Commander Landis is a native of Albion, NY. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology with a second discipline in Space Operations from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2007 and commissioned with a Surface Warfare Officer service assignment. He was selected for the SWO-IP Option shortly after graduation and commissioning.

As a Surface Warfare Officer, Commander Landis served aboard USS PAUL HAMILTON (DDG 60) as the Repair Division Officer and later, as the Auxiliaries Officer. As his first Information Professional Officer tour, he served as the Electronics Material Officer aboard USS INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2) Gold Crew. He later served aboard USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) as the Combat Systems Information Officer.

Ashore, Commander Landis served as the Deputy Operations Officer at U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Naples, Italy. In addition, he served as the Director of the Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network Operations Center at Fort Meade, MD, following his time serving as the Deputy Chief, Mission Support Branch (J332) and 18 months as a Chief of Operations.

Commander Landis serves as a Permanent Military Professor in the Cyber Science Department at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Commander Landis’s graduate education includes earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2024, Master of Information Technology Strategy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2013, a Space Systems Certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2011, Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase I from the U.S. Naval War College in 2016, JPME Phase II from the Joint Forces Staff College in 2019, and a Chief Information Officer Certificate from the National Defense University in 2021. Since 2021, he has been a Joint Qualified Officer and since 2014, he has been a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Commander Landis’s awards include the 2021 Copernicus Award from the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, the General MacArthur Writing Foundation Award from the Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA, November 2019, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Joint and Navy Achievement Medals, and various unit and campaign awards.