In the lead-up to Veterans Day 2025, Matt Bowman, host of STEM City USA's The Briefing Room podcast, interviewed Renata Spinks-McNeal, a military veteran and cybersecurity expert, who was recognized as a BEYA winner.
Staying true to The Briefing Room's tradition of highlighting what's on one's T-shirt, Renata shared the story behind a T-shirt she designed the previous year.
The T-shirt featured the Stars and Stripes above the White House, a classic Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star shoe, well-manicured nails clutching a string of pearls, and her nickname, "Cyber Boss Lady."
Originally from a small town in northern Louisiana, Renata excelled in sports, playing basketball and running track. Her mother, a talented seamstress, often showcased the first suit she made for Renata, which included a business tie and a dress.
In her senior year, Renata earned all-state and all-district honors in track, highlighting her accomplishments in athletics. She credits her sports experience with teaching her valuable lessons about resilience, teamwork, and the ability to pivot and adjust while maintaining focus on a larger goal.
Matt, who was born in South Carolina and later moved to Florida, recalled their first meeting at a Career Communications Group professional development conference.
Their conversation about Louisiana culture enriched his understanding of Cajun and Creole traditions, as well as the music associated with funerals and other iconic elements of the state.
Turning to her personal journey, Renata revealed that she became pregnant shortly after graduating from high school, yet she remained one of the top recruits in her class.
She chose to attend Louisiana Tech University to run track, with aspirations of playing basketball at a national level. Despite receiving advice to terminate her pregnancy to enhance her athletic opportunities, she decided to carry her baby to term.
Renata later joined the military, motivated by her family's military background and the stability it could offer a parent with young children.
As a member of the U.S. Army, Renata underwent basic training in San Antonio, Texas. While managing the challenges of being a teenage mother, she married and soon had twin daughters, but she also faced a divorce during her deployment to Iraq.
During her service, Renata received a commendation medal and was encouraged to cross-train with the communications department. This training introduced her to radio frequency technology and the complexities of establishing connectivity in challenging environments, sparking her interest in the field of technology.
After returning to school, Renata played collegiate basketball at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, NC, while pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer in the corporate sector. She majored in criminal justice, where she learned about computer forensics and how to recover information from wiped computers.
That sparked her interest in information technology, which led to her first internship focused on human trafficking and child exploitation, which laid a foundation for her subsequent work with a Homeland Security program designed to track pedophiles.
In her roles related to information systems security, information assurance, and cybersecurity, Renata has focused on safeguarding access to large amounts of data. She has applied learning how closed-circuit television can be used to track predators who are seeking to lure children from their parents during busy times at malls and shopping areas.
Three years ago, Renata participated in the Waves of Change (WOC) seminar "Super Mega Ultra Women: Build Up, Not Tear Down!" where she shared her military experiences as a civilian within the Department of Defense.
After leaving the military, she spent nearly five years as an analyst at the Department of Homeland Security, where she was involved in cybersecurity awareness and education.
Renata also founded Rising Footsteps, an organization that addresses the mental, physical, spiritual, and financial needs of individuals to help them balance their lives. Additionally, she volunteered with organizations supporting women and children affected by abuse, leveraging entry-level technology training to foster self-reliance and skill development for new job opportunities.
Since her "Supporting the Mission: Anytime, Anywhere" interview with Women of Color magazine in 2016, Renata has held several prominent positions in federal information technology, including serving as a technology specialist in the IT Strategy group of the U.S. Treasury's Office of Financial Research.
In 2020, she was named the Stars and Stripes Senior Executive Service (SES) Member of the Year. Most recently, she was promoted to assistant director of information technology, deputy CIO, and senior information security officer for the U.S. Marine Corps.