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We are excited to welcome Mr. Jose Carlos Linares, the CEO of Overlook AI and CEO and Chief AI Officer of IG DIGITAL, as this year’s Distinguished Speaker addressing the Class of 2026 at our College’s Celebration on May 16. With nearly three decades of experience spanning information technology, product and project management, strategic alliances, and market development, Jose Carlos Linares is a distinguished polymathic executive who understands how organizations can harness technology to elevate collaboration and performance.

This commencement address holds a meaning that transcends the podium. Mr. Linares will address the graduating class not only as a faculty member, advisor, and advocate for human-centered AI, but as a father. His son, Christopher Linares, is among the graduates being honored, a milestone that brings every word of this address home in the most personal way possible.

More Information about Mr. Linares

Mr. Linares has a proven record of guiding clients in defining strategic goals and clear priorities, resulting in greater productivity and enhanced customer satisfaction. For more than 20 years, he has served U.S. Public Sector clients as the CEO of multiple federal IT government contracting firms, delivering solutions across diverse geographies and multicultural teams. As the CEO of Overlook AI, he helps organizations oversee, tailor, guide, reuse, and manage AI implementations.

He is also an Adjunct Professor of Artificial Intelligence at George Washington University’s College of Professional Studies. He holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering, an M.B.A. in Marketing, and an M.S. in Communications Technology. He is also pursuing an Ed.D. in Instructional Design and Technology, further deepening his commitment to fostering learning and innovation. His credentials include more than 30 technical and executive certifications, among them the Stanford Certified Project Manager (SCPM), the Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE) from Columbia University, and the Advanced Certificate for Executives (ACE) in Management, Innovation, and Technology from MIT.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Mr. Linares is deeply committed to giving back and building communities rooted in shared values. He volunteers actively with the Project Management Institute Global, the GW Cisneros Institute, the MIT Sloan Club of Washington D.C., the Latino Alumni of MIT, and most recently Edu-Futuro, an organization providing economically disadvantaged students with a path to high school graduation and college enrollment. He serves as Chair of the CPS Dean’s Advisory Council at the George Washington University, Board Member of the MIT Sloan Club of Washington D.C., angel investor, lifelong learner, advocate for human-centered AI, and founder and chairman of the Linares Foundation. Above all, he is a proud father of Bianca and Christopher Linares.

Dr. Desmond M. Burgess is a senior active-duty U.S. Army Sergeant Major, educator, author, and Congressional Defense Fellow whose career spans military leadership, higher education instruction, and national-level legislative engagement. With more than twenty years of progressive leadership experience, he brings a practitioner-scholar perspective grounded in operational service, institutional education, and defense policymaking at the federal level.

Currently serving as a Congressional Defense Fellow supporting the Department of the Army’s Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison, Dr. Burgess contributes analysis and strategic insight on national security policy, military readiness, and congressional oversight of defense programs. His work intersects military leadership and Congress, translating operational realities into informed legislative decision-making.

More About Dr. Burgess

Dr. Burgess also serves as a guest seminar leader at the National Defense University, Reserve Component National Defense Course, where he educates senior military officers, noncommissioned officers, and civilian leaders on organizational leadership, across all branches on defense policy, and national security strategy. His instructional work reflects a sustained commitment to leader development within professional military and governmental institutions.

A published author of both nonfiction and fiction, Dr. Burgess writes on leadership, resilience, and strategic thinking across professional and narrative domains. His leadership book, If It Works… Keep Doing It, captures applied lessons from decades of service in complex organizational environments. He is also the author of the Chronicles of the Eternal War fantasy series, including The Throne Before the Fall, The Sundering of Light, and The Fall of the Firstborn.

Throughout his military career, Dr. Burgess has served in senior advisory and command-level roles across signal and operational formations, culminating in leadership at the highest enlisted level. He deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and completed extensive professional military education, including graduation from the United States Army Sergeant Major Academy and qualification as a Department of Defense Red Team Member through the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies.

Dr. Burgess holds a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, a Master of Legislative Affairs, a Master of Science in Information Technology, and a Master of Science in Health and Sports Science. His career reflects a sustained commitment to leadership development, public service, and strengthening the connection between military practice, education, and national policy institutions.

He and his wife, retired Master Sergeant LaQuita S. Burgess, have three adult children.

The College of Professional Studies and the Graduate School of Political Management extend their heartfelt congratulations to Political Management master's student Ethan Fitzgerald for being selected as the 2026 commencement student speaker! Read more about Ethan in GW Today.