About Us

Chris Bedel, CISM

Founder, President, & CEO

Chris is an information security professional and entrepreneur, who oddly enjoys things like risk assessments, incident response walkthroughs, and security awareness training. He was the Information Security Officer for 8 years at a community bank, where he was integral in achieving 82% growth in assets while more than doubling net income during his tenure as ISO . 
 
Looking for new challenges, Chris started Bedel Security® in March 2015, where they help banks and credit unions with their information security programs by providing services to fill and/or support the CISO and ISO functions. 

He has a Business degree from Purdue University with a minor in MIS and holds the CISM certification. 
 
When not working on his business, Chris stays busy chasing after 4 kids and other animals with his wife on their 50-acre farm in Indiana.

Brian Petzold, CISSP

vCISO Senior Advisor / VP Chief Technology Officer

Brian brings 30 years of experience leading information technology for banks and credit unions, including leading the infrastructure, support, and operations for 11 years at one of the nation’s largest corporate credit unions.

His responsibilities have always included balancing security and compliance with strategic business growth. He also embraces a risk management based approach to technology making him a great addition to round out the team.

Brian lives in Naperville, Illinois, where he tries to keep up with his wife and 5 kids. His hobbies include video editing, skiing, and listening to just about any type of music imaginable.

Trisha Durkin, CISSP

vCISO Senior Advisor / VP Chief Operating Officer

Trisha spent the first 16 years of her career learning the ins and outs of community banking, holding roles in risk management, project management, information technology, and information security. She also holds her Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). 

Cinda McGinnis

VP Chief Administrative Officer & Marketing Manager

Cinda began her career as an enthusiastic leader in education, driven by a passion for nurturing young minds and fostering learning. During that time she honed communication, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving skills. These fundamental skills have proven to be invaluable in her transition to the realm of cybersecurity administration.

Her love of innovation has spurred her to think creatively and find novel solutions to intricate challenges. Her responsibilities include working closely with the executive and marketing teams providing input and organization to better serve and grow the company.

Cinda lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys traveling to new and faraway places and spending time with family and friends.

Errica Padgett, CISSP

Director of Service Delivery / vCISO Senior Advisor

Errica is a Community Banking Professional having held numerous positions over the past 16 years. Her experience includes Risk Management, Compliance, Information Security, and Audit. With the knowledge gained and the roles held, Errica has the unique ability to work with all areas of a financial institution.

She believes that a strong Risk Management and Information Security Program is the foundation of all successful community banks and credit unions and is passionate about working to implement these programs into their existing systems.

Errica and her husband live in Southeast Georgia. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to both familiar and new places, running, and spending time with her family.

Stephanie Goetz, CPA, CISA, CISSP

vCISO Senior Advisor

Stephanie began her career as a financial and information technology auditor where she found a niche in bringing together the business and IT perspectives to solve problems and improve business outcomes. Intellectual curiosity and the cybersecurity skills shortage led her to begin steering her career into information security, where she added the CISSP certification to her toolkit.  

Stephanie served in the deputy CISO role at a large financial institution where she built a defendable and risk-based information security program.  She also served as the CISO for a midsize insurance company where she built their first-ever security function.  

Stephanie grew up in a rural Indiana community and still maintains her love of the farm life.  She and her husband live on a horse farm near Ocala, Florida where they enjoy their horses, cats, beautiful scenery, and explore the nearby gulf coast.

Jordan Rosiak, CRISC

Service Delivery Manager/vCISO Senior Advisor

Jordan began his Information Technology/Information Security (IT/IS) career working as a Financial Institutions Examiner where he regulated credit unions of various asset sizes and complexity. Jordan has experience with credit, interest rate, and compliance risk which he began his career with; however, he shifted his focus to IT, as he found the ever-changing environment to be both challenging and exciting. 

Jordan believes strong IT risk management practices are necessary for maintaining the safety and soundness of financial institutions. The internet has made it easier and faster for financial institutions to send and receive money and share personal identifiable information, so he feels understanding the risks associated and how to mitigate those risks is important to safeguard information, prevent potential fraud, and protect the reputation of the financial institution.

Jordan grew up in southeast Michigan, where he currently lives with his wife and dog. He enjoys talking sports, snowboarding, sailing, and spending time with a good sci-fi book.

Andrew Hernandez CISM, CISA

vCISO Senior Advisor

Andrew Hernandez has served as a seasoned technology executive with nearly 30 years of experience in the financial industry, specializing in security and risk management. As a former VP and business Executive at FIS, he led the service delivery of Managed IT Services, overseeing various delivery teams and spearheading a myriad of improvement initiatives. 

His expertise includes migrating physical infrastructure to virtual and cloud environments, implementing information security programs, and revamping risk and vendor management programs. Andrew's career began in banking, evolving from a part-time office clerk to a systems and network administrator, IT manager, and Information Security Officer, at various community banks in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Andrew enjoys dabbling in the culinary arts, travel, science fiction movies, and studies quantum physics in his spare time.

John Freerksen, CISSP

vCISO Senior Advisor

John has spent over a decade serving in the Information Security field for community banks where he developed and implemented robust security measures, conducted comprehensive risk assessments, and stayed ahead of emerging threats in the cybersecurity landscape.  

His proactive approach and deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by community banks have been instrumental in mitigating risks and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. John strives to drive business goals through a successful Information Security program. 

John and his family live in Northeast Kansas where he enjoys spending time on the golf course, playing board games with his family, and coaching high school basketball. 

Cory Poupore, CISSP

vCISO Senior Advisor

Cory began his career in the telecommunications industry, where he spent 6 years directing loss prevention, security, and safety policies for 32 retail locations. Within that role, Cory gained experience in Compliance, Audit, and Risk Management, while overseeing the daily tasks of multiple locations. Cory has always had a passion for Information Technology and has shifted his focus to apply his investigatory and analytical skills in the world of Information Security.

Cory is a highly motivated problem solver who thrives in a challenging work environment and believes that establishing and updating a detailed security roadmap is critical for financial institutions to shift their risk mitigation strategy from a reactive to a proactive approach.

Cory, his wife, and his daughter reside in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, hiking with his dog, and sitting down with a good book.

Mark Lester, CISSP

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Mark has years of experience providing IT support for a community bank and experience as a Security Analyst in the financial, healthcare, and public sectors.  He enjoys security as an ever-evolving landscape and learning new ways to approach situations.

Mark received his associate degree in Cybersecurity & Information Assurance from Ivy Tech Community College, and using his knowledge and experience applies logical and analytical reasoning to Information Security to help make it more manageable for clients.

Mark resides in the Indianapolis area with his wife and daughter. In his free time, he enjoys running with his dog and experiencing new cultures around the world with his family.

Travis Johnson, CRISC

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Travis has over 13 years of experience in community banking. During this time, he held many positions in various departments including Retail, Operations, Data Processing and Information Technology. Most recently, he oversaw Vulnerability and Patch Management and realized that was his niche.

Travis worked in Information Technology for 7 years, having started out in Desktop Support. After moving into the Information Security side of IT, that is when he realized there is more to Information Security than meets the eye and found the tasks challenging and rewarding. Seeing firsthand the challenges that financial institutions face on a daily basis in maintaining a strong Information Security program, Travis is driven to help these institutions succeed.

Travis and his wife live in New Hampshire with their son and daughter. In their free time, they enjoy trips to Cape Cod, going to concerts, and spending time with family.

Josephine Bailey

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Josephine began her career in the tax industry as a district office manager. Recognizing a need to enhance the security posture of her office, she quickly implemented policies and procedures to do so. This experience sparked her growing interest in Information Security and led her to transition to roles where she gained experience in Third Party Risk Management, and later as an Information Security Risk Analyst.

Josephine is a service-focused information security professional who is driven by an innate desire to exceed the expectations of her customers and team.

Originally from New York, Josephine grew up in Los Angeles, California. She now resides in Katy, Texas with her family and will tell you that she got there as soon as she could. When Josephine is not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors and exploring Houston’s many cultural attractions.

Abbey Sweetman

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Abbey began her career in risk and compliance consulting, with a background in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) work. Abbey developed a keen expertise in navigating complex regulatory landscapes and ensuring organizational adherence to critical compliance standards.

Holding a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Minnesota, Abbey’s academic foundation complements her practical experience. Her passion for risk management drives her to continually enhance her skills and stay at the forefront of industry developments.

Abbey is based in Lakewood, Colorado. Outside of her professional life, Abbey enjoys the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains through outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and snowboarding.

Hunter Thompson

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Hunter has spent over 10 years in Community Banking in various roles. These positions have provided him with a diverse background and well-rounded knowledge. Hunter has always loved community banking for the strong relationships he built, the opportunities to learn across many roles, and being involved in local events, food drives, and sponsorships — being part of an organization that truly gives back to its community.

In every role, Hunter focuses on improving processes to create lasting value for both clients and internal teams. He is carrying that same focus with him into his role at Bedel Security and looks forward to supporting Community Banks in a new and meaningful way.

In Hunter's free time, you will most likely find him reading a book, spending time with his 5 pets, or watering his plants.

Grace Kim

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Ryan Otto

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Aaron Darnall

vCISO Specialist Advisor

Nick Podhradsky

Sales Manager

Nick Podhradsky is a cybersecurity sales leader, educator, and trusted advisor who has spent more than 17 years helping community financial institutions understand, manage, and reduce cyber risk. He is well-known for creating and hosting various monthly webinar programs that focus on educating financial institutions on how to create strong but simple information security programs that protect the institution and their clients.

Nick is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences, banking associations, executive retreats, and cybersecurity events where he presents on topics including cyber risk management, fraud prevention, AI-driven threats, social engineering, operational resilience, and cybersecurity leadership.

Nick lives in Madison, South Dakota with his wife and two children. His family enjoys traveling, boating, golfing, and making memorable experiences.

Cade Williams

Account Executive

Cade began his career in sales working in education technology and Human Capital Management with an emphasis on compliance. During that time Cade developed a unique ability to understand circumstantial issues and find out-of-the-box solutions to complex problems. After developing a strong interest in Information Security, Cade decided to take his HCM skills and apply them to community banking.

Cade’s time working with public education and small business compliance equipped him with a dense skill set, identifying and mitigating compliance risk while ensuring continuity. His passion for catalyzing growth while enabling compliance has provided him an effective repertoire for risk mitigation and scalability.

Cade lives in Austin, Texas while frequently traveling to Denver for routine ski trips in the winter and mountain biking expeditions in the summer. He enjoys the outdoors, exercise, cooking, and a good book.

Kenyatta Smith

Internal IT Developer / System Administrator

Kenyatta spent 13 years learning the inner workings of community banking. She held positions in Risk Management, Appraisal Review, Information Technology, Information Security, and Operations. She is also a Certified Banking Vendor Manager. The knowledge she has acquired during her tenure as a community banker provides her with the unique ability to see the needs of financial institutions from various perspectives. 

Her responsibilities have always included balancing multiple positions simultaneously. She is a highly organized problem solver and believes the key to a successful financial institution is a well-managed and monitored Information Security Program.

Kenyatta and her husband live in Southeast Georgia with their 4 children. When she isn’t working, you can find her traveling, spending time with her family, or simply enjoying the occasional peace and quiet of her home.

Shane Miller

Internal Quickbase Developer

Laura Zeck

Senior Marketing Content Creator

Laura has a background in Graphic Design and Office Management. She began her journey with Bedel Security® on a project-by-project basis, but it wasn't long before she took a full-time position and dove headfirst into the new role. 

Her love of branding, problem-solving, and creativity have proven to be valuable assets in the building of the company's voice and brand recognition over the years. 

In her free time, you can find Laura outside in the fresh air and sunshine of rural Indiana with her four kids, husband, and dog.