Samuel T. Watkins

Samuel T. Watkins Jr., of Virginia Beach, Virginia, is an experienced all-source/counterintelligence professional and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army. He has prior military active-duty and private-sector experience in researching, developing, presenting, and publishing intelligence products at the tactical, operational, and strategic level. A Military/Cybersecurity program analyst, he supports cyberspace operations, training, and exercises; supports the development and use of cybersecurity weapons systems, programs, and capabilities; and maintains awareness of cybersecurity weapons training requirements, certifications, and instructional developments.

Watkins is a certified Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Instructor, has instructed in multiple disciplines to include Police Officers, taught at the Navy Law Enforcement Academy, and has taught Anger Management & Problem-Solving Skills to Violent Offenders during their incarceration.

Prior to his law enforcement career, and still serving as a Department of War Analyst, Watkins received the American Police Hall of Fame Life Saving Award in 2009 and was nominated for the Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame in 2013. Watkins has served on the Alumni Leadership Council since 2020 and the 2009 recipient of the Excelsior University (then College) Alumni Association’s C. Wayne Williams Award for outstanding academic achievements and professional, personal, and community contributions. A 1999 graduate of Excelsior University (then College) with a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts, Watkins earned an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from St. Leo University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Management from Columbus University. In 2025, Watkins received the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Dept. of Virginia 2025 Outstanding Local Veteran Representative Award. Additionally, he is a published author of a book of poems and inspirational writings; “Whispers from My Heart.”