforming cybersecurity from a gating function into a force multiplier—modernizing core infrastructure, strengthening identity and access controls, and advancing visibility, automation, and cloud‑ready capabilities that support rapid technology adoption. I lead enterprise efforts to establish responsible AI governance, guardrails, and security controls that enable safe and scalable AI use across workflows, operations, and data environments—positioning AI as a core capability of the cybersecurity profession and a catalyst for organizational performance.With more than 35 years of service dedicated to national security—from the U.S. Army to the FBI and now safeguarding critical transit infrastructure—I bring deep experience in cybersecurity risk management, SOC modernization, assessment and authorization, and the application of modern risk frameworks. I work closely with executive leadership to foster environments where innovation and strong security practices coexist, enabling a unified digital ecosystem that is secure, data‑driven, and built for speed. My mission is clear: equip the organization to adopt AI and modern technologies confidently, responsibly, and at pace—because the future of cybersecurity is not just protection, but enablement.

Experience

1. Vice President of Cybersecurity & Chief Information Security Officer

   Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

   May 2022 — Present · DC, US

   As Vice President of Cybersecurity, I lead the strategic effort to build Metro’s secure, Zero Trust–aligned foundation that enables rapid business value across our evolving digital and AI ecosystem. My focus is on transforming cybersecurity into a proactive enabler—ensuring our core infrastructure, identity and access capabilities, cloud environments, and visibility and analytics platforms are resilient, scalable, and positioned for accelerated modernization.I partner across Metro to drive responsible AI adoption by establishing governance, guardrails, and security controls that allow the organization to safely integrate AI into enterprise workflows, frontline operations, and decision‑making processes. This includes shaping enterprise AI usage standards, enabling secure data access, and supporting operational readiness for AI‑driven solutions.My work anchors Metro’s broader transformation toward an integrated digital ecosystem—one that unifies infrastructure, data, applications, and user enablement to unlock speed, interoperability, and real‑time insights. I ensure cybersecurity accelerates this shift by framing it as a strategic capability that empowers rapid business enablement, operational efficiency, and continuous innovation.

Education

• University of Maryland Global Campus

  Master of Science, Information Technology / Information Assurance

  2010 — 2012

• University of Maryland Global Campus

  BS, Business Administration

  2000 — 2007

Skills

• Management
• Networking
• Software Installation
• Integration
• Vulnerability Management
• Business Process Improvement
• Encryption
• Complex Project Management
• Ips
• Information Security Management
• Dod
• IT Strategy
• IT Management
• Disaster Recovery
• Cissp
• Risk Assessment
• Information Assurance
• Technical Support
• IT Audit
• Command
• Project Management
• Pmp
• Security
• Leadership
• Project Planning
• Security+
• Analysis
• Business Continuity
• Nist
• Electronics Systems Maintenance
• Risk Management
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Security Clearance
• Management of Technology
• Diacap
• Physical Security
• Personnel Supervision
• Government
• Technology Management