Grady Paul Gaston, III, from Huntsville, Alabama, is a highly accomplished software engineer and entrepreneur with over three decades of experience. He founded a defense contracting company in 1990 and a digital signature company in 1995, serving in leadership roles for over sixteen years. Government agencies and commercial enterprises have trusted his companies to develop innovative solutions and manage complex projects.

His passion for technology began during his undergraduate years as a courier for the Computer Sciences Corporation. Spending time with computer operators, he quickly developed programming skills that led to a position as the youngest software analyst at the United States Army Corps of Engineers while still in college. He holds a dual Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management from the University of Alabama, Huntsville, and a Master of Science in Software Engineering from the Southeastern Institute of Technology. As a Certified Data Processor, his achievements have earned him recognition, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Alabama Huntsville.

He has been at the forefront of digital signatures and smart card technology throughout his career. He began his work in 1991 with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Government Accountability Office. He developed a financial management system that became the standard for the Defense Department, uniquely passing the CFO Act of 1990 for fifteen consecutive years without exceptions. His digital signature software is now widely used across the Department of Defense, impacting over four million users.

His companies led the development of custom applications such as Engineering Change Proposal systems and Configuration Management Systems long before commercial alternatives existed. His work in digital signatures significantly improved the efficiency of financial operations at the US Army Corps of Engineers by eliminating the delays caused by manual signature processes. To ensure the legal acceptance of digital signatures, he worked through government regulations and security protocols, implementing advanced security measures such as symmetric key technology and cryptographic smart cards.

After successfully deploying digital signature solutions in central US departments, he refined the technology further by incorporating the RSA algorithm and creating DBsign. This innovation reduced costs significantly and simplified the digital signing process, making it more accessible across various industries.

Outside his technological accomplishments, he takes pride in maintaining the historic Sim Corder/Harrison Mill on his property and is dedicated to personal fitness. He actively engages in strength training, setting personal goals such as bench pressing and performing his age in push-ups each year, which he credits with maintaining his cardiovascular health. His lifelong commitment to innovation, leadership, and community involvement has impacted technology and beyond.