Kevin Pavnica

Kevin brings over 13 years of experience in risk mitigation, operational growth, strategic collaboration, and emerging technology integration. He leads the Blackrock Strategy team supporting the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s Prototypes & Experiments Directorate, providing expertise in assessment, engineering, flight, experimentation, and logistics. Renowned for bridging technical and non-technical teams, he excels in developing threat-informed requirements, testing hypotheses, aligning capabilities with policy, and balancing priorities in complex environments. Kevin began his military career as an Armor officer, serving in combat leadership and tactical staff roles in parachute reconnaissance and mounted infantry units across Europe, Afghanistan, and the U.S. His experience includes platoon leadership, logistics coordination, operational planning, and commanding two companies. He also led a detachment experimenting with upgrades to the Stryker combat vehicle family. Departing from the conventional path, Kevin was selected for the Army’s elite Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG) at Fort Meade, Maryland, where he served as an Asymmetric Warfare Operational Specialist and later commanded a unit focused on Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. At AWG, he identified emerging threats, conducted competitive analysis, advised senior leaders, and facilitated rapid technology integration for frontline units. Kevin’s Army career culminated in an assignment with a U.S. Government interagency team, where he safeguarded strategic investments in operations and technologies alongside the Intelligence Community. He played a pivotal role in fostering public-private collaboration, assessing opportunities and threats from emerging technologies, mitigating risks to innovation, contributing to national competitive strategies, and orchestrating high-level decision-making forums. Currently, Kevin continues his service as a Major in the Indiana Army National Guard, serving as Chief of Staff for the 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Near Eastern Languages & Cultures from Indiana University (IU) and earned both an MBA and an MS in Strategic Management from IU’s Kelley School of Business. Based in New Palestine, Indiana, he lives with his wife, son, and three daughters.