World Congress 2024 Agenda

Dr. Robert Johnson is the Director of Medical Countermeasures Program (MCMP) for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. BARDA invests in the innovation, advanced research and development, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures (MCM) – vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products needed to combat health security threats. As the MCMP Director, Dr. Johnson overseas the MCM development efforts across BARDA, with an annual budget of over $2B. Of particular interest are technologies that will improve response capabilities across multiple threat areas, as well as new partnerships and other approaches to ensure sustainment of current and future capabilities.
Dr. Johnson joined BARDA in November of 2017 as the Director for the Influenza and Emerging Infectious Disease Division. In this position, he led efforts focused on advanced development and manufacturing capacity of medical countermeasures against pandemic influenza and emerging infectious diseases.

In January 2020, Dr. Johnson was named BARDA’s Incident Commander for the COVID-19 Response and was responsible for establishing BARDA’s initial COVID-19 vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostics portfolios. Under Operation Warp Speed, and later the Countermeasures Acceleration Group (CAG), Dr. Johnson worked closely with HHS and Department of Defense Leadership and product developers to facilitate rapid clinical development, regulatory authorization, and large-scale manufacturing of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. From July through December 2021 Dr. Johnson was detailed as Chief Operating Officer of the CAG, responsible for the procurement, supply and order management, and nation-wide distribution of adult and pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. During this time, Dr. Johnson oversaw expansion of the CAG responsibilities to include the Government’s COVID-19 therapeutic supply and distribution efforts-building out and implementing an integrated process for procurement, central and in-field inventory tracking, supply and order management, and nation-wide shipping for monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals. Upon returning to BARDA as MCMP Director, he led development of the overarching strategy, and subsequent implementation and execution of, Project NextGen, a $4.7B effort for the BARDA organization to develop the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.

Prior to joining BARDA, Dr. Johnson served for fourteen years in positions of increasing responsibility at the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Johnson has also previously held positions at Dynport Vaccine Company and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. He has served as a technical expert to other organizations working in the biodefense and public health sectors, including the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Defense, as well as the World Health Organization.

Dr. Johnson received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, and his B.S. from the University of Idaho.

Thomas (Tom) Turner, CDFM-A, is a Finance Manager for the Joint Assisted Acquisition (JA2) team for the Department of Defense’s (DoD) COVID-19 Response led by the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), Joint Program Management Office for Medical located on Fort Detrick, Maryland. In this role since May 2020, he manages the more than $76B of funding from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), as part of the CARES ACT and the American Rescue Plan. Working alongside the Army Contracting Command (ACC), funding was aligned (often within an hour of receipt from HHS) to meet the rapidly developing requirements for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics with tight deadlines to meet Congressional notification and reporting requirements. Managed system constraints (Budget and Contracting) with creativity, based on collaboration, experience, and Fiscal Law – all while being remote.

A native of Frederick, MD, Mr. Turner graduated from Hood College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management and Finance. He joined the JPM Medical Finance team in November 2005. He holds a Certified Defense Financial Manager-Acquisition (CDFM-A) certification. He is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level II certified in Business – Financial Management and is DoD Financial Management Level II certified.

Dr. Jason Roos is the Deputy Assistant Secretary, Director for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Coordination Operations and Response Element (H-CORE). In this role he is responsible for synchronizing the development, production, and distribution of effective COVID-19 medical countermeasures on accelerated timelines and to achieve the Secretary’s department-wide operational objectives during this pandemic and for any future disease outbreaks. He is also responsible for integrating medical and public health lessons learned into existing emergency response frameworks to improve national readiness for, and response to, public health emergencies. Dr. Roos collaborates with partners across the U.S. government, Congress, industry, and academia to achieve these goals.
Dr. Roos previously served as the Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense where he led the development of capabilities to protect U.S. warfighters from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
Dr. Roos held numerous management positions within the JPEO-CBRND, leading innovation and reform in CBRN defense acquisition. He was the Director of the Biosurveillance Management Office (BMO), managing a portfolio of programs to field capabilities to enable early detection and warning of global health threats. Prior to the BMO, Dr. Roos led the Joint Product Management Office for Biosurveillance – Provisional where he conducted total life cycle management of the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System, the Next Generation Diagnostic System, and the Critical Reagents Program.
Dr. Roos holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross; a Doctorate of Philosophy in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from The Eisenhower School at National Defense University. He is a Certified Acquisition Professional. Dr. Roos’s awards include a Presidential Commendation in Recognition of Exceptional Efforts on Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award, U.S. Army Superior Civilian Service Award, U.S. Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, U.S. Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, and Special Act Awards.
Dr. Roos enjoys spending time with his wife, Brianne, and two daughters, Deirdre and Bridget.

Bijan Mansoury currently serves as an Assistant Director in the Acquisition Services Branch within the Division of Administration at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). He brings with him over 15 years of extensive experience in various federal government roles, including positions at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Transportation.
Prior to assuming his role at FDIC, Bijan served as the Director of Office of Acquisition Services at the Federal Railroad Administration, where he led initiatives to manage and categorize the Department of Transportation's substantial $2 billion professional services requirements. His strategic leadership and commitment to efficiency significantly contributed to the operational success of the Federal Railroad Administration.
Bijan holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specific emphasis on resource management from the University of Liverpool. Additionally, he has an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Possessing Federal Acquisition Certifications (FAC) in Contracting and Program Management, Bijan is widely acknowledged for his expertise in federal acquisition processes. Furthermore, he successfully completed the Senior Executive Fellows program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Bijan brings a unique blend of practical experience and academic rigor to this panel. His insights into resource management, strategic leadership, and navigating the complexities of federal procurement establish him as an expert in the field.

Will Roberts is the Director of Acquisition Solutions for ASI Government, LLC. He was most recently the Director of Acquisitions for the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), Office of the Department of Defense. As the first Acquisition Director for an DoD component focused on AI delivery, Will was responsible for ensuring that acquisition pathways and methodologies are centered on the JAIC mission of providing AI capabilities to the warfighter and DoD workforce. The JAIC was involved in multiple AI projects across the Department of Defense. The work included creating guidance, processes, and contracts to buy and deliver AI capabilities across the DoD. During his time at the JAIC, he led efforts to understand unique aspects of AI contracting, such as intellectual property and responsible AI. In this effort, he actively worked with outside bodies, such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) on how to successfully incorporate “responsible AI” principles into government contracts. Will became a member of the ABA and Florida Bar as of 2011.

Pete Guinto is the President of Government, Defense, and Aerospace for Resilinc. His teams directly support clients like JPEO CBRN, DLA, FDA, ASPR-SNS, other large program offices, OCEA, General Atomics, Raytheon, Collins Aero, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Safran, Airbus, Bombardier, Eaton and Honeywell. He works closely with commercial clients with advice around regulatory and statutory compliance with ever changing supply chain regulations. Government Acquisition Leader with professional experience in Law, Respiratory Therapy and Firefighting. Negotiator or clearance official of ~$14B in Government Contracts spanning systems like the F-15, F-22, F-16, MQ-9, RQ-4, C-17, C-130, KC-46 and several classified systems, smaller systems and subsystems. Experience as a Contracting Officer, Price Analyst, and Program manager with DoD assignments at Wright-Patterson (x2), the Pentagon, and Randolph AFB. Special assignment duty as the Chief of Market Intelligence for the COVID Acquisition task forces for the Air Force, DoD (Joint Acquisition Taskforce) and part of the national supply chain task force led by FEMA. 

Kameke Mitchell is a passionate contract management leader. She currently serves as the Chief of Contracts for the Space Systems Command, Commercial Space Office. The office is the focal point for the procurement of commercial space related services. She brings demonstrated experience of cultivating growth and innovation throughout the acquisition life cycle. Ms. Mitchell has led teams responsible for acquisitions with portfolios valued at over $160B. Over the past 15 years, Ms. Mitchell held contracting positions in support of major weapon systems, combat information systems, networks, and legacy IT business systems. In addition, Ms. Mitchell worked passionately on acquisition policy reform, specifically with initiatives that focused on Competition in the Defense Industrial Base as well as leading the 2022 rewrite to the DoD Source Selection Procedures, while serving as a policy analyst at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Defense Pricing and Contracting. Ms. Mitchell is a NCMA Fellow and has been published in the Contract Management Magazine. She remains a dedicated champion of the contract management profession and the development of others. Ms. Mitchell is a recognized community leader with the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and AFCEA International as she serves with intention and purpose.

Amanda Thompson is the Vice President of Growth Services for JJR Solutions in Dayton, OH. She is responsible for contract strategy, pricing, and security. Amanda brings experience as an Air Force Contracting Officer and Cost Analyst as well as experience as a Senior Subcontracts Manager at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is very passionate about our industry and is always looking to learn and share information to improve our very important mission.

Shaun McGinnis, a seasoned Contracting Officer with over 20 years of experience in the field, is currently serving at AMIC. His diverse background includes roles in deployed environments, civilian agencies, the private sector, and entrepreneurship, providing him with a wealth of insights and skills. Shaun's expertise encompasses strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, and contract management, positioning him as a valuable asset in procurement initiatives. Additionally, Shaun offers a suite of training videos titled Acquisition Alchemy, available on his LinkedIn, showcasing his dedication to sharing knowledge and advancing the field. Shaun is currently the President of the NCMA Sooner Chapter.

Meredith Harrison-Kenney is a Senior Procurement Analyst with 25 years of Federal Contracting experience working for Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) and currently Acquisition Management and Integration Center (AMIC) geographically located at Tinker Air Force Base, OK. After nearly a decade as a supervisor, she switched to the dark side of contracting and became a policy analyst. Her areas of expertise are in services contracting, competitive Source Selection and Contracting Officer training. She has trained and mentored over 100 Contracting Officer’s in achieving their Unlimited warrants. She is currently the Vice-President of the Sooner Chapter of NCMA.

Timothy M. Applegate, is the Director, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Headquarters Air Combat Command (ACC), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. He is ACC’s senior business and technical manager of all services acquisitions for major operations and maintenance programs, command Advisory and Assistance Services, and command strategic sourcing. Mr. Applegate retired as a Colonel in the United States Air Force in June 2013 and has over 35 years of acquisition and contracting expertise. He is a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps and is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level III certified in Contracting. He is currently a member of National Contract Management Association's (NCMA) Board of Directors and a previous member of the Board of Advisors and has served as President of the Dover Delaware Chapter. He earned the prestigious Certified Professional Contract Manager certification in 1995.

Kevin Gallo is the Director of the Technical Account Management Division in the Office of Enterprise Technology Solutions for the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC) in GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). The Federal Acquisition Service provides buying platforms and acquisition services to Federal, State and Local governments for a broad range of items from office supplies to motor vehicles to information technology and telecommunications products and services. As an organization within FAS, ITC provides access to a wide range of commercial and custom IT products, services and solutions. Kevin is responsible for providing solutions engineering advice and assistance to federal agencies for a portfolio of services underpinning the government’s digital infrastructure. His division includes a team of customer representatives, provides technical leadership for the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) program, leads managed networking and cybersecurity initiatives, and manages the Commercial SATCOM and Enterprise Mobility programs. Previously, he was the program manager for the Network Services 2020 (NS2020) strategy, which streamlined network services operations and launched the 15-year, multi-billion-dollar EIS acquisition. He was also the program manager for the Future Commercial Satellite Communications Services Acquisition (FCSA), the groundbreaking partnership between GSA and the Department of Defense that quickly became a $500M/year common marketplace for the entire federal government to procure its commercial SATCOM services. Kevin has many years of experience in managing satellite systems and terrestrial network development and operations. Before coming to GSA, he was a senior communications engineer and project manager with SRC, Northrop Grumman, and TRW, where he engineered systems for the National Reconnaissance Office, the Defense Information Systems Agency, and other Government agencies. While at DISA, he managed DoD’s transition of commercial telecommunications services to the FTS2001 contract and engineered a new optical network for the Global Information Grid. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, piloting the H-53 helicopter. He received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Maryland. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), FAC-COR and FAC-PM Level 3 certified, an American Council of Technology – Industry Advisory Council (ACT/IAC) Fellow, and a 2017 Federal 100 award winner.

Traci Newsom is currently an Agreements Officer at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). She has experience in research and development, construction, architectural and engineering services, commercial and non-commercial services, and supplies; in both policy and execution roles. Additionally, she has experience negotiating intellectual property with offerors.

Catherine Brodo is currently a Procurement Analyst at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) supporting the Policy and Research and Development divisions. She previously worked at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where she supported Program Managers in multiple program offices as their primary Business Acquisition Advisor and as a Contracting and Agreements Officer.

Ryan Daniels is currently an Agreements Officer at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). He began his career in contracting with the the Environmental Protection Agency and has worked for the Federal Railroad Administration, Washington Headquarters Services, and the Naval Information Warfare Center. He has experience negotiating intellectual property with offerors.

Salomeh Ghorbani is the Director of the Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement Division within the Integrated Award Environment (IAE) of the Transformation Technology Services (TTS), under the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) at the General Services Administration (GSA). In this role she is responsible for the communications and training related to SAM.gov, engaging users early in the design phase of development of changes, user acceptance testing of these improvements before code is implemented, and supporting users through the Federal Service Desk. In her career as part of the Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement Division, Ms. Ghorbani has served as a product owner, team lead, and program manager. Ms. Ghorbani has a Bachelors of Science in Information Technology, and a Masters Degree in Project Management in addition to multiple industry certifications for Program Management and IT Security.

Katherine Rollins serves as a Requirements Manager within the Integrated Award Environment (IAE) at the General Services Administration (GSA). She currently leads the modernization efforts to consolidate the current siloed systems into a single System for Award Management (SAM.gov) with a focus on delivering value to stakeholders through user driven changes. Katherine has over a decade of experience as a program manager and a contracting officer within the federal government. She holds a Bachelor's degree from American University, and keeps up her contracting, program management, and Agile certifications.

Ben Allen is the Vice President of Public Sector Solutions at Appian, where he oversees the creation of the company's Government Acquisition Management (GAM) suite of solutions. With over 20 years of experience at Appian, Ben is an expert in delivering solutions to the Federal Civilian and Department of Defense (DoD) markets on the Appian platform. Ben's passion lies in government acquisition, and he has spent almost two decades creating Appian solutions that meet the most complex requirements for Appian’s public sector customers. In his current role, Ben works closely with government agencies to shape the development of Appian’s GAM solutions, while also staying active in the acquisition community to keep up-to-date on the latest innovations and best practices. Ben is a graduate of Duke University, where he earned both a BS in Economics and a BA in Computer Science.

Gail Guseman is a Specialist Leader in Deloitte’s Supply Chain and Network Operations group, focusing on digital transformation for sourcing and procurement. She has been delivering process, strategy, and technology back-office solutions to public sector clients over 30 years, with particular focus working on acquisition solutions supporting contracting professionals. Over her career, she has been a functional architect for numerous procurement technical solutions, including three Federal full contract writing solutions. Her public sector experience includes clients in the Defense, Federal Civilian, Health, Intelligence, and State sectors. Gail holds a BS in General Physical Science with a minor in Technical Writing from Penn State University and an MS in Technology Management from University of Maryland.

Jeff Auser, Acquisition Strategist, U.S. Digital Service (USDS). Jeff began public service in 2009 volunteering with Peace Corps Botswana and working on HIV/AIDS prevention. Upon returning home, he pursued his 1102 dreams with the Bureau of Labor Statistics in DC, eventually getting a job supporting the National Archives, and then joining USDS in 2022. He’s spent the last few years working across agencies, grappling with the challenges of modernizing government and thinking how procurement can best support those efforts by creating flexible contracts that design with users to improve customer experience.

Justin Lerma, Director, ASI Government. Justin has worked with hundreds of COs and Program professionals to identify acquisition strategies, improve market research, and buy emerging technologies in more efficient ways. A former 1102, Justin has led teams of acquisition SMEs in consulting and teaching federal and DoD organizations, rewrite acquisition guides and policies, develop technology roadmaps for program offices, and build procurement packages for major systems, AI, and RPA products.

Randy Zmuda, Director of Product, ASI Government. Randy Zmuda is a federal government advisor, facilitator, and instructor responsible for delivering strategic consulting and education to the public and private sectors in service of acquisition innovation, complex requirements development, product management, and digital services. As a prior DoD civilian employee, Randy is passionate about rebuilding the reputation of government work at all levels while ensuring workforce development remains paramount in the face of the ever-evolving technological advancements of today’s business environment.

Joey Hatzipanagiotis, Acquisition Strategist, U.S. Digital Service (USDS). Joey has been in acquisition for 15 years in a variety of roles within both procurement offices as well as on the program side. He spent nearly a decade as an 1102 across several DHS components before joining the OPM OIG as their acquisition lead. Currently he is at USDS as an acquisition strategist supporting a variety of agencies by helping implement acquisition processes that are more conducive to building modern digital services. Notably he was part of the USDS team that was deployed to the CDC during COVID to build the technology needed to support the nation's COVID response and lay the foundation for a more resilient pandemic-ready data infrastructure throughout the country.

Adam Goldstein is currently the Associate Commissioner, Office of Acquisition Grants, at the Social Security Administration (SSA). As such, he serves both as SSA's Senior Procurement Executive and the Senior Accountable Official for Financial Assistance. He has held that role for more than three years, after briefly serving as Deputy Associate Commissioner. Before that, he participated in the agency's senior executive candidate development program, where he spent nearly three years in senior leadership roles outside of acquisition, leading organizations with up to 5,000 team members. Before joining SSA, Adam was the Deputy Director of the Army's 408th Contracting Support Brigade in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. He previously held a number of public and private sector positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, General Services Administration, CENTCOM Contracting Command, and CACI, among others. Adam is a 2010 graduate of the CMLDP, holds both CFCM and CPCM designations, and is also an NCMA Fellow.

Nicole Evans serves as Senior Procurement Executive, Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer, Suspension and Debarment Official, and Senior Accountable Official for Domestic Sourcing for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She oversees more than $10 billion in annual spend and 600 members of the acquisition workforce in Treasury bureaus and serves as the Department's key spokesperson and official representative on matters involving procurement and contracting. Ms. Evans is an advocate for advancing equity in procurement. She chartered the Treasury Procurement Equity Council in 2021, regularly engages with industry to lower barriers to entry, and establishes strategic objectives for the Treasury procurement system that emphasize equity. Prior to joining the Treasury Department in 2021, Ms. Evans served as the Senior Procurement Executive of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and previously served in executive positions with the Office of Personnel Management and the National Background Investigations Bureau. She began her federal career over 20 years ago as a Contract Specialist at the U.S. Department of Education, where she worked in several procurement-related roles before being appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2017. In each agency, Ms. Evans has found opportunities to develop organizations, build teams, and mentor leaders, and counts these opportunities as highlights of her career. Ms. Evans is a graduate of the Excellence in Government Fellows program and an SES candidate development program where she earned the Key Executive Graduate Certificate in Leadership from American University.

Jim Doss is currently a Director of Contracts with BlueHalo, a global defense technology company. Jim leads a contract management team supporting a variety of products and services for federal and commercial customers. Jim has been an active member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) for the past ten (10) years. Jim is an NCMA Fellow, previous officer/director of the NCMA Tysons chapter, and holds NCMA's Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) and Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) certifications. Jim has always believed in working to help develop the next generation of contracts management professional and serves as a Career Mentor as part of NCMA's Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP), of which Jim is also a graduate. Jim holds a B.S. in Political Science from Frostburg State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore. Jim is also an attorney in the state of Maryland.

Stephen J. Yuter is currently a Vice President at BrainGu, a hypergrowth defense technology company supporting both federal and commercial sectors. As part of the Executive Leadership Team, Mr. Yuter oversees all aspects of contracts, risk management, and compliance. In his previous roles as Principal with Booz Allen Hamilton, Senior Vice President with FleishmanHillard, and Chief Contracts Strategist with Deloitte, he provided invaluable insights into shaping and strengthening go-to market strategies to support exponential growth across their respective Public Sector practices. As a former member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), Mr. Yuter provided executive leadership for operations, policy, and workforce development across several civilian and defense agencies, and served as source selection authority for over $10B of contracts. An active member of the government contracting community, Mr. Yuter is a former member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Board of Directors and a current member of the Certification Oversight Body (COB). He is an NCMA Outstanding Fellow, Past President of the Potomac Chapter, and inductee of the President’s Circle Club. Mr. Yuter continues to share his diverse aperture of experience as a Career Mentor in the NCMA Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP). Additionally, he is a Fellow of the American Council for Technology (ACT)/Industry Advisory Council (IAC), member of the WashingtonExec Contracts Council, and maintains membership with the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) and the Project Management Institute (PMI). Mr. Yuter holds a B.S. in Marketing and Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University, an M.S. in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology, a Master's Certificate in Government Contracting from George Washington University, and a Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University. He currently holds numerous professional certifications including the CPCM, CFCM, and PMP. Mr. Yuter is an adjunct faculty member at both the University of Virginia and The Public Contracting Institute.

Kyle Lancour is an unlimited warranted Contracting Officer and Division Chief for the Air Force at the Acquisition Management and Integration Center (AMIC), in Hampton, VA. Currently, he oversees a division of 20 military and civilian personnel administering a contract portfolio of $3B, primarily focused on worldwide aircraft maintenance and intelligence services. He is well versed in both pre-award requirements development and source selection, as well as complex post-award administration. With 15 years of experience at AMIC, he has a deep understanding of the Air Force's mission, and the creativity and flexibility it takes to ensure effective solutions for the warfighter. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science from Franciscan University of Steubenville and an MBA from the College of William and Mary.

Jack "Jack" Mateer is Chief, Aircraft Maintenance Division, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Headquarters Air Combat Command (ACC), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. He is responsible for a services acquisition portfolio valued at more than $1.5 billion. Mr. Mateer leads a team of highly skilled aircraft maintenance professional program managers who ensure proactive and responsive cradle-to-grave management of Aircraft Operations & Maintenance service contracts. He ensures portfolio management of the Vector Doppler Scoring System program; MQ-9, QF-16, BQM-167, T-38, and F-16 aircraft maintenance programs; and back shop maintenance support at Nellis Air Force Base program. Additionally, Mr. Mateer’s division is responsible for the Air Combat Command Functional Aircraft Management and Weapon System team for all T-38 and QF-16 logistics. Mr. Mateer retired from the United States Air Force at the rank of Colonel with 30+ years of aircraft maintenance management expertise. He is a 1990 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a major in Space Operations. Additionally, Mr. Mateer holds a Master of Education in Adult and Higher Learning (Univ of Oklahoma), a Master of Arts in Leadership (Bellevue University) and Master of Arts in National Security Studies (Naval War College). Mr. Mateer previously held positions as United States Air Force maintenance group commander, deputy maintenance group commander, aircraft maintenance squadron commander, munitions squadron commander and served on the Air Staff. He served as Chief, C2ISR & Personnel Recovery Division, Headquarters Air Combat Command (ACC/A4I). Mr. Mateer completed assignments across the United States, throughout Europe, a one-year tour in Afghanistan and a 10-month tour in Iraq. Prior to his current position, Mr. Mateer was the Director, Plans, Policy & Inter-Agency, Joint Task Force - Civil Support (JTF-CS/J5), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. His professional organization memberships include United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates (AOG), Air Force Association, Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA), National Contract Managers Association (NCMA) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Jessica Dobbeleare began working for ZYGOS Consulting, LLC in 2021 as a Principal supporting the Defense Health Agency in Information Technology acquisitions. Prior to that she worked for the Department of the Army as an acquisition professional for over 18 years, 15 years as a Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO.) During her time with the Army, Jessica oversaw multiple Acquisition Category I programs for the Defense Business Systems. She also oversaw the award and administration of the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) V, which provides over $85 million in contingency support services to the Warfighter. In 2009 she deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the LOGCAP PCO forward and was the recipient of the Department of the Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal. She was also a 2017 recipient of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Advancing Professional Award and a previous NCMA World Congress presenter. She served on the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act Section 809 Panel and wrote recommendations to the U.S. Congress for streamlining Federal Government acquisitions. Jessica is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level III Certified in Contract and Level I in both Program Management and Information Technology. An Illinois native, Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Finance as well as a Master’s of Business Administration both from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.

Larry Lieberman is a Cyber Evangelist at eResilience, a division of Referentia Systems, where he is involved in communications, education, and outreach efforts to build awareness of cybersecurity standards, address contract management issues related to flow-down and enforcement, and train prime contractors on the complexities of supply chain cyber risk management. An experienced writer, educator, and presenter, Mr. Lieberman is currently focused on helping defense contractors understand and implement the requirements of DFARS / NIST / CMMC cybersecurity regulations and standards, as well as assist primes in tracking and managing the compliance of their suppliers across all tiers while helping those suppliers understand and navigate the requirements. He has been developing and presenting informational webinars and training sessions focused on federal cybersecurity regulations and compliance strategies since the DFARS 252.204-7012 clause went into effect in 2017, and has provided education this topic to more than 10,000 registered attendees.

Ms. Michelle Currier serves as the Chief Learning Officer for the National Contract Management Association leading education, training, and innovative practices for the Association. Prior to joining NCMA, she served as Professor of Contract Management at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Ms. Currier brings a wealth of real-world experience from her 46-year career, having served with distinction as a Contracting Officer, Division Chief, Deputy Director Small Business and Director of Contracts at the Naval Research Laboratory, Military Sealift Command, Small Business Administration, Naval Sea Systems Command, and the Army Contracting Command. Ms. Currier has received numerous DAU awards and recognitions, including inductee Hall of Fall, Frank J. Anderson, Jr. Leadership Award, Faculty of the Year, and Distinguished Teacher Designation. Ms. Currier was awarded the Army Superior Civilian Service Medal and Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Award. Ms. Currier was recognized by Inside Business as one of the Top 25 Women in Business in Hampton Roads. Ms. Currier is a recognized speaker coach for TEDxDAU events. Ms. Currier is a Past National President of the NCMA (2001-2002) and an NCMA Fellow. NCMA has recognized Michelle with the Alvis D. Keen Honorary Life Member Award, the Charles A. Dana Distinguished Service Award, Outstanding Fellow Award, the NCMA Education Award, National Achievement Award and NCMA Volunteer of the Year 2017. Ms. Currier is a frequent presenter at industry and government events and currently serves on the NCMA Board of Advisors. She is a Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP) mentor and faculty member.

Eric Crusius is a partner at Holland & Knight who focuses his practice on a wide range of government contract (GovCon) matters, including bid protests, claims and disputes, compliance issues and sub-prime issues. Mr. Crusius has extensive experience in government contract litigation, including successfully prosecuting and intervening in numerous bid protests before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC), U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), boards of contract appeals and other federal agencies. He counsels clients regarding the Service Contract Act (SCA) and other labor issues, domestic preferences, export controls, cybersecurity, subcontracting and teaming agreements, and compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and other agency regulatory requirements such as the Defense Federal Acquisition Supplement (DFARS). Mr. Crusius also represents contractors in investigations, suspension and debarment proceedings, and in federal and state courts. He also supports the firm's corporate practice and performs due diligence and compliance reviews for acquisitions and sales of entities and business units in the defense and civilian space. Mr. Crusius also draws on his previous experience representing internet-based companies across the globe and focuses on cybersecurity issues particular to government contractors, including counseling contractors regarding cybersecurity compliance obligations, specialized breach response requirements required by various federal agencies (including the DOD), and certifications such as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). He is an industry thought leader with respect to these issues having appeared on Government Matters, Federal News Network and featured at conferences to provide insight to the greater contractor community.

Kimberly Jones has over 20 years of Federal and DOD Acquisition experience as a subject matter expert in procurement solutions. She is experienced with software development lifecycles both waterfall and agile as well as managing CMMI Level 3 system implementation programs for the Federal and DOD government. Ms. Jones’ career focus has been on the betterment of government contracting and support of the Federal and DOD acquisition communities.

Kimberley Langston has been supporting the Federal contract management community for over 20 years. She is a subject matter expert in federal acquisition and procurement solutions, having designed, developed, implemented and supported various commercial and built-for-government solutions across the federal government including the Defense, Civilian, and Intelligence communities. She has a passion for solving complex business problems with innovative approaches and strives to balance programmatic objectives without losing site of the contracting end users’ needs.

After 21 years as a civil servant with the USAF in Contracting, Lynna Hood transitioned to private industry for 18 years. After having attained Vice Presidency level responsibilities, Ms Hood returned to her civil service roots in 2022. She is an unlimited warranted contracting officer working Special Access Programs and has been recognized with many prestigious awards to include the Secretary of the Air Force Acquisition Contract Specialist of the Year. Ms Hood obtained her Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM) certificate in 2000 through the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) where she has been a long time member. Ms Hood was the Director of Contracts and Pricing for an international aircraft manufacturing company for many years. She has worked for large defense contractors providing acquisition leadership and management on a variety of projects from manufacturing to complex engineering services, to also providing training and development curriculums for certification in doing business with the US Government. Ms. Hood has a master’s degree in Management from Faulkner University, and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from University of Colorado.

Jessica Grant Johnson, Vice President, Services Contracts at Red River Technology, is a dedicated contract management professional with 15 years of experience spanning defense, intelligence, technology, manufacturing, and consumer goods industries. Energized by contract management and business challenges, Jessica is committed to helping support other contract management professionals in their career journeys through engagement in educational initiatives, industry collaboration opportunities, and candid conversations. Jessica is an Advancing Professionals Award and Fellow Award recipient, a Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP) graduate, a frequent CMLDP career mentor, and a Past President of NCMA's Dulles Corridor Chapter. Jessica holds CFCM and CPCM certifications and is a graduate of Howard University (BBA) and Virginia Tech (MBA).

Madison Harrell is an accomplished professional with over ten years of legal experience, starting as a paralegal and now serving in the federal contract management field. She currently works as a Senior Contracts Specialist at IntelliBridge. Her extensive qualifications include holding certifications such as Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM), NALA Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP), NALA Certified Paralegal (CP), and Florida Certified Paralegal (FCP). She is a current member of the 2023-2024 Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP) cohort with NCMA. As an active leader in professional organizations, Madison currently serves as the Secretary of the Jacksonville Chapter of NCMA and held various roles, including President, Vice President, and Seminar Planning Chair for the Big Bend Chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida.

Kelly A. Carlson is an Associate at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP where she counsels clients of all sizes and industries, including primes and subs, on government contracts acquisition and performance issues ranging from Small Business Administration and certification challenges and cybersecurity requirements to sub-contractor, joint venture, teaming arrangements and everything in between. Now a practicing attorney and formerly an industry professional, she has extensive experience helping clients to successfully implement Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense FAR (DFAR) requirements with efficiency and practicality in mind. In addition, Kelly assists with bid protest and false claims act litigation efforts and counsels clients on all aspects of the procurement process that may invite a bid protest, lead to risk exposure, and false claims activity. Kelly is currently a Young Lawyers Committee Vice Chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Public Contract and is a member of the Women’s Bar Association and NCMA. Kelly is a graduate of James Madison University (B.B.A.) and American University Washington College of Law (J.D.) and holds a CPCM certification from NCMA.

Demetrius Kittrell is a Procurement Analyst under the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within HHS. This role focuses on servicing the public health needs through reviews, compliance, writing SOP’s and more. He is currently on a detail the Office of Small Disadvantage Business Utilization (OSDBU) learning how champion the small business environment. In addition to this, Demetrius supports NCMA on different levels. Being the NCMA Atlanta Advancing Professionals co-chair provides the opportunity to create programs that will foster development of future generations. He also supports NCMA Headquarters being on the DEI Council and the Membership Engagement Committee. It’s an honor to be able to give back to a organization that promotes the contracting profession through collaborations.

Christi Davis holds her B.A. in Communications and J.D. She spent over six years as a legal studies, negotiations, and legal research instructor. She taught both in the classroom to middle schoolers as well as online to adults. Prior to teaching, she held leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, primarily in child rights and advocacy around the world. She is passionate about advocating for those without a voice, particularly the most vulnerable children, and she serves as a Guardian Ad Litem with the county courts. Christi started at Bristol Myers Squibb in June 2020 in the Sourcing Excellence-Contract Specialist team. Her current role is Associate Director for Marketing Services-Procurement. In addition to her current role, she is the America’s Region B-NOW (Bristol-Myers Network of Women) Chapter Lead. She is a CCCM, CPCM and NCMA CMLDP Alum.

James "Mac" Ritch is an experienced contracting professional with an extensive background supporting R&D efforts across DARPA and the DoD. Breaking down contracting barriers and finding innovative ways to reduce administrative burden on all parties involved in awarding a SBIR or STTR contract is of paramount importance in Mac’s role in standing up DARPA’s SBIR/STTR Cell within DARPA’s Contracts Management Office (CMO).

Mac joined DARPA’s CMO in 2022 and supported both the Strategic Technology Office (STO) and Tactical Technology Office (TTO). During his time at DARPA, Mac has awarded numerous contract types, including Other Transactions, to both traditional and nontraditional companies of varying sizes. Prior to joining DARPA, Mac spent more than 5 years with the Navy supporting dynamic R&D contract awards spanning various FAR contract types and values up to $300M.

Mac holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Technology Management, both from The Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland--College Park.

Jennie Lynne Frantum serves as a Contracting Officer Representative for Integrated Solutions at the Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama. She has over 14 years of federal experience; 11 years in contracting, and 3 years in accounting. She holds a bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University in Public Health, and a master's degree from Liberty University in Executive Leadership. Her contracting experience awarding and managing procurements totaling over $25 billion while fulfilling the roles of contract specialist, contracting officer, and contracting officer representative. Outside of the office, Jennie is an avid traveler with an intense curiosity about the world. Chasing adventures and culinary experiences, she has explored twenty-two countries between five continents with no end in sight.

Meredith Burgener is a Contract Specialist for Integrated Solutions at the Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama, and has been in government contracting for four years. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in Marketing and Data Analytics from Western Kentucky University in 2020. Shortly after that, she began her career in government contracting in the Career Development Program (CDP), a three-year program designed for valuable technical and work-related skills through rotational assignments. Throughout the program, she had the opportunity to support the warfighter through rotations to program offices in areas such as Systems Engineering, Consolidated Services, and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), totaling over $5B of contract management and execution. She is pursuing her master's degree in Procurement and Acquisition Management from Webster University. In her free time, she trains as a competitive powerlifter, enjoys her two dogs, and travels with her husband to visit all the National Parks and different parts of the world.

Lori-Ann Rissler is the founder of a specialized consultancy firm dedicated to assisting small businesses in the field of federal contracting. In her role as a fractional Contracts Director, she offers her expertise in managing federal bids and pursuits, ensuring contract compliance, and devising strategic approaches to government contracting. This independent role draws on her extensive knowledge and experience in the contracting sector. Previously, Lori-Ann was a Principal at a venture capital firm, where she worked with portfolio companies to develop and execute effective government contracting strategies that transition successful prototypes into production at scale. Her foundational career experience includes over 11 years as a government Contracting Officer for the Air Force’s major weapons systems, during which she spearheaded innovative acquisition efforts. She holds a BS in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MS in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University.

Tory Cuff is a Senior Research Fellow at the Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC) within the System Engineering Research Center (SERC) with Stevens Institute of Technology. Previously, drawing from 10+ years in the DoD, Tory shaped acquisition practices as a Senior Advisor in Agile Acquisitions to Hon Ellen Lord, Undersecretary of Defense Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S). Before this SES-level position, she was pivotal in establishing the Air Force’s Kessel Run software factory as the head of acquisitions. She spearheaded the development of Digital DNA, a course to grow an agile mindset within the acquisition community. Tory received her BS in Actuarial Science and Financial Management from Clemson University and her MS in Applied Mathematics from Clemson University.

Daniel J. Finkenstadt, PhD, the sole proprietor of Wolf Stake Consulting LLC, has over 20 years of hands-on experience in defense, public procurement execution, research, and strategic management. He is one of the leading experts in functional uses of Generative AI for public procurement and executive strategy. Dr. Finkenstadt's expertise in public procurement is extensive; including market intelligence, acquisition innovation design, service performance management, and supply chain management research. He has published in multiple peer-reviewed outlets as well as leading managerial publications such as the Harvard Business Review and California Management Review - Insights. He has delivered courses and presentations to multiple military organizations and professional development organizations. He was also an assistant professor in defense management at the Naval Postgraduate School from 2020-2023 where he led the development and management of the Simulation and Ideation Lab for Applied Science (SILAS) that recently won the National Contract Management Association's Innovation in Contracting Award for 2023.

Audrey Montgomery (CPCM) is a Procurement Team Lead In the International Space Station (ISS) Procurement Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She currently leads a team of acquisition professionals in support of ISS research and integration, and is the Contracting Officer in charge of the ~$1B United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) procurement. Ms. Montgomery previously spent a significant time in procurement policy at Johnson Space Center as a source evaluation board and policy advisor for some of the Agency's most complex procurements. She has has also served as the Contracting Officer for other complex procurements, including the Research Engineering and Manufacturing Integration Services (REMIS) 2 and Lunar Terrain Vehicle. She holds a BA in Mathematics and an MBA from Texas Tech University.

Aubrie Henspeter (CPCM) is a Procurement Team Lead in the Lunar and Planetary Exploration Procurement Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX. Ms. Henspeter is responsible for a dynamic team of Contracting Officers/Specialists working with Project Integration Managers and Scientists across the agency providing exceptional high-quality products and services for the Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS). She oversees a suite of 14 multi-award contracts to small and large businesses that to date have awarded 9 competitive task orders in the amount of $1.1B for commercial missions to deliver payloads to the lunar surface and/or orbit. She has received numerous awards at the Center and Agency levels ranging from the multiple Center Director Commendation Awards, Acquisition Improvements, Early Career Achievement Medal, and Procurement Team of the Year. She holds Bachelors in Business Administration and Business Law from California State University - Northridge.

Jason Phillips is a Procurement Team Lead in the ISS Procurement Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He currently leads a team of acquisition professionals in support of both the ISS Transportation Integration and Vehicle Offices and is the Contracting Officer in charge of the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) 2 Cargo missions. Mr. Phillips is an Air Force veteran with 29 years of Federal service, all of which have been in procurement. He holds a Bachelors degree from Bellevue University.

An accomplished executive with a track record of successfully leading collaborative strategic planning initiatives throughout her career, Amy Horner founded True Nine in 2023 to help professionals embrace the opportunities and challenges made possible by change. She is well known for her unwavering dedication to leading authentically, celebrating change, and mentoring others. Whether you are preparing for innovation or change, encouraging meaningful connections and network cultivation, or looking to empower others to develop a growth mindset through goal-setting, Amy's dynamic presentation style, combined with her eclectic career experiences and pedagogical techniques gleaned from her doctoral studies, keeps audiences engaged throughout the presentation as the intended messages are delivered. Recognized by Ignition's Top 50 Women in Accounting and by LinkedIn as a Top Leadership Voice, she delights in sharing her experiences for the professional development and career advancement of others. Drawing from her experiences as a C-suite Executive back to her beginnings as a Big 4 Staff Auditor, Amy connects with the audience as they are and encourages them to envision the future. Using humor and story-telling to create "stickiness," the impact of her presentations lasts long beyond her closing remarks. Before founding True Nine, she was the COO and CFO for multiple organizations, guiding them through periods of intense change. In these roles, she led initiatives that resulted in diversified revenue streams, new and expanded service offerings, better brand awareness, increased market share, a more engaged workforce, and improved financial results. Amy earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she was a student-athlete on the first PSAC Championship Women’s Varsity Soccer Team. A proud Keystone State native, Amy furthered her education with an MBA from Penn State University. She is a Doctorate in Business Administration student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with anticipated graduation in May 2025. Her research interest explores the relationship between leadership team diversity and strategic change. To learn more or get in touch, visit www.true-nine.com Recent Speaking Engagements RSM Nonprofit and Education Symposium | GWSCPA Women’s Leadership Conference | NCACPA Business and Industry Conference | AICPA Nonprofit Section | NCACPA Professional Women’s Conference | GWSCPA Nonprofit Symposium.

James Trudeau is the Lead Procurement Analyst for the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) for the First Responder Network Authority; an independent sub-agency within the Department of Commerce. He leads efforts within the FirstNet Authority to synthesize procurement policy, working with cross-functional experts to analyze and incorporate innovative procurement strategies. James provides expert procurement knowledge to support the FirstNet Experience via the successful partnership with AT&T and the $100 billion Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network contract. Prior to this position, James was the Deputy Director, Program Management Division, Space Launch Delta 45, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. In this capacity, he served as the Acquisition Program Technical Director leading a team of 24 program management personnel overseeing ~$1.9 billion in programs. These programs directly supported mission and installation requirements to ensure Patrick Space Force Base continually “Set the Pace for Space.” James previously served in the United States Air Force as a Contracting Officer and has deployment experience supporting the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan. He also has experience working for the Department of Veterans Affairs, United States Patent & Trademark Office, and the Defense Health Agency. James completes the full spectrum of procurement expertise by previously working in the private sector for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Bob Bochenek is the Digital Division Chief at Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Contracting Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In this position he leads data systems and analytics efforts across AFMC Contracting. He is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping organizations in their data input, data output, and data utilization efforts to further decision making in the execution of their Air Force and Department of Defense missions. Prior to Mr. Bochenek's assignment to AFMC as the Technical Director and in turn the Digital Division Chief he held various positions within the Business Enterprise Systems, Agile Combat Support, Fighter & Bomber, and Reconnaissance Program Executive Officer (PEO) Directorates. He has also served within the Air Force Research Laboratory and Base Level Contracting offices. Additionally, he served as the Deputy in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Contracting Clearance and Program Support Division responsible for cross-cutting policy reviews for multiple PEO organizations and special emphasis programs for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Contracting Director.

Robert "Rob" D. Lorton is the Branch Chief for Data Utilization at the Contracting Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Mr. Lorton leads his team of Contract Data Specialists in the collection, analysis, visualization, and interpretation of contracting and acquisition data enabling fact-based decision making from all levels of the Department of Air Force. Mr. Lorton enlisted in the Air Force in December of 1985 and following assignments in Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Belgium, Germany, and Saudi Arabia during Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM he was selected for Officer Training School where he was a Distinguished Graduate in March 1995 and subsequently entered the contracting career field. Mr. Lorton’s active duty contracting assignments took him to Oklahoma, Ohio, Massachusetts, Colorado, and culminated in Melbourne, Australia where he retired from active duty in August 2006 as the Commander of Defense Contract Management Agency—Australia and New Zealand at the rank of Major. Mr. Lorton then entered the third phase of his Air Force career when he joined the civil service as a contract specialist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with assignments in Big Safari and the Air Force Research Laboratory prior to his current role at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command. Rob is also an Adjunct Professor for the Master in the Study of Law (MSL) Government Contracts program at University of Dayton School of Law where he teaches Business Ethics. 

Sunshine Eaton has risen through the ranks of SAIC to become a valuable leader in their Business Enablement team. She has led the Contract Closeout team and is currently gaining a new experience in SAIC’s Pricing functional area. She is a motivated leader looking to enhance the organization and business, while focusing on contributing to the growth of SAIC. She has a passion for continuous improvement and embraces the motto that, “Change can be scary, but good.” She aspires to continue helping SAIC grow more productive and accountable teams, along with mentoring future leaders in how to make risk-based decisions that maximize return on investments. In her role as the Contracts Closeout Manager, she facilitated the streamlining of their processes to allow the team to achieve the goal of NOT being DCMA’s #1 company with overdue closeouts. She also was the point on organizing and leading the first SAIC Rotational Program that allowed employees to gain experiences and skills in several functional areas. When not enjoying time with her husband and two kids, she is an avid puzzler that enjoys solving complex puzzles.

Robin Thornton is a Team Leader in Defense Contract Management Agency’s (DCMA) Contract Life Cycle Management Center (CLMC) that focuses on the closeout of overage contracts for the Agency. Robin also is a Warranted Administrative Contracting Officer for DCMA. Robin started in government service as a Bio-Environmental Engineering Technician for the United States Air Force. After her military service began her civilian career in acquisition at the Mission Installation Contracting Command (MICC) at Fort Carson, CO., where she served as a Contract Specialist with a focus on pre-award contracting for Services, Construction and Commercial (items/services). Robin then began her tenure with DCMA in DCMA Twin Cities before arriving in Fort Gregg-Adams as one of the original members of the Contract Closeout Center no the CLMC. Robin’s education consists of a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Colorado Christian University and a Master’s degree in Management and Human Resource Development from Webster University.

Jeff Koses is recognized as an innovative leader in the field of acquisition. As Senior Procurement Executive for the General Services Administration, Jeff has three priorities: 1) strengthen the acquisition workforce, 2) smart and effective buying and 3) healthy and productive industry relationships. Jeff and his team are working to ensure an acquisition system that is modem, accessible, and streamlined. Jeff is a voting member of the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council where he is a champion for acquisition reform. He also oversees the Federal Acquisition Institute which supports 180,000 members of the civilian acquisition workforce. Jeff serves as the Chair of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, the largest single source of employment, in the United States, for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. In his AbilityOne role, he emphasizes expanding competitive integrated employment, effective governance and results, and partnership as means to increase good and optimal jobs. Jeff was a 2022 recipient of the Presidential Rank Distinguished Executive Award. Earlier in his career, Jeff created GSA’s premiere vehicle for integrated professional services, OASIS, and managed 25 multiple award schedules with annual sales of over $22 billion, supported emergency acquisition and oversaw acquisition for GSA Global Supply. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. He also holds a masters in Acquisition Management.

John M. Tenaglia serves as the Principal Director, Defense Pricing and Contracting (DPC) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). He is responsible for the pricing and contracting policy matters that relate to $386 billion in annual contract obligations. As the functional leader of DoD’s 32,000+ contracting and purchasing professionals, he is responsible for their workforce career development. He serves as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) on acquisition and procurement negotiation strategies for all major weapon systems, and major automated information systems programs. He is responsible for assisting the USD(A&S) in the implementation of the Department’s operational priorities, including business reform initiatives to reduce operational costs and speed delivery to the warfighter. He oversees business enterprise initiatives related to pricing, domestic, international, and contingency contract policy for DoD, and associated e-business solutions; and DoD procurement regulations. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Tenaglia served as the Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA) for the Defense Health Agency (DHA). In this capacity, Mr. Tenaglia was responsible for the award and administration of all contracts to maintain a medically ready force and a ready medical force, with annual obligations valued at over $13 billion. Having previously served in DPC under its former name, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP), from 2008 to 2017, Mr. Tenaglia last served as Deputy Director for Contract Policy and International Contracting. In that role, Mr. Tenaglia was responsible for developing and improving innovative procurement policies for the Department of Defense by advancing the most efficient means to acquire supplies and services for the nation’s warfighters. Mr. Tenaglia was commissioned in the United States Air Force in 1988 and retired from active duty in 2008. His Air Force tours of duty include: Minuteman III Missile Launch Officer; Contracts Manager and Executive Officer to the Director of Contracting for Aeronautical Systems Center; Contracting Officer and Contracting Policy Staff Officer at the National Reconnaissance Office; Commander of the 81st Contracting Squadron; Contracting Staff Officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (Contracting); Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Legislative Liaison; and Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. Mr. Tenaglia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. He earned a Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration from Central Michigan University and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law. He has been admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2012. Mr. Tenaglia has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since 2014.

William "BJ" Quigley is the Director of Acquisition Management, Deputy Associate Administrator of Partnership and Acquisition Services (NA-PAS) at the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington, DC. As the Senior Procurement Executive, he is responsible for an annual $18 billion acquisition portfolio. BJ exercises supervisory and managerial authorities on a recurring basis for the staff in Partnership and Acquisition services, where he is responsible for oversight of the Heads of Contracting Activity, and for applying innovative procurement processes and standards in the placement, administration and close out of NNSA contracts, grants and oversight of NNSA’s inventory of government furnished equipment. In addition, BJ oversees the effective management of NNSA contracts related activities such as contract budget planning and execution, resources management, reporting and cost estimating. For two years prior to joining NNSA, BJ served as the Head of the Contracting Activity at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). He was responsible for planning, managing, directing, and providing support to the various directorates to accomplish the DIA global mission through the federal contracting process. In 2019, DIA exceeded obligation goals for Q2, Q3 and Q4 earlier than any time in modern DIA history. In 2020, they surpassed the 2019 dates. This allowed DIA to be a recipient of DOD fallout funds which helped provide additional updates to JWICS and fund critical programs within the agency. Additionally, he led an effort to implement a transition from paper files to electronic records. He also led and developed plans to close out the 2019 DCMA PMR recommendations, which were accepted by DCMA in early 2021. Prior to DIA, BJ served as the Unit Chief for the Detention, Compliance, and Removals division within US Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE). In his role as Unit Chief, BJ was instrumental in initiatives to help ICE respond to the border surges in 2016, 2018, and 2019. In 2016, he oversaw a transportation analysis contract that continues to provide significant savings for the agency. He helped facilitate the transition of the organization to electronic contract filing. He also ensured the success of major programs within his division including medical staffing, the air charter flights program, construction of a new Detention Facility in Houston, Texas, and the Alternatives to Detention program.

Kurt Merkling, PMP, CISM, is a Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) Advisor assigned to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services (NA-PAS), with more than 25 years of leadership and management experience. He served a full career in the US Navy as a Naval Aviator with assignments at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Prior to joining NNSA, he was the Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM) Program Manager at the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of the Chief Information Officer. Kurt has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University and a Master of Aeronautical Science, Aviation/Aerospace Operations Specialization, from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Mohamed Hegazy has Master in Construction Law – Salford University, UK - Master of Business Administration – UoPeople, US - B.Sc. Civil Engineering – Ain Shams University, Egypt - Consultant – Saudi Council of Engineers - MRICS, Chartered Project Management Surveyor – RICS - CCP, Certified Cost Professional – AACE - PMP, Project Management Professional – PMI - P3O, Portfolio, Programme and Projects Offices – AXELOS, UK - FIDIC Contracts Consultant, AIA (Brussels) Fellow - Author of 50 Planning fundamentals & Fundamentals of Construction Contracts - Experience more than 21 years in mega-projects (Buildings, Infrastructure & Roads)

John Roman is the Vice President of Contracts, Procurement and Pricing at ECS Federal, LLC, where he is responsible for leadership of these teams for the company. Mr. Roman has over 30 years of experience working in both the government and commercial contract sectors. Previously, Mr. Roman was the Senior Director of Contracts, Procurement & Pricing for Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Defense and Federal Solutions (HII-DFS) Group. In this role he was responsible for the contracts, subcontracts, procurement, pricing, security, facilities, and quality assurance functions of HII-MDIS. Mr. Roman also spent time as a Vice President of Contracts at the Logistics Management Institute (LMI), The Cadmus Group and SAIC where he led a combination of contracts, procurement and pricing departments. Mr. Roman also served as part of the contracts team at both DynCorp EENSP and the Marasco Newton Group. Mr. Roman has presented “The Contractor View of the Acquisition Process” for the Defense Acquisition University on multiple occasions and has been a presenter at several National Contract Management Association (NCMA) World Congress events. Mr. Roman has participated at several Reverse Industry Day events with the Professional Services Council (PSC) and was awarded the PSC Leadership Award in 2017. Mr. Roman also published an article in CIOReview Magazine on The Decision for Enterprise Contract Management in a GovCon World. Mr. Roman is a member of the National Contract Management Association, serves on its national Board of Advisors, is the President of the NCMA NOVA Chapter and maintains both the Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) and Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) certifications. Mr. Roman is an active participant with the Professional Services Council on both their Annual Conference Planning Committee and their Contracting Working Group. He completed a B.A. in Financial Management from The Catholic University of America.

Ken Logerwell has twenty-eight years of progressive experience as a contracts professional working on executing contracts and agreements to implement work within deadlines. He provides executive leadership and business advice regarding the management and administration of Federal contracts from award through closeout. This includes proposal preparation, negotiation with the Government, and oversight of performance to ensure compliance and quality of service. As an NCMA Certified Professional Contracts Manager and Certified Federal Contracts Manager, Mr. Logerwell maintains a current and extensive knowledge of acquisition regulations and law.

Michelle Miller currently serves as the Director of Procurement Policy in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement) (ODASA(P)) within the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)). She is responsible for evaluation, advocacy, development, maintenance, and communication of innovative procurement related policies and procedures that promote accountability, integrity, and efficiency throughout the contracting enterprise. Ms. Miller’s prior positions within ODASA(P) included Team Lead for the Procurement Support Directorate and procurement analyst in the Services and Category Management Directorate. Prior to joining ASA(ALT), Ms. Miller served as a procurement analyst in the acquisition policy directorate at the National Guard Bureau; Branch Chief for Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) supporting the Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM); Contracting Officer for the INSCOM acquisition center; and a contract specialist for Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC). While at MCSC, Ms. Miller was selected for detail assignments with the Defense Contracting and Pricing (DPC) acquisition exchange program and the Navy Director for Acquisition Career Management (DACM) office. Ms. Miller holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in Government Procurement from George Washington University Law school; a Juris Doctor (JD) from University of Georgia School of Law; a Masters in Teaching, Bachelor of Arts in English, and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Ms. Miller is DAWIA Level III certified in Contracting, DAWIA Level I certified in Program Management, a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, and recipient of multiple awards. She is a member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA).

Misse Parzow joined Compass, Inc. (Small Business DOD Contractor) in May 2007. After growing with Compass for 15 years, she was promoted to her current position as the Director – Contracts & Compliance in June 2022. Misse oversees and completes the entire contracting and subcontracting process from cradle-to-grave. In addition, she oversees and maintains the company’s compliance with its three ISO system certifications (9001, 20000-1, & 27001). As a member of NCMA since 2009, she holds current certifications as a Certified Professional Contracts Manager™ (CPCM) and a Certified Federal Contracts Manager™ (CFCM). For several years, she was the Vice President of Education and Professional Development at her local chapter helping others earn their CFCM certifications. Misse graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Music Education (Instrumental K-12) from Louisiana State University. She is currently studying for her Master in the Study of Law – Government Contracting & Procurement at the University of Dayton (expected graduation in Summer 2025).

Stephen Speciale is a Senior Acquisition Specialist with ZYGOS Consulting that directly supports ARPA-H’s Contracting Team. He supported ARPA-H’s first program (“NITRO”) by developing unique terms & conditions for OT awards with performers and helped launch ARPA-H’s OT Community. Stephen also helps create guidance and policy to enable innovative and agile business operations based on ARPA-H’s contracting authorities. Stephen previously supported the Missile Defense Agency (providing acquisition expertise to various programs and the contracting policy team) and the Defense Acquisition University (serving as a Professor of Financial Management and Program Management).

Melanie Burgess began her career in the contracts department of a large defense contractor and turned this experience into a successful consulting practice. As a CPA, Melanie focuses her practice on business strategies, contract compliance and financial analysis including contract and subcontract negotiations, risk management, best business practices, pricing, accounting systems, audit support, CAS and the cost principles. With her finance and contracting background and work with a multitude of businesses, Melanie provides full business consulting to traditional and non-traditional government contractors. Melanie has served local NCMA chapters in a variety of board positions and continues to support the Leadership Development Program which she graduated from in 2008.

Beverly Arviso is the President of Arviso, Inc. a consulting firm specializing in the unique compliance and accounting needs specific to government contractors. Beverly began her career in the Navy Contracting Intern Program, which provided her with the government contract foundation she continues to rely on today. Beverly has worked in private industry as Director of Contracts and Chief Financial Officer and prior to starting her own consulting firm, served as a partner in a regional public accounting firm where she provided consulting services to government contractors in a variety of industries. As a CPA, Beverly specializes in accounting system implementations, strategic risk assessments and business process reviews, DCAA audits & compliance matters, cradle-to-grave contracting, proposal pricing strategy & development, cost & price analysis, indirect rate strategy & development, incurred cost proposals, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and the cost principles. Beverly is an NCMA Fellow, served the NCMA Norfolk, VA chapter in a variety of board positions, and is a frequent lecturer on topics of interest to government contractors.

Thomas Dougherty is the Executive Director and the Senior Contracting Official for the Army Contracting Command- New Jersey, headquartered at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., with operating locations at Picatinny Arsenal and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. In this role, Mr. Dougherty is a senior advisor on acquisition and contracting processes, contract policy and compliance, pre-award and post-award contracting and associated business advisory services for a diverse customer base: the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense; the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition; the Program Executive Office for Soldier, the Department of Defense and other joint service requirements. In addition to experience in Federal Acquisition-based major systems acquisition contracting, Mr. Dougherty has been responsible for the execution of numerous prototype Other Transaction Agreements under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2371b resulting in novel business solutions for DoD-managed requirements. He has Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Economics and Philosophy from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA and a Juris Doctorate from the St. John’s University School of Law in Jamaica, NY.

Denise C. Scott is the Chief Counsel at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Armaments Center (DEVCOM-AC) Legal Office at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ where she manages a 25-person Legal Office. Previously, she was Chief of the Business Law Division at Picatinny and counsel to the Joint Program Executive Office for Ammunition (JPEO-AMMO). Ms. Scott has been an acquisition attorney at Picatinny since 1985. During her tenure she has provided legal support to numerous FAR based programs and major weapon system acquisitions. Since the late 1990s Ms. Scott has worked on Prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) and other nontraditional USG contracting methods, including various innovative OTAs with industry consortia. She has been instrumental in the establishment of OTAs that have proven essential to the conduct of the Army and DOD missions, to include Consortium OTAs for: Defense Ordnance and Technology; Command, Control, and Communications in Cyberspace (C5); Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC); and the National Spectrum Consortium (NSC). She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (magna cum laude) from Queens College of the City University of New York in 1978 and her Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in NYC, NY in 1981. She is a member of the bar in the states of New York and New Jersey.