Bellingham, Washington – June 22, 2022, Whatcom Community College (WCC), the National Cyber Security Training and Education (NCyTE), and Anvil Corporation were joined by Mayor Seth Fleetwood on Anvil’s campus on May 18, 2022 for a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to launch an official Cyber Range training center on Anvil’s campus.

Bellingham, Washington – June 22, 2022, Whatcom Community College (WCC), the National Cyber Security Training and Education (NCyTE), and Anvil Corporation were joined by Mayor Seth Fleetwood on Anvil’s campus on May 18, 2022 for a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to launch an official Cyber Range training center on Anvil’s campus.
Attendees included Dr. Kathi Hiyane-Brown, WCC President; Dan Lewis, Anvil CFO; Joe Timmons, NW Washington Regional Representative, Office of Jay Inslee; Sean Connell, Whatcom County Liaison, Congressman Rick Larsen’s Office; Ann Larson, NW Regional Director, Senator Patty Murray’s Office; and Senator Simon Sefzik. Also, in attendance were Anvil clients and employees, WCC employees and students, and representatives from the National Cybersecurity Training and Education (NCyTE) center. Students enrolled in the WCC Computer Information System program provided real-time demonstrations on how to apply cyber security defense measures to thwart potential attacks on Industrial Control Systems (ICS) in manufacturing and refining facilities.
“Launching the Cyber Range training center in partnership with Anvil at their Bellingham campus is the perfect example of the power and momentum that can be achieved by collaborating with our industry partners. These relationships benefit our local community and beyond and are critical to preparing our students to enter the workforce with competitive skills. We are enormously grateful to Anvil’s collaboration with WCC.” said Dr. Kathi Hiyane-Brown, President of Whatcom Community College.
The purpose of the Cyber Range is to provide hands-on education and simulation environments to advance cybersecurity education and support WCC students to attain multiple WCC Computer Information Systems (CIS) program degrees offering WCC students high demand, high wage, high-tech occupations. The NCyTE Cyber Range also assesses and tests cyber vulnerabilities to Industrial Control Systems, advancing Anvil’s cyber defense engineering capabilities.
“Our clients know that the greatest risk is the one you cannot see. For Anvil, rapidly advancing a comprehensive set of engineering solutions to address ICS vulnerabilities will meet the needs and requirements of multiple clients across multiple industries,” remarked Cody Steinmetz, Anvil COO. “Anvil’s advanced controls and process teams incorporate industry standard cybersecurity defense methodology and techniques into processes our clients already use to reduce risk.”
“This partnership with Anvil is a unique opportunity to pair WCC’s CIS students with working industrial engineers, providing real-world, hands-on learning scenarios, and this type of learning environment is a significant advantage for students. NCyTE will seek to replicate this model across the nation to help other colleges and industry partners create similar environments that support the cyber defense of critical infrastructure,” said Corrinne Sande, NCyTE Principal Investigator and Director and Director of CIS and Computer Science at WCC.
“The NCyTE Cyber Range represents a commitment to the future of Whatcom County by creating internships and jobs in the engineering and technology sectors,” said Dena Lund, Anvil President & CEO. “The Cyber Range is also an asset that supports preparedness in the defense against cyber-attacks on the critical infrastructure that Anvil’s clients operate.”
About NCyTE: The National Cybersecurity Training & Education (NCyTE) Center is funded by the National Science Foundation. NCyTE’s mission is to advance cybersecurity education in the U.S. to support tomorrow’s workforce. The NCyTE Center is based in Bellingham, WA at Whatcom Community College. For more information visit www.ncyte.net.
Whatcom Community College is the host institution of two national centers, the CAE Candidates National Center (CCNC) and the National Cybersecurity Training and Education (NCyTE) Center. Funded by NSA the CCNC, is the entry point for all colleges and universities applying for CAE designation and provides mentoring, resources, advice, and support for applicants.
The National Security Agency (NSA) redesignates WCC as a CAE-CD. This signifies that WCC is committed to producing the cybersecurity workforce responsible for reducing vulnerabilities in our national infrastructure. WCC supports higher education and research in cybersecurity through their leading-edge Computer Information Systems (CIS) program. To achieve this designation, organizations must complete several, months-long application processes and meet rigorous curriculum and program requirement reviews.
About Whatcom: Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington is regularly recognized as one of the top community colleges in the nation for student outcomes. The College is a destination for cybersecurity, healthcare and business studies, and offers two Bachelor of Applied Science degrees, transfer degrees, career and workforce preparation, online courses, and community education classes. Whether a recent high school graduate, laid-off worker, seasoned employee, or future university student—all students count on WCC to support their academic and career goals. For more information, visit www.whatcom.edu.
WCC: Media Contact & Public Information Officer: Marni Saling Mayer, PIO and Director of Communications & Marketing, pio@whatcom.edu, Phone: 360.383.3312
NCyTE: Toyo Garber, NCyTE Center Marketing & Communications Manager, TGarber@whatcom.edu, Phone: 360.383.3176
About Anvil Corporation: For over 51 years, Anvil has provided clients across multiple industries and locations with innovative and quality engineering and procurement solutions to build, transform, and safeguard their critical infrastructure including, refineries, gas processing plants, and manufacturing facilities.
Anvil is a 100% ESOP-owned company that believes in building solid client relationships and meeting all stakeholder commitments. With five branch offices across the Western USA and deep expertise in revamping and retrofitting large-scale infrastructure, Anvil is the premiere engineering partner for clients looking for long-term dependability and results.
For more information visit www.anvilcorp.com.
Anvil Corporation: Derek E. Toffer Business Development and Marketing Manager, dtoffer@anvilcorp.com, Phone: 360.937.0333