As an Executive Government Advisor, Maria Thompson specializes in helping customers establish a security first baseline within their environments. Maria works with security and technology leadership for customers, identifying trends, best practices, and assisting them in developing holistic security strategies. Maria also works with Amazon Web Services (AWS) security partners and supports state and local government (SLG) policy and regulatory.
Prior to joining AWS in 2021, Maria was the State Chief Risk and Security Officer for the State of North Carolina. Maria also worked in federal and joint military organizations in various security roles including Senior Security Architect and Security Operations Center lead. Maria retired after 20 years of service from the United States Marine Corps, as the Information Assurance and Cybersecurity Chief.
Maria received her bachelor of science degree and master of science degree from University of Maryland, University College. She also has her ISC2 and ISACA security certifications. Maria and her family live in North Carolina best known for the great smoky mountains and Biltmore Estate. She enjoys working out, traveling, and indulging in horror movies.
