Cisco is committed to helping federal organizations become more agile using a secure network to support citizen-centric initiatives. At the Cisco Center of Excellence, government visitors from around the beltway have the opportunity to identify current and future technology needs, exchange ideas with Cisco experts, and talk about how networking is changing every aspect of our lives. The COE offers customers the opportunity to:

• Work with Cisco and develop a business specific technology solution
• Test a technology solution before full deployment
• Host a meeting with Cisco Executives, Industry Partners or Government Leaders
• Attend an event to learn about the technologies Cisco offers for your organization
• Experience Cisco Technology Solutions through live demos

Contact the COE Team

David West - Director, Field Operations, Federal Center of Excellence
David West oversees the Cisco Federal Center of Excellence, which is responsible for delivering Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products and solutions tailored to meet federal requirements. In this role, West identifies technical and competitive trends and then works across several functions to develop and execute strategic initiatives that deliver the right architectures and solutions to the market.

Previously, West was senior manager, Systems Engineering, for the Cisco Department of Defense (DoD) Operation. He was responsible for DoD systems engineers and managers worldwide who provide pre-sales engineering support to both partners and customers.

West has held a variety of other positions at Cisco, including: senior manager, Advanced Technologies, responsible for voice, security, optical, and wireless engineering and pre-sales support for federal customers and partners worldwide; senior manager, Systems Engineering, in support of National Programs and Intelligence; systems engineering manager, worldwide support for the Navy and Marine Corps. A seven-year Cisco employee, West is a former Marine Officer and is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. He holds an MS in Information Systems from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Randy Sisto - Business Development Solutions Manager, Federal Center of Excellence
Randy Sisto is responsible for managing the conception, development, and delivery of Cisco core, advanced, and emerging technologies-based, vertical market solutions. In this role, Sisto leads teams of subject matter experts including Field Sales, Channels, Marketing, Services, Product Development and Cisco partners. His focus areas include Unified Communications, Digital Media, Logistics, and Safety and Security Communications Architecture.

Sisto's previous roles at Cisco include field sales, service, support, and critical incident program management. Following Hurricane Katrina, he helped coordinate Cisco's response to the disaster. He has also been program manager for a global process improvement initiative in the service parts organization and worked in corporate crisis management. Before joining Cisco, Sisto was director of marketing for Network, where he established programs to support that company's federal sales organization. He holds a BS degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

Susan Shareshian - Solution Manager, Government Services and Support
Susan Shareshian is responsible for managing the conception, development, and delivery of Cisco core, advanced, and emerging technologies-based, vertical market solutions. She leads teams of subject matter experts including Field Sales, Channels, Marketing, Services, Product Development and Cisco partners. Her focus areas include IPv6, federal network compliance mandates and security.

Previously, Shareshian was a solutions development manager for the Government Service and Support Team. She has also managed the development and delivery of the IPv6 Network Assessor tool and developed the IPv6 Services Practice Team. Before joining Cisco, Shareshian held product marketing roles at AT&T and later Lucent Technologies. She holds a BA in communications from Hope College.

Terry Burdett - Consulting System Engineer, Federal Center of Excellence
Terry Burdett has more than 26 years of experience working with both Department of Defense and civilian federal customers in information technology. During his tenure at Cisco, he has functioned both as a systems engineer (SE) supporting the defense community and as a mobility consulting systems engineer (CSE) supporting the Federal Operation as a whole.

Before joining Cisco, Burdett held a variety of programming, networking, engineering, consulting and management positions with the Army, Air Force, and Naval Safety. He has designed, tested, implemented, operated, and maintained military networks, both classified and unclassified. Burdett received the Al Gore Hammer Award for reinventing government and an Achievement Medal for Civilian Service. He was named Cisco Federal Area SE of the Year in 2004.