Although I met Larry Young more recently when I joined the Carolina Cyber Center, Larry was a central voice—along with Michelle Pupoh—that came alongside Adam Bricker in the early moments of the Carolina Cyber Center. Adam will be sorely missed, but we are thankful to have as interim director someone who has been a part of the heartbeat of the Carolina Cyber Center since almost the beginning. To give you a better idea of who Larry is, I interviewed him about his heart for the Carolina Cyber Center:
First, here’s a standard question for you, Larry…how did you get connected with Carolina Cyber Center (C3)?
After I semi-retired to Asheville a friend from church, a Montreat College instructor, thought I would appreciate meeting Adam Bricker, the Executive Director of the brand new Carolina Cyber Center. I was coming from decades working in the high-tech and defense training field, so we clicked; I had the joy of working together with him and Michelle Pupoh to make the Carolina Cyber Center (C3) a reality.
Speaking of backgrounds and where you’re coming from, what are you passionate about?
My Christian faith and my family. But I bet you’re asking about business, too. I am passionate about bringing ideas to reality, finding solutions to complex problems, and advising, coaching, and mentoring people. It’s what I love.
Did you find that C3 connects uniquely with that?
Yes, actually. I thought I was shifting careers when I began working with C3; I spent four years working for a non-profit working with over 100 colleges and universities across the country—and here we are partnering with colleges and universities for Cybersecurity. I spent decades in technical training, from building start-ups or small training centers into award-winning, nationally recognized enterprises—and here we are, building a start-up from a regional training center. I served on the Advisory Council for the Microsoft Online Learning Institute, one of my companies wrote courseware for Microsoft Certified Training, and we wrote software used by one of the two major college testing organizations—now we’re developing training programs from cybersecurity professionals. What I thought was a career change ended up being completely interconnected with what we do here at C3.
What are things you have loved and want to continue from what Adam has developed during his time as Executive Director?
We want to continue EVERYTHING Adam has developed. C3 has grown so much in the last two years that this next level of growth—moving from a start-up to a mature operation—is the natural next step, and Adam will remain a valuable advisor. His original vision continues to be our goal: “to build cybersecurity professional of character.”
What are some things coming down the road for C3 that you personally are excited about?
We have started many (formerly fledgling) enterprises: the Academies, the Essential Life Skills curriculum, the Security Services Center, and the professional engagements. All of these continue to grow—I’m excited to see them mature and create new spin-off projects! We also have more opportunities to build into our community through our new facilities in Asheville—this could look like hosting community events or opening it up regularly for anyone to come and receive cybersecurity advice. C3 was founded to serve our community, and I’m excited for continued opportunities to do so.
Any final thoughts to share?
Only that I am blessed to serve with such a strong team here at the Carolina Cyber Center. Adam has a remarkable way of pulling the best individuals—all with different gifts and skills—together to work towards a common goal; I’m honored to continue being a part of this team.
