Ragsdale’s transition follows a high-profile tenure as Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director at the White House. During his time there, he oversaw initiatives that influenced over $100 billion in federal contracting and spurred the creation of 35,000 cybersecurity roles. His resume includes a 34-year military career with service in Grenada, Afghanistan, and Iraq, alongside leadership roles at DARPA and West Point.

Cyberstar CEO Marling Engle noted that Ragsdale’s unique perspective on national-level policy is critical for the company’s efforts to modernize how defense organizations quantify force readiness. Ragsdale stated that he joined the firm to move the needle beyond simple tracking, focusing instead on comprehensive talent management that aligns with the Defense Cyber Workforce Framework. By replacing manual, siloed reporting with automated, data-driven systems, the platform seeks to address the persistent pressure on federal agencies to demonstrate actual mission capability rather than periodic snapshots.