Our Team
The National Cyber League is operated through a joint partnership between the National Cyber League, Inc. and Cyber Skyline, Inc.
NCL Commissioner
David Zeichick, NCL Commissioner
David is an Assistant Professor, Computer Science at California State University Chico. He specializes in teaching cybersecurity and is a seasoned NCL coach, leading his team to top-ranked status.
David has spent 10 years teaching information technology at corporations and colleges and 10 years in the computer security field. He received his Doctorate in Information Assurance from Nova Southeastern in Florida, Master’s in Computer Science from Chico State and Bachelor’s in Social Science from University of California, Irvine.
NCL Board of Directors
Dr. Dan Manson, NCL Chairman
Dr. Dan Manson is Professor Emeritus of Computer Information Systems at Cal Poly Pomona, Lecturer in the UNLV Masters in Cybersecurity program and Researcher for Norwich University.
Dr. Manson led the effort for Cal Poly Pomona to be designated an NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) in 2005, 2008, 2014 and 2021.
From 2008 to 2017 Dr. Manson led the Western Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (WRCCDC). Dr. Manson is a co-founder of the National Cyber League and is Chairman of NCL, Inc. Dr. Manson has been Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on seven National Science Foundation grants to support workforce, curriculum, and professional development in cyber security.
Dr. Manson leads competency development and documentation of competitions for the NSA CAE-C Program Office grant for the Careers Preparation National Center.
David Durkee, NCL Secretary
David Durkee has served as secretary of the NCL Board since. A seasoned security expert with extensive experience helping students advance through cybersecurity education and competitions, David Durkee serves as Chair of the Department of Network Infrastructure Engineering Technology at Lakeland Community College in Ohio. He is a member of the leadership of the National Support Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA), and Chair of the CCDC Midwest Region Competition Industry Advisory Board.
Costis Toregas, NCL Finance Director
Dr. Costis Toregas has served as Finance Director of the National Cyber League since its inception in 2012. He is the Director of the Cyber Security and Privacy Research Institute at The George Washington University, where he manages and conducts Scholarship, Research and Service projects. His research interests include workforce development, the role of insurance in cyber risk management, and exploring a fuller utilization of community colleges in cybersecurity workforce strategies. He is a consultant for Industry and International programs at the National Cybersecurity Training and Education center (NCyTE), and contributes to the gender equity imperatives in cybersecurity as a Board Member and Treasurer of Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS).
Dr. Toregas holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Systems Engineering from Cornell University.
Chris Lemmon, NCL Board Member
Chris is a dedicated educator and curriculum developer at City Colleges of Chicago, Chicago’s community college system. She is driven by a passion for empowering diverse students in their pursuit of prosperous careers in cybersecurity. In her professional capacity, Chris serves as an Advanced Security Engineer at Secure Yeti, where she conducts security assessments and penetration tests for high-profile clients.
Chris's enthusiasm for knowledge sharing is matched only by her commitment to community enhancement. She serves on Women in Cybersecurity’s (WiCyS) Equity Advocacy Committee (EAC) and DEF CON Groups Board. She is also an active contributor to Latina’s in Cyber (LAIC) and Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu (WSC).
Beyond her professional and community involvement, Chris is a devoted dog enthusiast who plays an active role in fostering dogs in need. She shares her life with a Border Collie and an Australian Shepherd, cherished companions who occasionally encourage her to step away from her desk and embrace the outdoors.
Cyber Skyline Team
Franz Payer, CEO
Franz is the CEO of Cyber Skyline, which powers the National Cyber League. He became drawn to cybersecurity when he tried to build a website, then learned how to break websites, and then discovered a vulnerability in his high school’s gradebook. He founded Cyber Skyline in his freshman dorm room, because he wanted to share the thrill of being a real hacker with his friends, even while they were still developing their skills.
Toby Lin, CTO
Toby Lin co-founded Cyber Skyline in 2014 and serves as its CTO, supporting over 13,000 students across 500 US colleges in its National Cyber League (NCL) program. In addition, he helps support numerous Fortune 500 firms in both internal CTF exercises and candidate screening assessments. Toby is also an instructor for the Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students (ACES) Honors College at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Emily Kalandranis
Emily is the community engagement manager for the National Cyber League powered by Cyber Skyline. Joining Cyber Skyline in January 2022, she has coordinated new NCL initiatives such as the Women of the NCL webinar, The Decrypted Post newsletter and NCL Spirit Week. Her passion for education stems from her background as an Elementary teacher with a Masters in Education (M.Ed) and her previous role as the Cyber Education Manager for AFA CyberPatriot from 2015-2018. Emily is an avid animal lover and proud cat mom, unapologetically obsessed with the ‘80s, and is ready to compete on the Great British Baking Show at a moment’s notice.
Ashley Dodge
Ashley is the operations coordinator for Cyber Skyline. She works behind the scenes ensuring that projects are running smoothly while making sure that there is a template and process for everything. When not at work she can be found near the water, at Universal Studios, or hanging out with her pets.
Lauren Wolff
Lauren is the graphic design and marketing specialist at Cyber Skyline. In her job role, she creates all of the marketing materials for NCL. The emails, social media graphics, and flyers you see are designed by her! In her free time, you can find her at a local coffee shop, rewatching her favorite T.V. shows, going to a concert, or creating digital art on her iPad.
Conor Moening
Conor graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. and was a part of the usr0 security club on campus and can attribute a lot of what he knows about security to the great people there. Conor has now worked for just over 2 years as a software engineer at Cyber Skyline.
Tristan Messner
Tristan is a software engineer for Cyber Skyline who enjoys solving difficult and interesting problems. He lives in Ohio with his two cats that love to investigate everything he is trying to do.
Maxwell (Max) MacVay
Max is a Chico State Alumni and former NCL Player. At Chico he was the treasurer of the cybersecurity club, and which placed second in the NCL 2023 Spring Team Game. Max loves cats, motorcycles, and video games. After he’s done working, you can typically find him in the gym and then relaxing in bed with his cats.