Holding considerable expertise in cryptography, information security, hardware and software engineering, and product development, De Ann Pope has excelled as an engineer for over four decades. Over the years, she has regularly provided group facilitations, moderation and training in cyber security and project management related areas. Since 2003, she has found success as the chief scientist and senior program manager of L-3 Communications, now L3 Harris Technologies, where she designs large global computer systems and networks and writes patents for government entities. Prior to her current position, Ms. Pope was the technical director and systems architect for ManTech International Corporation from 2002 to 2004, the director of the information assurance practice of Pragmatics Inc. in 2002, the executive vice president of engineering at Ecutel Systems Inc. from 2001 to 2002 and the chief executive officer, chief technology officer and president of the Vinciv Corporation from 2000 to 2001.
Between 1997 and 2000, Ms. Pope served as the vice president of the systems architecture group and the network security architect for SSDC Inc. and the chief architect and director of operations of Cidera Inc. She was previously the president of and an independent consultant for the Office of Imagery Analysis for the United States Central Intelligence Agency from 1994 to 1997 and a senior systems engineer for Hughes Aircraft, now Raytheon Technologies Corporation, from 1991 to 1994. A systems engineer for the Digital Equipment Corporation from 1988 to 1991, she held the same role with Wang Laboratories from 1985 to 1988, having begun her career as an electrical engineer in the United States Air Force in 1979.
Encouraged to pursue a career in computers and electrical engineering by her father, Ms. Pope initially considered a career in physics and earned a Bachelor of Science in physics from the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in 1979. She went on to attain certification in methods of security information at the network access point in 1999 and in CMMI, EVMS and performance based contracting in 2003. She concluded her professional licensing with certification in infrastructure library foundation training in 2005.
The recipient of a number of patents over the course of her career, Ms. Pope notably received four patents in 2000, which included a system and method for data transmission, a system and method for restricted information dissemination via self-deterrence, a system and method for secure moderated transactions, and an audio replication system that burns unique digital representation into each medium. She had earlier been awarded the patent for an audio digital steganography algorithm using biased compressed products in 1999. Above everything, Ms. Pope considers the highlight of her career to be getting rounds of funding for technology that didn’t exist yet. She takes incredible satisfaction in her ability to get people to invest in a product that is still in its conceptual stages.
Attributing much of her success to hard work and dedication, Ms. Pope further credits her long-standing drive and interest in problem solving for having helped her to reach her goals throughout her career. Looking to be retired in the near future, she hopes to leave a legacy as someone who was kind, humble and easy to work with as well as someone who encouraged others and emphasized the importance of collaboration. Born to father Donald Archie Berryman and mother Evelin Berryman, Ms. Pope has been married to her husband, Sherman H. Pope, for many happy years. Together they are the proud parents of four children and grandparents to two wonderful grandchildren.
