James F Lowder II

Prospective STARS Deputy Program Manager
President and Former CEO, Attila-Tek
Commander (retired), United States Naval Reserve

Jim Lowder is a computer systems consultant for Jacobs Technology Advanced Systems Group, San Diego, serving the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (“SPAWAR”) in support of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet program (NMCI). Jim is an information systems and security specialist, community volunteer, retired Naval Aviator and the prospective deputy Program Manager for the “STARS” (Scientific, Technical, Administrative and RDT&E Services) program for the Jacobs Naval Systems Group, Ridgecrest, California.  An alumnus of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, he is certified in the National Security Agency's "INFOSEC Assessment Methodology" (IAM) and has been accredited as a "Certified Information Systems Auditor" (CISA).

Mr. Lowder formed Attila-Tek in San Jose in October, 2002, to provide systems engineering and Information Assurance staffing and consulting services for government organizations and commercial enterprises.  He subsequently moved the business to San Diego, California. Upon accepting assignment as consultant for Jacobs Technology, Jim turned over the reigns as Chief Executive Officer” of Attila-Tek to Naly Lowder, the former company CFO.

Jim grew up on a ranch in Oklahoma. His first job was as a cowboy.  After "moving to town" and completing undergraduate studies at Oklahoma City University, he reported to Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola Florida, was commissioned Ensign in 1979, and went on to earn his wings as a Naval Aviator.  He joined the Navy to fly, serve his country and see the world, and was privileged to achieve these goals many times over in his 25 year Naval career.

As a junior officer and aviator, Commander Lowder flew the H46 "Sea Knight" and the SH2F "Sea Sprite" helicopters in a variety of operational assignments ashore and at sea.  Based for a number of years at North Island, California, he deployed to the Indian and Pacific Oceans aboard Fleet and Naval Reserve destroyers and frigates. During his lone East Coast tour, he and his crew made history in the summer of 1993 as the first to land an H2 helicopter aboard a Russian combatant ship, the Udaloy class destroyer "Admiral Karlomov."  In his flying career he has made over a thousand small deck ship landings, including several hundred at night.

Commander Lowder was selected in 1993 to for a Master's program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.  Upon completing his coursework in Information Technology Management, he reported to the staff of Commander, Naval Air Reserve Force in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he served as the first Assistant Chief of Staff for Information Systems, or "Chief Information Officer."  Repeating this effort at the next higher echelon for Commander, Naval Reserve Force Headquarters, he served as Chief Technology Officer for the entire force of 93,000 Reservists. Following staff duty, Jim's first choice for shore command was in San Jose, where he retired from active duty in 2001 as the commanding officer of the Naval Air Reserve Center, in the heart of the Silicon Valley.  San Jose Naval Reservists provide fleet support in more than a dozen distinct mission areas including elite engineering support missions such as Space Warfare, Naval Research and Aviation Systems.

Jim's interest in computers and electronic gear began in the cockpit.  His deep abiding respect for the engineers who create this complex gadgetry began in earnest mid-career, when he was assigned to the fleet project team evaluating the 2F106 tactical helicopter simulator.  Subsequently named Officer in Charge of the SH2G Fleet Project Team, he and his team worked closely with Fleet Claimants and Naval Air Systems Command (“NAVAIR”) to ensure that every element of logistics support - spare parts to avionics and simulators - was in place for the new weapon system. It was during this time that Jim earned the call-sign "Attila" from his men, who had discovered Wess Roberts' book, "Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun," and urged some of its lessons on their intrepid officer-in-charge.

A graduate school professor suggested Jim attend an AFCEA "West" conference in San Diego as part of his thesis research.  Impressed with the quality of the conference, the professional camraderie, and the non-profit, community service aspects of the organization, Commander Lowder has been a dedicated AFCEAN ever since.  In 1999, while serving as Assistant Chief of Staff for Information Systems in New Orleans for Commander, Naval Air Reserve Force, he and a hardy group of pioneers founded the Silicon Bayou AFCEA chapter.  He has been recognized as both "AFCEAN of the Month" and as an AFCEA International Presidential award winner. CDR Lowder most recently served as the president of the Silicon Valley chapter.

Jim serves on the board of Directors of San Diego’s North Bay Business Association, and has served on the board of directors for the Reserve Officer's Association (ROA) Chapter 63, the Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair Association, the Silicon Valley Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the Point Loma High School Foundation. Commander Lowder is a member of a host of additional professional and community organizations, including the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) and the Naval Reserve Association.  He has volunteered as a youth soccer coach, board member, booster president, referee, tutor of English as a second language and school technology committee member.  Jim owes his success to a supportive family, a cadre of thoughtful and generous mentors and colleagues, and to hundreds of dedicated, hard working colleagues.

Commander Lowder earned several personal decorations while on active duty, but they pale to insignificance in comparison to the actions of thousands of "sung" and "unsung" American heroes who have risked and sometimes given their lives in combat and even peacetime for their buddies and for our great nation. They continue to do so today. Remember them always.

Dedicated to my friend Lyle, lost at sea in January of 1993, and to all who have given their lives in service to our country so that we all may live in freedom.  There might I have gone on many a dark, stormy night at sea but for the Grace of God, the genius of the engineers who made my Navy equipment, and the dedication of the sailors who maintained that equipment.

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