ECS Leadership
Mr. Waymon Armstrong is co-founder and President of Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS). Since its inception in 1997, the firm is dedicated to utilizing PC-based game technology in an advanced distributed learning environment. Before starting ECS, Waymon directed computer-modeling activities at a multi-million dollar Program Management and Engineering Firm, and served as a project manager for large-scale crisis response teams. He has over 25 years experience in engineering- and technology-related fields including 20 years in management.
Waymon attended the University of Central Florida. He serves on the Metro Orlando Military Affairs Advisory Committee, Digital Media Alliance of Florida, Valencia Community College’s Digital Media Technology Advisory Committee, Otronicon Advisory Board, Executive Committee Sunshine Chapter of AUSA, Missionary Ventures International, The College of Elders at the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, and the Orlando Chamber of Commerce E Team. He has spoken at numerous conferences, such as Innovations in E-Learning, IT Florida, I/ITSEC, the Synergy Summit, Summer Computer Simulation Conference, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, JADL Co-Lab Implementation Fest, Otronicon, Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds, and has testified before the House Aviation Subcommittee on safety and security, and the State of Florida’s House Select Committee on security. Waymon was named as a 2007 and 2009 finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst and Young for the state of Florida. In 2010 he was awarded the SBA Region, State and National Small Business Person of the year.
Mr. Larry Kayne serves as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for ECS. He is responsible for day-to-day management and oversight of the company as well as implementing ECS’s business goals and strategies. As the COO, Larry interacts with Project Management staff and technical leads to provide leadership and direction for all business activities. He has implemented several management and engineering processes critical to the success of winning and executing new business opportunities. Larry has over 30 years of experience in engineering, project management and cost control specializing in process engineering and integration for software intensive systems. During his career, he has worked for large and small businesses in the areas of engineering, contracting, quality assurance, project and operations management. His experience in contracting, cost management and program tracking has enabled the company to achieve maximum profitability. He has degrees in Computer Science Information Technology and Business Management.
Upon graduation from West Point in 1983, Mr. Joe O’Connell served in the U.S. Army in both the United States and overseas in positions through battalion level. Upon leaving Active Duty, he started his career in the U.S. Army Reserves while gaining cross-functional experience in the Defense Industry. He has worked for both large and small business, providing business development and operations support for product and service markets.
Joe continues to support the Army as a Colonel and in 2009-2010 deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 82nd Airborne Division. He is a Past President of the AUSA Sunshine Chapter.
Mr. Brent Smith has worked with ECS since 1997. Brent performs extensive research in the areas of collaborative distributed learning architectures, distributed simulations and the use of commercial gaming technologies as educational tools for the U.S. Military. His professional focus is on the development of technologies to enable new learning methods and tools to improve training effectiveness. As the CTO, Brent is responsible for the overall design of the company’s next generation of enterprise-wide learning technologies that support a seamless learning experience across a wide range of computing and non-computing devices and services. He also coordinates research and development activities and identifies emerging new technologies for transition into new product research, software development and technical marketing.
Mr. Matt Spruill is ECS’s Chief Technologist and runs the Virginia Operation. He has been providing simulations for training in government and industry since 1998. Matt retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service, 10 of which involved providing Live, Virtual and Constructive training solutions at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. His military experience includes; Chief of the Joint Exercise Support Division and Modeling and Simulation Planner at the Joint Warfighting Center, United States Joint Forces Command in Suffolk, VA providing technical exercise planning and support for all the Combatant Commands worldwide. Prior to the JWFC, Matt was Chief of the Simulations Branch for U.S. Army Central Command, Fort McPherson, GA. Completing his service as an Army FA57 (Simulations Officer), Matt started his career as an Armor officer serving in Armor and Cavalry units for his first eight years. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1988 and earned his MS in Computer Information Systems from Colorado State University in 1997. He has been on the I/ITSEC Simulation and the Emerging Concepts and Innovative Technologies subcommittees since 2006. Matt is also member of Senator Warner’s M&S Task Force and Congressman Forbes M&S Coalition. He is the co-author of "Echoes of Thunder, A Guide to the Seven Days Battles."
Mr. Howard Mall entered the Simulation and Training field while completing his Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida. He took a position as one of the first members of SAIC’s research team in which he eventually led Internal Research and Development projects as well as collaborated on programs such as WARSIM. He leveraged work there for his Master’s thesis entitled “Dynamic Replanning in Battlefield Domains.” He later transferred within SAIC to develop a system that unified multiple databases under one business model for Launch Operations at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Howard left SAIC for an adventure in a startup company that was commercializing business process management and measurement software. He was co-architect of the company’s initial offering and subsequently led many efforts to develop business process management solutions for a variety of companies in banking, insurance, manufacturing, and logistics.
Over the last eight years at ECS, Howard has built various training systems using game technologies. He directed efforts for the Navy to develop training solutions deployed on cell phones and handheld computers. For the Army, Howard delivered the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) Simulation used by combat medics to learn triage and medical decision-making in a virtual tactical environment. He architected ECS's first virtual world solution that incorporated requirements from myriad military and federal stakeholders. He currently oversees many projects at ECS both federal and commercial that involve advanced learning technologies, including (once again) mobile applications.
Mr. Shane Taber has served as a Senior Digital Artist for ECS since 2005. During his employment at ECS, he has stepped up into the role of Creative Director, providing creative vision and direction for ECS and its products. Shane serves as leader of the Art Team, supervising development and providing art direction throughout design, pre-production, production, and is actively involved with the final integration and deployment of ECS’ simulations and serious games. Shane also acts as project manager on a number of ECS contracts. His hands-on professional experience includes 3D asset development for a variety of commercial and open-source game engines, specializing in character and avatar development.
Prior to working at ECS, Shane worked for two years at the Institute for Simulation & Training at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. There he worked on numerous cutting-edge research projects, simulations, and technologies including Mixed Reality (MR), Augmented Reality (AR), real-time chroma-keying, and hardware integration for custom wireless input devices. Shane holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Digital Media from UCF. He also studied Film and Video Production at Palm Beach State College, and has an extensive foundation of fine art and traditional media skills from attending and graduating from the prestigious Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in Palm Beach County.