Dr. Gregory Quarles was hired as the CEO and Board member for Applied Energetics, Inc. in May 2019. He had previously served on the AE Scientific Advisory Board. Prior to joining Applied Energetics, Dr. Quarles served as the Chief Scientific Officer for The Optical Society (now Optica) since November of 2015. He is an experienced Chief Executive Officer, Board Member and renowned physicist with 25 years of experience driving cutting-edge laser, optics and photonics technology development and operations within advanced industrial companies. Greg is a globally recognized leader for his strategic partnerships with the Department of Defense, the U.S. Congress, and his innovative work in the progression of global materials research, specifically developing new laser devices for medical, defense, and industrial applications. He has also spent the past decade mentoring early career professionals in optics and photonics and interacting with global leaders in the optics, photonics, and academic communities discussing policy opportunities. Greg has been awarded five patents related to his research in solid-state lasers, has eight pending, and has published over 120 peer-reviewed and conference publications. His previous experience includes serving on eight Corporate and not-for-profit Boards, including the Optica Board of Directors, working at B.E. Meyers, Inc, II-VI Incorporated for 18 years, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for 5 years. Dr. Quarles is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and holds a Ph.D. and MS in Physics, and a dual BS in Math and Physics. He has served as Assistant Editor for Optical Engineering and IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics and is a Fellow of both the Optica and SPIE and a Senior member of IEEE. Dr. Quarles has also served on the US Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Sensors and Instrumentation Technology Advisory Committee (SITAC) since 2016.