#wayne schepens

Since 2010, Wayne Schepens has worked for W2 Communications in Baltimore, Maryland, as the company’s vice president. When Wayne Schepens is not providing clients with analytical services in areas of organic growth and cyber security, he is heavily involved in the sport of baseball, particularly with the Severna Park Green Hornets. A number of strategies come into play when setting the batting order for a baseball team at any level. The first step in creating an effective lineup comes in evaluating the skills and deficiencies of each player’s offensive game. Batters can usually be described as power hitters, contact hitters, runners, or specialists. The first three batters in the lineup should possess contact and speed, with the third batter hovering somewhere between contact and power hitter. The goal of the first two batters is simply to make contact and use speed to get a base hit. Many analysts believe the third position in the lineup should be occupied by the team’s overall strongest hitter, a player capable of getting on base, driving the ball deep into the outfield, and possessing enough speed to get an extra base. The fourth slot in the lineup is often referred to as the cleanup position. In an ideal situation, each of the first three hitters has reached base. The responsibility of the cleanup batter is to utilize power to drive the ball deep enough into the outfield that one or more of the runners can score. Gifted teams can use the fifth slot in the lineup for similar purposes, though the batter is usually a contact or power hitter with less talent than the three and four slots. The six through eight spots often mirror the first three slots in the lineup, but again, with players who possess slightly less refined offensive skills. Opinions on the ninth spot vary. It is often occupied by the team’s worst hitter. However, others maintain that the ninth hitter should be as fast and talented as the first batter in the order, as once the game begins, the difference between the one-slot and the nine-slot becomes negligible.

With more than 20 years of experience working in cyber security, Wayne Schepens serves as managing director for LaunchTech Communications in Baltimore, Maryland. Outside of work, he supports several nonprofit organizations, including Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). Wayne's support began when he learned two of his three children share nut allergies. Formed in 2012, FARE came about when the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) merged. Today FARE works to create a safer and healthier world for those people dealing with food allergies. According to the organization, researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies, and this number includes 5.9 million children. To help these people, FARE serves as a voice for the food allergy community and seeks solutions to help save lives. Throughout the year FARE hosts several fundraising events, with its New York Spring Luncheon scheduled for April 25, 2018, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The 19th Annual FARE New York Spring Luncheon will feature a lunch, raffle items, and a silent auction. Those in attendance can also learn about the latest food allergy news and how to support FARE.

Wayne Schepens has spent nearly five years serving Baltimore’s W2 Communications as vice president. Due to the nature of his position, Wayne Schepens stays current on all of the state’s business and technology developments, such as the QMCC tax credit. Maryland may no longer be accepting early applications for the tax credit assigned to Qualified Maryland Cybersecurity Companies (QMCCs), but that does not mean their efforts in attracting cyber security professionals to the area are over. In recognition of military veterans’ track record in establishing successful businesses, Maryland launched The Veterans Opportunity Fund last year, an advocacy group for all types of veteran businesses. Now the state has initiated a number of technology incubators and training camps designed to help veterans learn the basics of cyber-related business. At one such incubator, located at the Chesapeake Innovation Center, veterans launched CyberVets, a venture that has already attracted interest from the state’s Office of Cyber Development.

W2 Communications vice president Wayne Schepens joined the firm after holding a series of positions with the Naval Surface Warfare Center and the US government. Much of his work with W2 Communications, a technology public relations firm, revolves around emerging technology companies. Wayne Schepens works with the companies to identify the most appropriate target markets for their often security-related products and services. When he is not fulfilling his professional obligations, he unwinds by coaching youth through Ripken Baseball. Retired baseball players Cal Ripken, Jr., and his brother, Bill, started Ripken Baseball in 2001. One of the subsidiaries, Ripken Sports, plans and develops ball fields and athletic complexes with a concentration on collegiate and scholastic clients. Ripken Stadium in the players' hometown of Aberdeen, Maryland, is home to the minor league Aberdeen Ironbirds. Ripken Baseball also owns the Charlotte Stone Crabs in Port Charlotte, Florida. It operates the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and hosts the Cal Ripken World Series. For many, the name Ripken Baseball means youth sports. The brothers built two baseball complexes, one in Aberdeen, Maryland, next to Ripken Stadium and the other in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Containing fields that are replicas of many Major League parks, the complexes host two-day, three-day, and week-long tournaments from May through November. Teams from around the country travel to the complexes every year to enjoy the quality fields, team dugouts, professional umpiring, and competitive baseball. Ripken Baseball also sponsors the Virtual Academy, a comprehensive online resource that offers numerous instructional videos as well as written materials for coaching and parenting in youth baseball.

An IT advisor and marketing professional, Wayne Schepens has more than two decades of experience in the government and IT fields. As head of go-to-market for W2 Communications, Wayne Schepens advises businesses on how best to position themselves in marketing their services. One of the ways he helps companies achieve their goals is by the process known as thought leadership. An important aspect of effective content marketing, thought leadership involves anticipating the questions and needs of target demographics and establishing authority on related topics. This helps businesses engage audiences while building a brand and earning recognition through multiple channels. To successfully establish itself as a thought-leader in its respective fields, a business should draw on the expertise of all parties involved in its business processes. While executives, product managers, and designers certainly have important information to offer on related topics, customers and customer-facing personnel also provide enlightening perspectives on the actual experience of a given product or service. Ultimately, companies should endeavor to use information culled from this process not only to generate more business, but also to provide customers with products, services, and experiences that they want and need.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the State University of New York Maritime College, Wayne Schepens became a nuclear test engineer at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia. Following that job, he held positions of increasing responsibility with such employers as the Naval Surface Warfare Center and Envisions, Inc., and taught as a visiting professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Today, Wayne Schepens serves as the vice president of W2 Communications. Founded in 2003, W2 Communications specializes in creating awareness and credibility campaigns for its clients, primarily business-to-government and business-to-business information-technology enterprises. It has created the communication campaigns that brought many new companies to the attention of their industries. The firm offers clients more than a dozen deliverables among its inventory of options, including social media programs, thought leadership campaigns, crisis communications, and go-to-market strategies and messaging. In February 2014, W2 Communications was selected as 2014 PR Agency of the Year for Security Companies, one of the Global Excellence Awards presented by the Info Security Products Guide. The awards are based on scoring by a panel of more than 50 judges, drawn from experts in the field around the world.                            

As vice president of Baltimore’s W2 Communications, a marketing and communications firm, Wayne Schepens has seen firsthand how Maryland has begun to cater to cyber security software companies. In his role as vice president, Wayne Schepens specializes in helping emerging companies with cyber security and marketing needs. In an attempt to attract more cyber investors to the state, Maryland’s tax incentive for cyber securities software companies went into effect in January 2014. The refundable tax credit is made available to all Qualified Maryland Cybersecurity Companies (QMCCs) who receive investments from either in- or out-of-state supporters. The tax credit is valued at up to 33 percent of the qualified investment, though the investment must last for at least three years and be secured before July 2019, when the tax credit program begins to sunset. By definition, QMCCs must have fewer than 50 employees and have been in business for no more than five years. It should be noted that a business that qualifies for QMCC status only has two years to secure an investment and remain eligible for the tax credit.

About the Author: A Strategic Consultant at WayneWright Consulting, Wayne Schepens is an entrepreneur, a senior executive and an information system engineer living in Baltimore, Maryland. In his vacation time, Wayne Schepens enjoys outdoor sports, particularly skiing and winter sports. For beginner and intermediate skiing enthusiasts, suitable ski resorts are on offer within a couple of hours drive from Baltimore. Perfect for day trips, short weekend trips or longer holidays, Ski Liberty and Roundtop Mountain both provide stellar ski runs and thorough training programs, as well as all the usual rental gear and amenities. Closer to Baltimore is Ski Liberty, containing predominantly man-made snow. The resort’s reputation as a paradise for snow tubing precedes it. Beginners will find the runs and the training programs at Liberty more than adequate, with 16 courses to choose from. Special deals for students are available on Wednesdays. The National Ski Areas Association recognizes Ski Liberty as one of the best American ski resorts for beginners. Roundtop Mountain is also a great place to begin your skiing career without being intimidated by extreme altitudes, with its small terrain, a 427 meter highest altitude and nine chairlifts.