Charles M. Baker is President and CEO of MCB Inc.; he is a retired Air Force Civil Engineer with over 27 years of experience in electrical.

His vision and dogmatic persistence left a lasting impact literally seen everyday in the entire federal government even now! He made demonstrative improvements to electrical safety, training, work efficiencies, and especially energy conservation. He has been called the best ever seen by some of the top generals in today’s Air Force.

Some of the descriptive terms used were a trailblazer, superstar, problem solver, creative, and extremely visionary. He holds several DOD records for saving taxpayer money, such as $1,200,000,000.00 ($1.2 Billion) in savings, $264,000.00 in cash awards (most ever received by any government employee), and the highest number of ideas or suggestions approved (73 of 75).

Mr. Baker also earned numerous awards, such as: (1) 1994 Individual Federal Energy and Water Awardee, awarded at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, with the Congressional reception held at the Russell Senate Office Building (first enlisted person to ever receive this award normally reserved for mechanical engineers); (2) DOD Quality and Excellence Awardee; (3) Air Force Chief of Staff High Dollar Award; (4) DOD Energy and Water Awardee.

Colonel James B. Balocki is the Chief of the Base Realignment and Closure Division, Operations Directorate, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. Jim was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers as a distinguished military graduate from the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington in August 1981. He served in a variety of assignments and contingency operations worldwide throughout his 27 years of commissioned service. The first 10 years were highlighted by duty with troop units in command/staff assignments. He deployed in 1983 for six months and 1987 for three months to Honduras, Central America to participate in peace support contingency operations.

Jim’s second decade has been largely associated with assignments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Districts world-wide. He was deployed for six months to Somalia (1993-94) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (1996-97) to support the humanitarian relief and stabilization efforts. More recently, Jim served at senior levels of the Army at national and combined (NATO) headquarters levels. He completed a two year tour as installation commander at Fort A.P. Hill and spent a year as a student at the National Defense College in Islamabad, Pakistan. Jim is a registered Professional Engineer (Civil Engineering) in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

John Beckett has been the Air Force Survivor Assistance Program Manager and Wounded Warrior Policy Director since July 2005. He manages this critical program to meet the needs of families of fallen Air Force members and those who have been wounded in action or are seriously ill or injured. The Survivor Assistance Program serves as the focal point for coordinating the efforts of headquarters agencies to ensure the timely flow of accurate information on aircraft mishaps and other incidents to senior leaders, and the timely and continuing provision of support services to commanders at all levels and to the family members of those lost or injured. He develops training programs and materials for Family Liaison Officers and works with a variety of federal and other agencies to improve service to Air Force survivors and wounded, seriously ill, and injured Air Force members. He has a passion for providing the best possible assistance to wounded Air Force members and has developed personal relationships with many Air Force Wounded Warriors.

Jack is a lifelong resident of Virginia and currently resides in Chesapeake. After a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1968-1969, he landed a job with the Corps of Engineers Norfolk District in 1970 as a Surveying Aid. He has been with the Norfolk District ever since.

In 1974 he joined the District’s Contracting Division as a General Clerk working in the District’s Plan Room. Since 1974, Jack has held virtually every position in the Contracting Division from Purchasing Agent to the Chief of the Division. He is currently the Chief of the Norfolk District’s Small Business Program Office and is a special assistant to the District Commander on all issues related to the District’s Small Business Program.

Jack has led Norfolk District in becoming one of the most successful Districts in the Corps in support of the Small Business Program. Over fiscal years 2004-2006, Norfolk District averaged awarding just over 51% of its total obligations to small businesses. In FY06, Jack was awarded the Corps Commander’s Small Business Team of Excellence Award and was also presented Rolling Thunder’s Veteran’s Champion Award for his efforts in promoting Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. In FY07, Jack was again awarded The CORP Commander’s Small Business Team of Excellence Award as well as the DoD Golden Talon Award that recognized him as one of the Department of Army’s best in supporting the Veteran/Service Disabled Veteran Program.

Anthony (Tony) Bell is the Chief of Small Business Programs at the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The mission of USACE is to provide engineering services to the nation. Tony is responsible for managing the USACE Small Business Program.

Prior joining USACE, Tony was the Program Manager for the Small Business Office at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), one of the agencies in the US Department of Homeland Security. Tony was named the 2006 Small Business Advocated of the Year by UIDA Business Services. UIDA is a Native American organization dedicated to the economic advancement of Native American Indians.

Prior to joining TSA, Tony served as the Assistant Small Business Officer at the Internal Revenue Service. While there Tony was named Department of Treasury Small Business Advocate of the Year for 2003 and Vendor Outreach Advocate of the Year for 2002 and 2001.

Mr. David Beltz joined the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) in March of 2005 as its first civilian Director of Security and Safety. As such, he has overall security, antiterrorism/force protection and safety responsibility for the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and the HQDA (125-plus agencies and organizations, world-wide).

Prior to joining the HQDA, Mr. Beltz served as a Supervisory Special Agent for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s Antiterrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) Directorate and as the Director of Security for the Army's Special Access Program (SAP) and Sensitive Activity Central Office; Mr. Beltz was responsible for security oversight of all Army SAPs and sensitive activities world-wide.

Prior to joining the Federal workforce, Mr. Beltz served in various corporate security positions as a manager and supervisor. Mr. Beltz has also served as a Detective Sergeant with the Metropolitan DC Police Department. Mr. Beltz was honorably discharged from the United States Navy.

Gloria Berthold is President of TargetGov, a national company focusing on government procurement, related business development and marketing services including creating effective Capability Statements, successful minority certification, contract development (GSA Schedules, etc), relationship development, proposal management, contract administration and expert federal contracting services. She is author of the book The Veterans Business Guide: How to Build a Successful Government Contracting Business and has created a series of Government Business Development Toolkits (e-books) focusing on business development processes for federal agencies. She is an expert author with articles regarding business development published in local, regional, national and international publications.

Ms. Berthold has spoken at local, regional, national and international conferences including the Middle East North Africa (MENA) Business Women’s Summit, the Annual BWCC Government Procurement Fair, the Department of the Interior’s Procurement Conference, the Maryland Association of CPAs Government Contractors Conference.

She has receiver numerous accolades including: Women Impacting Public Policy Member of the Year 2007, the Bravo Business Achievement Award 2007, one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2007 and 2004, one of Maryland’s Top 100 Minority Business Enterprises, 2006 and recognized by Maryland’s Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs as one of the top Women Entrepreneurs. She was named an Innovator of the Year for the development of the first Government Buyers Database.

On September 8, 2003, Mr. Bertrand was hired by Picerne Military Housing to coordinate the recruitment of subcontractors for its family housing project at Ft. Polk, Louisiana. In January 2007, Mr. Bertrand was promoted to his current position where he oversees the recruiting and prequalifying of subcontractors for all of Picerne’s family housing projects. In his current position Mr. Bertrand is responsible for searching for, prequalifying, and identifying good subcontractors for Picerne construction, development and property management teams at each of its six locations. Mr. Bertrand is currently recruiting subcontractors to perform over $1.5 Billion dollars in construction and renovation work at Picerne’s six locations. Prior to coming to work for Picerne, Mr. Bertrand was the Program Manager at the Valley Procurement Technical Assistance Center at the University of Texas at Brownsville where he assisted small businesses to do business with the federal government.

Mr. Bertrand retired from the US Army in 1991 where he held several command and staff positions which included managing two multi million dollar procurement programs. Mr. Bertrand received his BS degree in Education from Northeastern University and a Masters degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University.

Ivan G. Bolden assumed the role as the first Chief of Public Private Initiatives, Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management in July 2007. In this capacity he oversees all public private initiatives ventures for the Army. His direct oversight includes the Army's Residential Communities Initiatives (the Army’s housing privatization program), Privatization of Army Lodging, Utilities Privatization, Enhanced Use Leasing, Municipal Services/ Partnerships and Competitive Sourcing. He assumes this position after working for eight (8) years on the Secretariat Staff in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations & Environment.

He brings a wealth of experience as a 27 year Army veteran, retiring as a Colonel in 2001. His military assignments took him to postings in Europe, Korea and throughout the Continental United States. He attended various military schools throughout his career and his civilian education includes a BS in Accounting from Southern University, Baton Rouge, La. and a Master's in Public Administration from Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA.

He is a visionary and has received numerous awards throughout his professional career and his hobbies include travel and golf.

Patrick Bowers, a Desert Shield/Storm Veteran, is the Director of Education and Outreach at The National Veterans Business Development Corporation, doing business as The Veterans Corporation (TVC). TVC is a Federally-chartered 501(c)(3)non-profit organization that was created by Public Law 106-50, the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999. The Corporation is charged with creating and enhancing entrepreneurial business opportunities for Veterans, including Service-Disabled Veterans. The Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and provides governance over TVC. Patrick Bowers' most recent project created a granting program to support Veteran specific business and start-up programs at the local and state level and opened a Veteran's Business Resource Center in Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Joseph P. Brady is presently the Director of New Business Development in the Research & Development Center at Fort Monmouth. Prior to that, he was the Chief of the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (SADBU) Office. He has 24 years of continuous Government service, 17 of which were spent in the acquisition field. As part of his responsibilities, Mr. Brady provides Business advice and support to the Director of the R&D center, Director of the R2 program and the entire RDEC Technical staff. Mr. Brady is a graduate of the AMC intern program and is a member of the ARMY Acquisition Corps.

Mr. Brady has been the recipient of the Secretary of the Army Award for Small & Small Disadvantage Business for his effort on the ACIN program.

Mr. Brady has also been the recipient of the Secretary of the Army’s award for Outstanding Achievement in Materiel Acquisition and The Department of the ARMY Meritorious Civilian Service award. Mr. Brady has been the recipient of the CECOM, the AVSCOM, and HQ USAISEC Commander awards for Civilian Service. Mr. Brady has also been a recipient of the CECOM Outstanding Leadership award and was named to the AMC SADBU Team of Excellence for his work in Small Business.

Sandra Broadnax has served in her present role as Director of Small Business Programs Office (SBPO) since 2004. During her 30 plus years of federal government service her previous assignments included Alaska, New Jersey, Hawaii and Nebraska. Ms. Broadnax has worked passionately in the contracts acquisition field throughout her career and brings total knowledge and commitment to the programs she supports. She is committed to the Small Business Program mission and the Small Business community in support of National Security and our nation's War Fighters.

Ms. Broadnax earned an Associate's degree in Business Administration from the University of Alaska, a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration from Strayer University, and in June 2008, she will have earned a Graduate's degree from Strayer University with an MBA in Acquisitions Contracts. She plans to continue her education at Capella University for a PhD in Leadership.

Ms. Jeanette L. Brown serves as the Director for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As Director, Ms. Brown is responsible for ensuring that small, disadvantaged, and woman-owned firms are provided an equitable opportunity to receive a “fair share” of sub-agreements and contracts. OSDBU develops policies and procedures to aid small minority and woman-owned entities doing business with EPA. Additionally, OSDBU is responsible for internal training programs to enhance the capabilities of socioeconomic firms in becoming more competitive and viable in the EPA procurement arena.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Brown served as the Deputy Director of OSDBU and the Deputy Director of EPA’s Office of Acquisition Management. Prior to her tenure at EPA, Ms. Brown served as the Director of the Office of Procurement and Grants Management and the Director of the Division of Program Development for the Minority Small Business Capital Ownership Development Program at the Small Business Administration.

Ms. Brown has more than 27 years of contracting experience in various federal agencies, including the Navy Regional Contracting Center, the Navy Automatic Data Processing Selection Office, the Joint Cruise Missile Project/NAV AIR, the Small Business Administration, and EPA.

Mr. Brown is the technical manager for the VetBiz.gov Web portal, including the Vendor Information Pages (VIP) Database. He provides technical support to the 14,000 service-disabled and veteran-owned companies registered in VIP. Mr. Brown has traveled extensively to promote the awareness and use of veteran-owned small business program. He briefs and demonstrates the capabilities of the VIP database to Federal agencies and corporate partners.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Mr. Brown was awarded a Navy Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement while operating the Quality Assurance program at Naval Air Facility Washington D.C. He also received four Navy Achievement Medals, two for Professional achievement, which directly contributed to the benefit of the United States and the Navy and two for leadership that directly affected the accomplishment of his unit’s mission. He retired in June of 2004 after 20 years of service. He then joined the CVE to continue supporting his fellow veterans. He is certified as a Microsoft Professional MCP, Novell Engineer CNE. He holds a FCC license in Telecommunication. Mr. Brown is a Certified NxLeveL Instructor with the NxLeveL Education Foundation.

As the Assistant to the Director for Subcontracting and Mentor Protégé Programs in the U.S. Army Office of Small Business Programs, Ms. Butler is responsible for increasing industries’ awareness of the Army’s small business subcontracting and Mentor Protégé program initiatives. She influences updates to existing Subcontracting and Mentor Protégé acquisition regulations and solicits innovative Mentor Protégé technology transfer proposals from industry. In addition, she manages thirty-five (35) active Mentor Protégé contracts, validates the realism of subcontracting goals for new DoD projects over $250 million and participates on Army Strategic Sourcing panel reviews.

Prior to accepting her current position, Ms. Butler was a senior Procurement Analyst at Headquarters, U.S. Army Contracting Agency (ACA), from 1 February 2006 until 30 September 2007. In this position, she led Acquisition Strategy and Justification and Approval (J&A) panel review and approval teams and developed Acquisition Tasks and Timeline guidelines for management of resources. In addition, she induced a policy change to source selection guidelines in Army Regulation (AR) 5-20 Competitive Sourcing (CS) Program document that benefitted Army-wide components.

Ms. Butler is an acquisition professional with over 28 years of experience in contracting. She is Level III certified in acquisitions and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps. She has received numerous civilian awards for exceptional performance throughout her acquisition career.

Michael Chang is the Supplier Diversity Program Deputy for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, CA where he has worked for 7 years. Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, MD, is the world’s largest aerospace and defense firm.

Michael practiced his negotiating skills for over 20 years at Northrop Grumman as a buyer / proposal analyst; at Applied Materials negotiating software licenses and then at Lockheed Martin as a subcontracts manager. He grew up speaking both Mandarin and English, which aided in business assignments in Asia with Applied Materials. He can also say a few phrases in over 15 languages which breaks-the-ice in engaging with diverse groups of people.

Mike is upfront, straightforward, to-the-point in negotiations and expects the same. He enjoys helping small businesses learn how to deal with large corporations, but expects small business owners to be clear on their capabilities and research the functions and needs of the large company they are courting.

Vince Chaverini is the Division Director, Worldwide Operations Division (WWD) of the U.S. Department of State's (DOS) Office of Acquisitions Management (AQM). AQM is responsible for providing global acquisitions and logistics support for the people and programs all around the world in support of America's diplomacy. It is responsible for over 95% of the operational acquisitions for DOS including all overseas buildings operations, diplomatic security domestic guard services, Iraq and Kabul security guard services, IT equipment and services, weapons abetment program, and operational and support services.

AQM is an organization comprised of over 170 acquisitions professionals both in Washington, DC and two regional centers in Frankfurt, Germany and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Last year AQM processed of 21,000 acquisition transactions worth approximately $6.4 billion. AQM in Wash. DC is comprised of five headquarters divisions, four of which award and administer contracts in support of specific DOS bureaus and program offices. WWD is one of these four divisions and supports the Bureaus of: Diplomatic Security, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Resource Management, Administration, Office of Inspector General, Undersecretary for Management and the Secretary's Executive Office. Vince has over 20 years experience as a Federal acquisition professional spending the last ten at DOS/AQM. Prior to that he worked as a contracting officer at both USDA and GSA.

Eric Colvin is a Vice President of Small Business Lending for Silver State Bank, Nevada’s #1 SBA Lender. Mr. Colvin has over 10 years of SBA lending experience in Southern Nevada first with Nevada State Development a CDC (certified development company) for 7 years and the past 3 with Silver State.

Over the years Eric has done all aspects of SBA lending from real estate to working capital lines of credit utilizing the SBA’s 7(a); 504, Patriot Loan, and Express Loan programs. Over the years Mr. Colvin has helped hundreds of small business in Nevada to grow and expand achieving their goals and dreams.

Gary Cook is a Business Development Specialist at the Information Technology Acquisition Center, Federal Acquisition Service, responsible for assisting companies to obtain a GSA contract and help them develop a viable marketing strategy. Gary travels extensively across the US and to Canada, Northern Ireland, and England giving briefings and seminars to both commercial vendors and government agencies on the best methodologies to utilize this contracting vehicle. Gary has addressed various foreign business groups, along with the respective embassy personnel from Canada, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Israel. He has also addressed members of Congress and the business community at the US Capitol Building and at the Library of Congress on IT and small business development.

A decorated, disabled veteran of the Vietnam War, Gary retired from the Army in 1989 and was recalled to active duty again during the first Gulf War. He worked seven years as a Department of the Army contracting specialist and has worked for the GSA as both a contract specialist and business development specialist for nine years. A nominee for the 2006 Congressional Veterans Commendation Award and a member of Mensa, is listed in the 2006 edition of Empire’s Who’s Who of American Business Professionals.

Since December 2005, Bob Costello has managed and led the Materials organization for LMMFC. He is responsible for the delivery of quality products, on schedule, and at a competitive cost to meet customer expectations. In his 30-year career, Mr. Costello has a proven history of strong performance in leadership roles on aerospace, electro-optical, and low-observable programs.

Previously, he was the Program Director for the Joint Strike Fighter Electro-Optical Targeting System. In this role, he was responsible for managing all aspects of the program, including design, development, test, and delivery. He also served as the program director on the Comanche Electro-Optical Sensor System and Future Combat System programs.

Mr. Costello was the Program Manager for the United Kingdom Apache Target Acquisition Designation Sight (TADS) System, responsible for the transfer of electro-optical technology to the UK, Netherlands, Israel, and Germany in support of the UK Apache. As the TADS/PNVS procurement manager, he was responsible for managing all program-related procurement activities both domestic and international.

Ms. Couch is responsible for her group's Small Business Consortium and Mentor/Protégé programs. In these roles, she is responsible for first identifying a select group of small businesses that complement IBM's current capabilities and then building strategic relationships that create value for small businesses, government agencies, and IBM.

A native of Boston, Ms. Couch has been with IBM's Baltimore office since 1988. However, she began her career as a public sector employee in various technical positions. She served in different analyst roles for the National Security Agency, the State of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, and Anne Arundel County government.

Mr. Glenn A. Delgado is the Assistant Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Office of Small Business Programs. As the Assistant Administrator, Mr. Delgado provides executive leadership and policy direction for developing and implementing policies and initiatives throughout NASA, to ensure that all categories of small businesses are afforded opportunities to compete for agency contracts.

Prior to his appointment to NASA, Mr. Delgado served as the Acting Director of the Department of the Navy’s Office of Small Business Programs. He was the Department of Navy’s Mentor-Protégé Program Manager for the six years he was assigned to the Navy’s Small Business Program Office. He also served as the Director of Small Business for the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). He has over 25 years of acquisition experience.

Mr. Delgado has been awarded two Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service medals, for his innovative approaches in the acquisition process while serving as a PCO for the EA-6B aircraft and for his performance as the Director of Small Business at NAVAIR. In September 2006 Mr. Delgado was awarded the Superior Civilian Service medal for his exceptional service to the Navy Small Business Programs Office.

Mr. Denniston was appointed to the position of Director, Office of Small Business in October 1987. He is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army. He is active in the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), the National Defense Industry Association (NDIA) and is a past chair of the Small Business Committee of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA).

Mr. Denniston is a nationally recognized advocate for veteran entrepreneurs. In 1998 he was appointed to the Commission on Service Members and Veterans Transition Assistance, where he developed recommendations for enhancing and expanding support for veteran business owners. Many of those recommendations were incorporated into Public Law 106-50, the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999 and Public Law 108-183, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. Most recently, he established the Center for Veterans Enterprise, a VA organization dedicated to and providing support for veterans and service-disabled veterans interested in entrepreneurship.

In March 2005, Mr. Denniston was a recipient of the prestigious Federal 100 Award from Federal Computer Week for his work in developing the VetBiz website and Vendor Information Pages data base of veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

Ms. La Juene Desmukes is the Director for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) for the U.S. Department of Commerce. She is the Department’s Small Business Advocate and reports to the Deputy Secretary of Commerce. She has a strong commitment to helping small and minority business concerns grow and succeed through federal contracting and is responsible for developing a number of significant departmental policies to increase opportunities for small businesses.

Ms. Desmukes has over eighteen years of federal contracting experience. Her wealth of knowledge and experience has helped to push the Department to the forefront among cabinet level agencies in small business achievement. Under her leadership, the Department has consecutively awarded on average 50% of its procurement dollars to small business concerns.

Ms. Desmukes is a Senior Fellow with the Council for Excellence in Government. She has received several awards for outstanding performance including the Gold Medal Award for her contribution to the successful implementation of the Department’s financial system.

Wendy Despres became the Assistant Director for Subcontracting Policy for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology & Logistics), Office of Small Business Programs in July 2007. Ms. Despres advises the Director, Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) on matters related to small and disadvantaged business subcontracting. She also advises small business specialists and acquisition personnel throughout DoD and industry on matters related to subcontracting policy. Ms. Despres is the DoD OSBP point of contact for implementation of the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System.

Ms. Despres entered civil service in June 1987. She served in several other appointments throughout her career, most recently, as the Mentor-Protégé/Subcontracting Program Manager for the U.S. Army Office of Small Business Programs. She has achieved Contracting Level III Certification and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps. Her professional training includes the Sustaining Base Leadership Management Course at the Army Management Staff College. She has earned numerous awards including two Achievement Medals for Civilian Service and the Outstanding Operational Contracting Civilian for Fiscal Year 1990 for the Air Force Logistics Command.

Mr. Elmore is responsible for the formulation, execution, and promotion of policies and programs of the Administration that provide assistance to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans, by service-disabled veterans and for self-employed members of the Reserves and National Guard. He also conducts comprehensive outreach to veterans and the veteran-serving community, while acting as an ombudsman for full consideration of veterans in programs of the Administration.

In the past three years, Mr. Elmore has reversed significant downward trends of veteran’s participation in virtually all SBA programs, including lending, technical assistance and procurement.

Prior to being hired as the Associate Administrator, Mr. Elmore owned a small business, specializing in military record’s access, & veterans’ program development. From 1974 through 1995, Mr. Elmore was also the principal in the creation and operation of the One Stop Veterans Service Center in St. Louis, Missouri, providing entrepreneurial training, job placement, housing, and other services to thousands of veterans and their families.

The Senate confirmed Dr. James I. Finley as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology in February 2006.

As the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (A&T), Dr. Finley is responsible for advising the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics on matters relating to acquisition and the integration and protection of technology. He is responsible for policies and procedures governing the Department’s procurement and acquisition process.

Prior to joining the Department of Defense in his current position, Dr. Finley spent over 30 years in the private sector. He held a variety of operational and management positions with General Electric, Singer, Lear Siegler, United Technologies and General Dynamics, where he was a Corporate Officer, President of Information Systems and Chair of the Business Development Council. His business experience spans air, land, sea and space programs for the Department of Defense.

Leadership examples of Performance Awards include the Boeing Gold Certification Award, Honeywell Preferred Supplier Award, Northrop Grumman Blue Achievement, Lockheed Martin Best In Class Rating, Defense Security Service “Outstanding” Achievement Award and the George Westinghouse Award.

In 2002, Dr. Finley formed his own consulting company, The Finley Group, LLC, that provided business assistance and advice for all facets of the business cycle including start-up, growth, acquisition and divestiture. Those market initiatives focused on information technology, retailing and golf.

Mr. Foreman is the Navy Director for the Office of Small Business Programs. He is responsible for setting the overall small business policies, objectives and strategies designed to enhance small business prime and subcontracting performance within the Department of the Navy. He is the U.S. Navy leading small business authority and reports to the Secretary of the Navy or the Under Secretary of the Navy on all small business matters.

Prior to his appointment to the U.S. Navy Mr. Foreman had extensive experience in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Office of Small Business Programs, to include leading many Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS) cases to implement statutory and regulatory changes to enhance small business prime and subcontracting opportunities. He also acted as the office lead for legislative initiatives, GAO and DoD IG cases involving small business issues.

Mr. Foreman was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1970. He is a recipient of the “2004 Patriot Administrator Award” by the Association of Service Disabled Veterans on April 7, 2005 in a Capital Hill ceremony. He is a graduate of the Brookings Institution’s “LEGIS FELLOW PROGRAM” program, the Federal Executive Institute’s “Leadership for a Democratic Society Program” and the prestigious “Senior Officials National Security (SONS)” program from Harvard University.

R.C. “Chuck” Forrest III, P.E., is the founder and president of KMEA, a project management and facilities support services company based in San Diego, California. The company has employees in California, Hawaii, Arizona, Connecticut, Nevada and New Hampshire. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Mr. Forrest served in the US Army in Vietnam in special operations. During his career in the private sector, Mr. Forrest has turned two companies around from the brink of bankruptcy to profitability, turned around an operating division of a large company, and co-founded two companies. He has been an executive in the offshore and land oil and gas drilling industry, in the telecommunications infrastructure build-out industry and in government contracting. He thoroughly understands the needs of both large and small businesses.

Mr. Forrest is on the national board of directors of the Elite SDVOB Network. As well as his duties as Treasurer, he structures teaming programs between the Elite and large companies to jointly pursue major service industry and construction projects to ensure high levels of participation by the membership of the Elite on these projects.

KMEA is an SDVOSB and a California certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and certified Small Business.

Gerardo (Jerry) Franco is currently serving as program manager, supervisor and business advocate in the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) with primary responsibility for implementing small business contracting and procurement assistance programs.

Mr. Franco has been with the DOT’s OSDBU in various capacities since 1992. He has served as Senior Advisor to the Director, Associate Director and Chief, Procurement Assistance Division. He is the recipient of several Secretarial awards and commendations for work performed in his area of expertise as well as on strategic planning, management excellence and programmatic effectiveness. Throughout his federal career, Mr. Franco has been actively involved in small and disadvantaged business issues and is widely recognized for his work in the field. He has published a number of authoritative documents on federal procurement programs including a subcontracting review guide and a number of federal register notices.

Before joining DOT, Mr. Franco served as senior procurement analyst and acting competition advocate at the Department of Agriculture’s OSDBU which he joined in 1982. He started his federal career with the General Services Administration’s Federal Supply Service, Office of Policy, in 1981.

Mr. Luis E. Garcia-Baco is the Director for Industrial Base Capabilities at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Business Transformation, G-4/7/9, HQ, Army Materiel Command (AMC). He manages AMC’s Partnership Program, AMC’s Industrial Base Program, and Army’s Standardization Program.

Previously, he served as Deputy Chief at the Industrial Interface and Production Management Division, HQ AMC. Subsequently, he organized HQ AMC’s Industrial Base Capabilities Division. Previously, he was at HQ DA and responsible for Space-based systems such as the Global Positioning System and Direct Communications Link which provides communications between the United States and Moscow.

Mr. Garcia-Baco completed graduate studies in Engineering Administration from George Washington University, and undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering from the School of Engineering of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He is a graduate of OPM’s Leadership for a Democratic Society Program and DoD’s Program Management Course, among other courses. He holds Level III Acquisition Certificates in Program Management and Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering.

Mr. Garcia-Baco is married to the former Miss. Sonia Batiz-Ortiz from Yauco, Puerto Rico. They have two children, Eduardo Luis and Nadya Cristina, 27 and 25 years old, respectively.

Jim Ghiloni is the Director of the Center for Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) Programs at the General Services Administration (GSA). The Center for GWAC Programs resides within the Office of GWAC and IT Schedule Programs portfolio in the Office of Integrated Technology Solutions (ITS) within the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). The Center assures that necessary and proper GWACs are developed, maintained, and overseen in order to successfully meet the mission needs of GSA’s federal agency customers. Mr. Ghiloni also acts as the Alliant Program Manager, responsible for overseeing the procurement of the Alliant and Alliant-Small Business GWACs.

Previously, Mr. Ghiloni worked with the FEDSIM organization, as a Senior Project Manager and later as the Group Manager for Navy and Marine Corps Programs. He also served as the Transitional Manager for the SmartBUY program when it was transferred from the Office of Government-Wide Policy to the Federal Technology Service (FTS). He has extensive experience managing GWAC task orders and acquisitions and is a Certified Project Management Professional. Prior to entering government service, Mr. Ghiloni worked as a senior network engineer in the private sector.

Peggy Glasheen currently works at DLA Headquarters Office of Small Business Programs. She is the Program Manager for the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, HUBZone, and Native American small business socioeconomic areas. She is also the DLA program manager for the Mentor Protégé Program. She developed the “Doing Business with the Defense Logistics Agency, An Overview for New Vendors” interactive course and guide, and manages DLA’s Small Business Strategic Program.

Ms. Glasheen started at Defense Supply Center Richmond in industrial engineering. She moved to Headquarters and led the Agency’s pilot implementation of Activity-Based Costing, the largest in the country at the time. Ms. Glasheen then worked in the Environmental and Safety Policy Office developing a life-cycle costing model. Her contracting experience was in Defense Energy Support Center’s Natural Gas Division.

Ms. Gould is a program specialist supporting CVE’s community events. She ensures that training developed for veterans complies with recognized standards for adult learners. She is CVE’s liaison to VA’s Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives and the Transition Assistance Program.

Ms. Gould also serves as the Training Officer for CVE staff. In this capacity, she assists staff members in defining their professional development needs. She began her career with the Brooklyn Public Library where she was responsible for training tutors and staff. Later, she joined the US Navy where she developed the training curriculum for the personnel in her department. She has also served as the Operations Duty Officer while stationed in Naples, Italy. After completing her tour in the Navy, she joined the Maryland Air National Guard where she is currently serving as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Squadron Medical Element. Ms. Gould has been involved in education and training for the past 10 years. She taught in various counties in Maryland and is Training Officer for the 104th Fighter Squadron Medical Element.

Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Colorado in 1978 with a keen interest in International Business. Graduated with a Masters of Business Administration from the California State University at Long Beach in 1982. Received a Graduate Certificate in International Business from California State University in Long Beach. Worked as Marketing Director for a Danish city economic development departments to promote industrial development and international investment in local manufacturing projects. Joined Hughes Aircraft Company in 1985 to take on the position of International Subcontracts Manager for the Electro-Optical Data Systems Group. Managed subcontracts for various product lines in the Hughes Microelectronics company in Scotland. Participated in the International Offset Agreements with Hughes Corporate offices for programs in Germany, France, Canada, Israel, Egypt and Korea. In 1987, joined The Canadian Consulate, Defence Programs Office as Defence Liaison, responsible for Canadian interests in U.S. defence prime contracts. Helped to secure bidding opportunities for Canadian suppliers under the Defence Production Sharing Arrangement. Currently responsible for assisting Canadian companies in US government and commercial aerospace markets.

Mark Gross is the founder and CEO of Oak Grove Technologies. A former U.S. Army enlisted soldier, Mark continued his public service under the DOJ Honors Program in 1991 with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division. Assigned to the Communications and Finance Sections Bank Merger Unit, Mark assumed sole responsibility of a six member team within six months. For his accomplishments in this position, Mark was presented the Assistant AG (Ann Bingaman) Award in 1993, 1994 and the AG (Janet Reno) Award in 1995.

Upon leaving public service, Mark held numerous Business Development positions with Fortune 500 Companies, achieving Presidents club status in five consecutive years. Mark was legal editor of the 1st publication - Veterans Benefits Manual - An Advocates Guide To Veterans Benefits and is active within the NDIA and AFCEA. He is also a Founding Member of the American Legion, National Economic Committees Small Business Task Force. In March of 2006, Mark was selected to serve on the SBA's Veterans Advisory Committee, a committee that advises both the White House and the Congress on Veterans Business and issues. In April 2008, Mark was recognized as the 2008 Southeast Region and North Carolina SBA Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year.

Mr. Guzman has performed as Director, People, Policy & Process Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Headquarters since April 2007. He is responsible for corporate oversight of Community Management, Policy Development and Process Improvement for NAVFAC Acquisition. Mr. Guzman has 22 years of Acquisition experience, is a Certified Level III Contracting Professional, holds an Unlimited Contracting Officer warrant, and has been a member of the Acquisition Professional Corp since 1999.

Mr. Guzman’s experience includes a variety of Contracts Specialist, Contracting Officer and leadership assignments. Most recently at NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, CA as a Supervisory Contract Specialist and at SPAWAR Systems Center, San Diego, CA as a Senior Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer.

Mr. Guzman received the FY94 Department of the Navy Procurement Competition Award for outstanding efforts in promoting procurement competition in the Naval Regional Contracting Center, Southwest Asia theater-of-operations.

As NaVOBA president and Vetrepreneur publisher, Chris is uniquely qualified to market veteran-owned businesses to corporate America. As general manager of G.I. Jobs over the past five years, Chris engineered the massive growth and influence of veteran hiring programs within corporate America. He has transformed corporate perspective on hiring veterans from one of entitlement to one of strategic advantage. The G.I. Jobs Most Military Friendly Employer list he created in 2003 flourishes today as the industry benchmark for veteran hiring practices. Fortune 1000 firms vehemently compete to earn their way on to this list and consult G.I. Jobs to help them shape veteran hiring programs.

This process has enabled a similar, sustainable transformation of corporate perspective on veteran-owned businesses as suppliers. NaVOBA's approach to creating opportunities for veteran-owned businesses centers on making a strong business case to corporate America, a different approach from what has been done by others in this community.

Chris has authored numerous articles and is a respected speaker and thought leader on matters related to military transition, entrepreneurship and the veterans' small business movement. He has taught entrepreneurship classes to veterans through Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. Chris served eight honorable years in the U.S. Navy and previously worked for corporate America in finance and sales.

With over 30 years of Design and Construction experience behind him, Mike is currently responsible for the oversight and planning of all Design and Construction Management Pre-construction efforts, including cost planning, procurement, budgeting, production, safety and quality to insure the successful delivery of MHPI projects.

During his tenure with Actus Lend Lease he has served as the Design and Construction Management oversight and Business Development support for the pursuit and closure of over $1.5 billion in MHPI projects.

Chief Executive Officer F. Dawn Halfaker founded Halfaker and Associates in January 2006 in response to the radically changing business environment brought on by the growing need for dynamic consultants with specialized experience to provide national security services to the Federal Government. Captain (Ret) Dawn Halfaker has extensive management experience as a Military Police Officer in the United States Army, where she was deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division as a platoon leader and deputy provost marshal in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was subsequently wounded during a combat patrol near Baghdad in 2004, earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

In addition, Dawn served as a military liaison to the House Armed Services Committee where she advised the committee Chair on central Department of Defense issues. Since 2005, she has worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), specializing in technical consulting for the Defense Sciences Office. Her mission is to help initiate research that will provide advanced capabilities to the military. Dawn also remains very active with veteran’s affairs and is a member of many of the veteran’s service organizations and serves on various advisory committees.

Dawn holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Lani Hay is the President and CEO of Lanmark Technology (LMT), Inc. LMT is an SBA 8(a) certified, Woman-owned, Service-Disabled Veteran-owned, Small Disadvantaged Business providing the full range of Information Technology Services, Telecommunications Solutions, Program Management Oversight, and Administrative Support. In five years, Ms. Hay has grown LMT from a one-woman consulting firm to a highly regarded, employee oriented, multi-million dollar technology enterprise providing services and systems strengthening the Federal Government.

Ms. Hay’s leadership, hard work, ethical business practices and dedication to growing an efficient customer-oriented organization is highlighted and recognized through several awards, including the Small Business Administration’s 2007 “National Minority Small Business Person of the Year” and Office Depot’s “Businesswoman of the Year”. Also in 2007, LMT was recognized with the “Department of Defense Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business” Achievement Award, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) recognized LMT with it’s “Diversity Leadership” Award, and Entrepreneur Magazine ranked LMT as the “7th Fastest Growing Women-owned Firm” in the United States.

Terese M. Herston is the Director of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program in the Office of Small Business Programs, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. She is responsible for initiatives, outreach, analysis, field assistance, contract policy, and influencing legislative matters related to this program.

Ms. Herston grew up in an Air Force military family, traveling and living in many locations in the United States, Europe and Thailand. She graduated from Warner Robins High School in 1977, and attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman Oklahoma where she received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. In 1999 she earned her Masters Degree in Business Management from Webster University.

Ms. Herston has over 30 years of federal service, and a multi-faceted background. Following several broadening assignments in the DC area, Ms. Herston graduated from the Career Broadening Program in 2008 and accepted her current position within the Air Force Small Business Office. Ms. Herston is involved in a broad range of initiatives to ensure that Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses receive maximum opportunity in the federal contracting arena across the Air Force. She is actively involved with education, transition and employment initiatives for returning veterans in the war on terrorism.

Rick has been involved with Federal contracting in excess of 42 years, which includes twenty years in the military. Three of his assignments involved the creation of contracting centers. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Air Force Contracting Award, ten years in the commercial sector (with three different firms) expanding their presence in the government marketplace and twelve years with the DoD-funded Procurement Technical Assistance Centers in the states of Illinois and Nevada.

Morris has been state director of the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers since 1992. He has served two terms as regional director representing six states, two terms as secretary and is now serving his second term as the president of the national Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC).

After more than 27 years in many varied positions in contracting with the U.S. Air Force, he retired with the rank of colonel. Some of the positions he held include buyer, contract administrator, procuring contracting officer, headquarters staff officer, buying division chief, director, and commander of a contract administration office. He has appeared before and provided testimony to the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee concerning impediments to contracting with the government.

Morris has held leadership positions in his church and the Kiwanis club. He is a member of the North Central States Regional Small Business Council, the National Contract Management Association, the Air Force Association, and the Missouri Association of Public Purchasing.

Simone Jackson is the Associate Director for the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) at the U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC), Information Technology, E-Commerce, and Commercial Contracting Center (ITEC4). She is the principal advisor to ITEC4 on all matters related to the OSBP. ITEC4’s procurements generally result in multi-million dollar; multiple award master contracts of IT related services and hardware for use by all Army customers. Ms. Jackson participates in developing acquisition strategies that are favorable to small businesses.

Ms. Jackson has 19 years of federal experience. She is an Army veteran and an Army Materiel Command Intern. Her involvement in contracting encompasses a wide range of functions including acquisition strategy development, pre-award planning, solicitation development, the source selection and evaluation process, contract formation and administration. She has had contracting assignments as a Contracting Officer at the former CECOM, DFAS, Dept of Justice, and ITEC4.

Ms. Jackson is Level III certified in Contracting, Level I certified in Program Management, and a member of the Army Acquisition Corps. She has also received numerous performance awards during her career in federal service.

Billy C. Jenkins, a native of Washington, DC, serves as the Veteran’s Procurement Liaison for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role, he is responsible for the delivery of the U.S Government’s Veteran’s Procurement program for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses as required by Executive Order 13360. During his tenure as the Veteran’s Procurement Liaison, the number of agencies accomplishing the minimum three percent goal during fiscal year 07 has increased from three to eight.

Jenkins has a 31-year career with the SBA and four years with the U.S. Air Force. He spent 28 years of his career as a contract specialist, procurement analysis, after which he obtained a position as the Senior Contracting Officer for the SBA headquarters in Washington, DC.

Mr. Anthony Jimenez is the President and CEO of MicroTech, LLC, a mission-oriented Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and 8(a) Hispanic-Owned Small Business focused on information technology, systems engineering, value-added resale, and consulting services and solutions. Mr. Jimenez is a retired Army Officer with more than 25 years experience in information technology, strategic planning, enterprise transformation, and acquisition management.

Since founding MicroTech in 2004, Mr. Jimenez has led MicroTech through a period of uninterrupted growth. MicroTech’s professional staff, now numbering over 125, supports over 30 prime contracts with civilian and defense agencies of the federal government. Mr. Jimenez has received numerous awards from the business community. In November 2007, Mr. Jimenez was selected as the “Entrepreneur of the Year” for InfoBusiness by Hispanic Business Magazine and in December 2006; Mr. Jimenez was selected as the Veteran Entrepreneur “Vetrepreneur” of the year. In January 2004, Mr. Jimenez was selected as a Federal 100, one of the top 100 Executives from Government, Industry, and Academia who had the greatest impact on the government information systems community in 2003.

Juan Lara is currently the Staff Director and Counsel for the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. He advises the Chair on: legislative initiatives, monitors legislative developments, assists in drafting legislation for the subcommittee, provides advice on policy matters, reviews and evaluates programs, legislative proposals and the necessity for further action.

The Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity has legislative, oversight and investigative jurisdiction over education of veterans, employment and training of veterans, vocational rehabilitation, veterans' housing programs, readjustment of service members to civilian life, and service member’s civil relief.

Colonel Alvin B. Lee, the New Orleans District’s 60th commander and district engineer, took command on July 20, 2007. He is responsible for a district which, in tandem with the Hurricane Protection Office, is working on appropriations exceeding $7 billion for hurricane restoration. His previous assignment was as a fellow in the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellows Program, assigned to Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Ill.

Other key positions include: Commander of the Charleston District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Company Commander, 317th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized); Commander, Alaska Projects Office, Cold Regions Research Laboratory; Battalion Executive Officer of the 10th Engineer Battalion, and the Engineer Brigade Operations Officer, Third Infantry Division (Mechanized). Lee served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom as the Deputy Commander for the Afghanistan Engineer District.

Colonel Lee’s military awards include the Legion of Merit; the Bronze Star Medal; the Meritorious Service Medal; the Army Commendation Medal; and the Army Achievement Medal. He is a recipient of the Bronze de Fleury medal and the Parachutist’s Badge.

Ms. Teri Lesicko is a Sr. Business Development Manager for CSSS.NET, an 8(a), SDVOSB, WBE firm headquartered in Bellevue NE with office in Washington DC and Hines IL. CSSS.NET specializes in providing the Department of Defense with the highest quality Information Technology support and engineering services.

Prior to joining CSSS.NET, she was the Program Manager for the U.S. Navy Defense Small Business Technology And Readiness Resource (DSTARR) Program. The Program was designed to assist small manufacturing companies integrate into the DoD supply chain. She was the Program’s expert resource on process improvement implementation, accounting, contract management, and proposal development.

Ms. Lesicko also operated her own consulting business, which provided a broad range of services to small business.. The services included; identifying and implementing process improvements; evaluating and defining financial system requirements; facilitating strategic planning; and implementing workflow processes. She assisted small businesses in acquiring Federal contracts and gaining an understanding of the regulations that are associated with DoD contracts. Ms. Lesicko has extensive experience in assisting small businesses implement FAR compliant accounting systems. She has over 20 years experience in working within the Federal Government sector and holds a B.S. in Accountancy and a Masters in Business Administration.

As the Assistant to the Director for Major Programs in the U.S. Army, Office of Small Business Programs for the Office of the Secretary of the Army, Mr. Lloyd is responsible for planning, developing and managing programs to implement Army small business policies. He is also responsible for executing the Staff Assistance and Review Program which provides oversight over all of the Army’s Major Commands and acts as the executive liaison with the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff. Prior to accepting his current position, Mr. Lloyd was the Deputy Associate Director for Office of Small Business (OSBP at Headquarters, U.S. Army Contracting Agency (ACA), from November 11, 2003 until July 24, 2005. In this position he developed the Agency’s first overarching strategic Program Plan, as well as organizing and conducting the first ACA Small Business Training Conference.

Mr. Lloyd is an acquisition professional with over 25 years of experience as an Army officer. He is Level III certified in Contract Management and Program Management and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps. He has successfully completed the Program Manager’s Course, Command and General Staff College, and numerous other federal procurement and acquisition courses. Mr. Lloyd is a Distinguished Military Graduate, and has received numerous military awards and decorations for superior service during his military career.

Anthony Martoccia is the Director at the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs. Mr. Martoccia has served in a number of procurement management positions at the Department of Defense, NASA and the Department of Transportation. Most recently, Mr. Martoccia was the Associate Administrator for Government Contracting and Business Development at the United States Small Business Administration. He served as the chief advisor to the Small Business Administrator who is responsible for providing direction, oversight and policy to all federal small business contracting programs.

Bethany Matz is an attorney in the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, where she specializes in financial privacy, identity theft, and data security issues. She previously served as a legal advisor to the FTC’s Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, where she worked on a wide range of consumer protection matters. Ms. Matz joined the FTC in 2001 as an attorney in the Division of Financial Practices. There, she led several investigations involving fraud and financial privacy issues. Prior to joining the FTC, Ms. Matz worked as an associate on civil litigation matters at Williams & Connolly LLP. Ms. Matz received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mrs. McCoy is a Contracting Officer and Branch Chief of the Simplified Acquisitions and Support Services Branch, Department of Commerce, NOAA, Eastern Region Acquisition Division (ERAD), located in Norfolk, VA. She joined NOAA in 1983 and has held the positions of purchasing agent and Contract Specialist. She has been the Small Business Specialist for ERAD since 1996.

This August she will have 27 years of government service.

Mrs. McCoy is a member of the SBA Procurement Advisory Council. She has been a panelist at several events, most recently the Veterans Procurement Conference, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. She is a recipient of the NOAA Administrators Award and she also has received the Leadership in Small Business Award for the last 4 years from the Department of Commerce for institutionalizing contract opportunities for small business.

She is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan College, and is a member of the Norfolk Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Mrs. McCoy currently resides in Chesapeake, VA with her husband, James and their daughter Taylor Michele.

Floree McCullough is an Industrial Operations Analyst, Contracting Officers Technical Representative for the General Services Administration, Contract Management Branch. She also worked as a Communication Specialist for the U.S Air Force and the U.S. Navy.

As an Industrial Operations Analyst, COTR she works in concert with the Procurement Contracting Officers and Administration Contracting Officers and makes personnel visits to GSA MAS contract holders to explain what is expected of them, provide marketing information, resolve sales reporting or fee payment issues, and ensure overall contract compliance.

Mrs. McCullough is a member of the (NCMA) National Contract Management Association, and the (ASQ) American Society for Quality.

Ms. McKinney founded M & M Technical Services, INC. (M & M) in 1989 as an independent consultant. Several years later she expanded M & M to provide consulting, system development and integration services to private and public sector businesses. M & M helps customers identify ways to use state-of-the-art technology to convert corporate information resources into strategic tools instead of overhead.

Under Ms. McKinney’s leadership, M & M has become an ISO 9001:2000 registered, SEI CMMI level II organization. M & M is now established as a premier IV&V, Businesses Process Reengineering and Systems Development corporation serving the Federal and State government and the intelligence community.

In 1999, Ms McKinney was awarded the Howardites Making a Difference award. In 2006, M & M won the coveted Nunn-Perry award which recognizes outstanding Mentor-Protégé corporate performance in the DoD community. Also in 2006, Ms McKinney won the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Business “Entrepreneur of the Year” for her dedication and support of other small businesses and community service. In 2008, M & M was awarded one of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Blue Ribbon Small Business of the Year awards.

Peg Meehan is the Director of Small Business Programs at the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). She is responsible for the Agency’s Small Business Program and the DOD Procurement Technical Assistance Program.

Prior to returning to DLA, Ms. Meehan managed the Subcontracting Program in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Small Business Office. She also developed and implemented Department-wide Small Business Program training.

Peg joined OSD from the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Headquarters (HQs) where she was instrumental in implementing their HQs Small Business Office at the agency’s inception and later served as their Combat Support Operations first and sole contracting representative. Prior to DCMA, Peg was the Assistant Director for SB at DLA HQs where she was the focal point for small business policy, an active member of the FAR Council’s Small Business Committee, the Regional Council for SB Education and Advocacy and many other formal and ad hoc groups addressing contemporary SB issues. Peg was also DLA’s first Grants Officer for the DoD Procurement Technical Assistance Program.

Peg has over 35 years of experience in acquisition/contract management. Her numerous awards include White House recognition, DCASR Woman of the Year and Meritorious Civilian Service. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, VA.

In January 22, 2003, Texas native Felipe Mendoza was named to head the Office of Small Business Utilization for the U.S. General Services Administration as its Associate Administrator. In his role as Associate Administrator of OSBU, Mr. Mendoza is responsible for monitoring and implementing small business policies and managing small business programs that strive to expand opportunities and technological capabilities through increased participation of small, (including small businesses located in HUBZones, minority, veteran and women-owned) businesses in federal government procurement.

Mr. Mendoza is a senior-level executive with extensive experience dealing with multinational corporations and foreign governments. He has more than 20 years of international experience in business development in the information technology and telecommunications industries.

Mr. Mendoza’s military record includes service for seven years as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Army, including three years in Europe. He also served one tour in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and is a recipient of the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal.

Mr. Mendoza arrived at GSA in September 2002 and previously served as the Deputy Associate Administrator in GSA’s Office of Enterprise Development, which was later reorganized as OSBU.

Since 1987, Mr. Mingey has served NEOF as Managing Director of NEOF and is responsible for a broad range of financial activities, including overall corporate risk management, small business financing, strategic planning, and investor relations. His thirty years of entrepreneurial, real estate finance and securities experience includes expertise in the following areas: Project Management, Marketing, Tax Credit Securities, Real Estate Development, Venture Capital Investing, Franchising, Mortgage Banking, and Investor Services. Mr. Mingey created and managed this firm that has specialized in designing regioanlly controlled debt and equity intermediaries. With support from The Veterans Corporation, he manages the National Economic Opportunity Fund, which, in turn, supports TVC’s Capital Access Program by acting as its virtual “help desk” for Veteran entrepreneurs and is also developing Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned call centers.

Mr. Mingey is a Vietnam Veteran, classified disabled, and was awarded a Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal with V for Valor.

Ms Moy is a Program Director for the Air Force Program Executive Office for Combat & Mission Support (PEO/CM). She is responsible for acquisition strategy planning, source selection, management and oversight of over 50 service acquisitions value at over $35 billion. She also serves as the Commodity/Specialty Expert for Assistance and Advisory Services (A&AS), IT Operations and Services, Range Operations and Maintenance acquisitions.

Ms Moy served as the Director of Operations for the Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DARS) Directorate, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense. In addition to her responsibility for operations and management of the DARS Office, Ms. Moy was the Program Manager for the DARS Transformation Program Office responsible for the development and implementation of the DFARS Procedures, Guidance and Information (PGI) and the Shared Transformation Acquisition Regulations System (STARS).

Ms. Moy has earned recognition as a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) from the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and is Level III Certified in both Contracting and Program Management for the Defense Acquisition Corps.

Robert H. Mulz born 16 July 1944 in Brooklyn N.Y. Enlisted in the U.S.N.R at Freeport NY in January 1962. Retired after 27+ years, distinguished and honorable service as a Master Chief (E-9). Elected President San Diego Elite DVBE Network in October 2002 and incorporated the Network as a California non-profit Veterans Organization. Established successful collaborative relationships with SDG&E, Airport Authority, County of San Diego, Oceanside SDBC, SD CCDC, the SD Procurement and Contracting Centers. Hosted First National DVBE Convention. The year 2007 brought a successful 4th National SDVOB convention at West Point, N.Y. Annapolis will be the site for 2008.

As a result of Bob's dynamic leadership and sound judgment, the Network has been recognized, by both State and Federal entities concerned with veteran affairs, as the most well organized and effective organization of its type in the Nation and in the State of California. As a result, Bob's counsel has enabled 19 chapters of the Elite to be established. There are several other states that are in the process and should be incorporated under the 501-C19 umbrella by the mid year of 2008.

Bob continues to own and run a successful small business now in its 21st year under his management.

Mr. Musorrafiti is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Engineering and Professional Services Incorporated (EPS). He directs the activities of this 100 million-dollar and over 500 person corporation, and is responsible for the development of business, operations and financial performance of the corporation. Mr. Musorrafiti established EPS in 1983.

Prior to embarking on his industrial career, Mr. Musorrafiti enjoyed a career in the U.S. Navy. Of his twenty years service, he spent 11-½ years at sea aboard several destroyers, amphibious ships and an aircraft carrier. Significant shore assignments included Program Manager for Project SWIFT COYOTE at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). He was instrumental in focusing national intelligence systems against specific developing systems. As DIA Chief of SIGINT, he defined requirements for all DOD National and Collateral SIGINT collection systems. At the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), he developed collection and compliance techniques for remotely monitoring compliance for Strategic Arms Limitations (SALT), Mutual Balanced Force Reduction (MBFR), Seabed and Nuclear Treaties.

Joyce Nadeau has served as the Chief, Policy and Compliance for the US Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) Health Care Acquisition Activity (HCAA) since October 2004. As such she is responsible for overseeing policy and regulatory compliance for HCAA offices from Europe to the Pacific. In her capacity as Special Competition Advocate and the Task Order Ombudsmen she is a strong supporter of fair opportunity and competition.

Ms. Nadeau government career began in Pennsylvania and stretches over 25 years including working in Turkey. She started with the Army, worked for Defense Logistics Agency, Naval Aviation, the Air Force, before returning to the Army. Ms Nadeau is Level III Certified in Contracting, is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, and has been awarded the Commanders Award for Civilian Service.

Len Nale is the Director of Medical Sharing Contracts and National Standardization Programs for the Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Prosthetics and Clinical Logistics Office. He has twenty-five years of commercial and federal contracting experience. In his current position, Mr. Nale manages and directs all aspects Medical Services contracting between VA Medical Centers, Medical Colleges, and Academic Affiliates. In his role of directing the National Standardization Program, Mr. Nale is responsible for overseeing the development of national contracts for common use medical equipment and supplies. As a service disabled veteran, Mr. Nale serves as VHA’s representative for small business contracting and VHA implementation of VA’s “Veterans First” contracting initiative.

William Offutt serves as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training. In that capacity he serves as the Executive Director of the National HireVetsFirst campaign. During this time, he has served as the Executive Director of the President’s National Hire Veterans Committee. Prior to joining the Department of Labor in 2003, he was Chief Operating Officer of Nanofab, Inc., a nanotechnology developer. Previously, he specialized in strategic planning for small businesses as the managing director of Great Falls Consultants. He, also, served as the CEO of Cir-Q-Tel Microwave. In addition to working as an investment banker, he worked in public and government affairs for such firms as Allied Signal Corporation and RJR. He has extensive experience managing political campaigns. He served with distinction in Vietnam.

Mr. Otchere is a Senior Vice President for Corporate Development at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). One of his primary responsibilities is serving as SAIC’s Small Business Development Program Director. In September 2000, Mr. Otchere received the prestigious Parren J. Mitchell Award from the United States Department of Commerce for his record of accomplishments in increasing minority business development in the nation.

In June 2003, the Minority Business and Professionals Network Inc. rec¬ognized him as one of the Fifty Influential Minorities in Business. Prior to 1996, he served as a troubleshooter working with SAIC Man¬agement to ensure the successful performance of large complex firm fixed price contracts. He is a board mem¬ber of Corporate Council on Africa, a nonprofit organization that promotes trade and investment in Africa.

In her current position as the Director of the Small Business Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts Center in the Heartland Region of General Services Administration, Mary Parks is responsible for developing and providing small business contract solutions for federal information technology customers worldwide. As Center Director, she oversees a Business Management Division and Contracts Division which develop and manage the GWAC portfolio and provide training and education on the contracts. The Small Business GWAC Center is responsible for 8(a) STARS, HUBZone and the new VETS GWACS.

Ms. Parks began her federal government career in 1976 in GSA’s Office of Finance, in Kansas City, MO as an Accounts Maintenance Clerk. In 1980, she joined the Heartland Region’s Federal Supply Service, Tools Commodity Center as a Contract Specialist intern and participated in the development of the first multiple award Federal Supply Schedule for tools. In 1996, she moved to GSA’s Federal Technology Service as Director of Contracts. She was a member of the National ITS team to award the 8(a) Federal Acquisition Services for Technology contracts and developed the business case to move the national contract function for the 8(a) contracts to the Heartland Region in 1999.

Dr. Vince Patton is Director of Community Outreach for Military Advantage, a division of Monster Worldwide and the nation's largest military membership organization, Military.com. He is responsible for executing the company’s grassroots outreach marketing program, senior program manager for DoD projects and maintaining a close liaison with contacts at all levels in the military community.

Vince served as the 8th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from May 1998 until his retirement from more than 30 years of active service in November 2002. In this position he was the Coast Guard’s most senior enlisted member representing over 45,000 personnel as the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. His numerous military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the nation’s highest peacetime military award.

Dr. Patton is a member of the National Defense Intelligence College Board of Visitors, and serves on the editorial advisory board of the U. S. Naval Institute. He is also an ordained Unitarian minister.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. James Peake graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1966 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry. He served as an infantry platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam and was awarded the Silver Star, a Bronze Star with “V” device, and the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster. While recovering from wounds he received word he had been accepted at New York's Cornell University medical school. He received a medical doctorate in 1972; practiced general and cardiothoracic surgery; and, following a 38 year career in the Army retired at the rank of Lieutenant General as the 40th Surgeon General of the United States Army.

Following military service, Dr. Peake served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Project Hope, a non-profit international health foundation operating in more than 30 countries. Just prior to his nomination as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, he served as a member of the Board of Directors for QTC, one of the largest private providers of government-outsourced occupational health and disability examination services in the nation. Confirmed unanimously by the Senate, General Peake was sworn in as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on December 20, 2007. In this Cabinet position, Dr. Peake is the principal advocate for veterans in the U.S. government and directs the nation’s second largest Department, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America’s veterans and dependents.

Mr. Peterson manages a full service acquisition office that awards and administers Federal contracts. He is the Director and Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA) for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Information Technology Acquisition Center (ITAC) located at the Corporate Data Center Operations in Austin, Texas. Mr. Peterson has 25 years experience in the government holding numerous management positions including 18 years of experience as a senior contracting officer with a heavy concentration in the field of information technology.

Prior to joining VA, Mr. Peterson worked as a manager and acquisition professional for the Department of Justice. Mr. Peterson was a Presidential Management Intern in 1983. He is a graduate of General Services Administration’s prestigious Trail Boss school - a program for senior acquisition managers in Government. Mr. Peterson was instrumental in establishing the ITAC.

Michael Peterson started his career as an Intelligence analyst in the US Air Force in 1989. While serving in Texas, Japan and at Ft. Meade, Maryland, Mr. Peterson received the Airman of Year award (1990), cross trained into cryptography and started writing code breaking software. At the same time, Mr. Peterson pursued a BS in computer science.

In 1996, Mr. Peterson worked for Lockheed Martin for 3 year, then a small company for a few years before starting Peterson Technology, LLC. Right after the tragic events of 911, Mr. Peterson was asked to write some software to help fight terrorism.

Since then, Peterson Technology has become known for its highly qualified engineers in the development of advanced capabilities. Peterson has presented at multiple Informatics (data mining) conferences and was nominated as “Emerging Business of the Year” for 2007.

This year, Mr. Peterson will take on a partner that will enable the company to support more customers. The company will be renamed Peterson Burnett Technologies.

Named as Chief of Staff for the U.S. General Services Administration effective July 3, 2006, John F. Phelps arrived at the agency after having served as Chief Operating Officer of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the American Red Cross in Phoenix, Arizona since 2005.

Effective November 1, 2006, Phelps was selected to serve concurrently as Acting Chief of Emergency Response and Recovery (OERR), an office created to leverage all the emergency resources within GSA. OERR provides a new level of support and assistance to first responders, emergency workers and recovery teams.

In his role as GSA’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Phelps oversees the Office of the Administrator, ensures effective and efficient staffing of agency programs and projects, guides the agency’s continuity of operations planning and emergency response efforts, and maintains liaison and facilitate coordination with GSA Regions.

Before coming to GSA, Mr. Phelps, a resident of Arizona, also previously served as Deputy Director of the Arizona Office of Homeland Security in the Office of the Governor. Mr. Phelps’ areas of expertise include government ethics and policy, administrative and constitutional law, homeland security, and executive leadership.

Mr. Pinsky has been the prime instigator and driving force behind the establishment of the Veterans Business Owners Initiative. An entrepreneur and former CEO for a computer company, Mr. Pinsky worked in the corporate business & self-employment worlds for over thirty years before entering the social work field following his retirement from business.

During a year-long fellowship at the Bedford VA Medical Center, he developed a pilot program to observe the effect of entrepreneurial efforts by psychiatrically disabled veterans. The Veteran Business Owners Initiative grew out of this pilot effort. Mr. Pinsky has played a central role in fostering the creation of the Veteran Business Owners Association and the other non-profits. He has advised individual veterans, recruited individuals with psychiatric disabilities into key positions within the program, promoted the program within the VA, and actively enlisted resources and support from the community. The efforts have resulted in the development of 40+ businesses and the offering of 200 classes for hundreds of veterans at Bedford VA. The Veteran Business Owners Association holds regular meetings every two weeks and has formed the micro-lending Empowerment Bank. It has been responsible for loaning to veterans thousands of dollars, all repaid with interest and on time.

Ms. Tracey L. Pinson became the Director for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office, Secretary of the Army in May 1995. Ms. Pinson advises the Secretary of the Army and the Army Staff on all small business procurement issues and is responsible for the implementation of the Federal acquisition programs designed to assist small businesses, including small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses. She is responsible for the management of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) program, and develops policies and initiatives to enhance their participation in Army funded programs. As one of the top females in the Army’s acquisition career field, she is responsible for the integration of small businesses, HBCUs and MIs in acquisition strategies developed at the Army Headquarters. She also provides management and oversight for the Army’s Mentor-Protégé Program.

Ms. Pinson was born in Washington, D.C. She is a member in good standing of the Maryland Bar Association and the National Contract Management Association.

Small Business Advocate and Director of the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) for the National Security Agency (NSA). OSBP’s mission is to advocate for the maximum practicable utilization of small businesses on agency contracts and subcontracts. Previous position at the agency was as Director, for the Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) and the Domestic Technology Transfer Program (DTTP) charged with promoting, effectively brokering, and facilitating transfer of valuable technological innovations to the commercial sector, universities, and other government agencies.

Prior career positions include defense contractor for the Army and Navy, retired Lieutenant Colonel after 25 years with the US Army Reserves - Signal Corps, Senior Engineer with MCI, a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) director, and a small business owner.

Kathie Potter assumed the position of a Senior Procurement Analyst in AQC Air Force Policy in August 2006. Since then she has supported the Air Force in services, quality assurance, government property, small business, foreign acquisition (including the Berry Amendment Act and the Buy American Act), and Labor Laws providing the Air Force with policies and procedures in these areas. She supports approximately 7,000 Air Force contracting personnel.

Prior to joining the Air Force, Ms. Potter serviced as a Procurement Policy Chief at the Department of Defense Education Activity, a civilian agency, supporting 222 schools located in 20 districts and in 13 foreign countries. Her experience includes working as a Small Business Advocate, Competition Advocate, led program management review teams for contracting compliance, and provided functional oversight of five domestic and overseas contracting offices engaged in planning, award, and administration of commercial contracts using both formal and simplified acquisition procedures. She also oversaw the Government credit card program, agency procurement policies and procedures, and conducted contract management reviews.

Kathie has served the Air Force for 15 honorable years as both an enlisted member and an officer and is a disabled veteran.

Mr. Ronald A. Poussard, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, Office of Small Business Programs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. He leads the Small and Minority Business Program, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institution Programs for the Department of the Air Force.

Mr. Poussard began his career with the Department of the Navy as a student trainee in 1982. He has held a variety of positions with the Department of the Air Force in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, to include serving as a staff analyst supporting major systems. In addition, he served as the Director of Contracts and contracting officer establishing the first joint Air Force, National Reconnaissance Office and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency space-based radar program.

Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Poussard was the Air Force Program Executive Officer for Combat and Mission Support Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. He led the acquisition of services for the Air Force and was responsible for managing and overseeing more than $100 billion in existing and planned contracts awarded by commands across the Air Force.

Deborah Prout is the President & CEO of Nevada Microenterprise Initiative (NMI), an independent non-profit organization providing entrepreneurial training, technical assistance and access to loans for new and expanding businesses throughout Nevada. NMI is Nevada’s only Intermediary Lender for SBA’s Microloan Program, providing loans of up to $35,000 for businesses that are unable to obtain traditional bank financing; it is also a designated Women’s Business Center. As a part of its mission, NMI has a particular commitment to enhancing the self-sufficiency of low to moderate income individuals through entrepreneurship.

Ms. Prout assumed her role at NMI in May, 2005. For 14 years prior to that, she was a consultant to small businesses and non-profits in the Baltimore-Washington area, with a special focus on organizational development, management and operational assessments, and strategic planning. She worked with rapidly growing businesses of from $8 million to $250 million in annual revenues. In addition, she has been a partner in several business ventures. She served on the boards of a number of community-based organizations in the Baltimore area, and provided pro bono consulting and facilitation to numerous others. Prior to her business consulting practice, Ms. Prout worked for 17 years in Washington, D.C. in the field of health policy and legislation.

Mr. Ramirez is one of the most uniquely qualified and experienced business development, federal contracting and strategic marketing experts in the country. Completing a three year personal commitment as the Senior Business Advisor for the Center for Veterans Enterprise at the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2006, Richard returned to his Outrider Company consulting practice also founding the United States Association of Veterans in Business (USAVETBIZ).

For over twenty-five years Richard has been engaged on a national level as a transactional and developmental consultant to companies small and large in over forty industries. He is the former owner and CEO of DVM Federal Systems Corporation and Outrider Corporation PMC. He also recently became the Sr. Managing Partner of the Project Integration Consort, LLC. His early professional years were spent at SBA, NASA, and the Department of Navy. Richard is a former member of the Federal Senior Executive Service.

Former Army Sergeant Ramirez was one of the first soldiers in the Nation selected to be a U.S. Sky Marshal to combat terrorism on commercial airlines, 30 years prior to 9/11/01. He is a two-tour Vietnam Veteran (’68-70) who also served as a logistics and supply support Aide at the White House.

Lieutenant Colonel Per Lyse Rasmussen is Assistant Defense, Military, Naval and Air Attaché and responsible for Defense Industrial Cooperation at the Danish Embassy in Washington D.C. LtCol Rasmussen has a background in the Danish Army and rose through the ranks working mechanised infantry. After completing his tour at the Royal Life Guards Regiment as Operations Officer at a battalion he got assigned to a staff position at Defense Command Denmark working with logistics. After completion of the senior Staff Officers' Course he returned to Defense Command where he worked with procurement.

After 1½ years at Defense Command, LtCol Rasmussen was appointed to serve at the Danish Ministry of Defense. After four years at the Danish Ministry of Defense where he held the position as Deputy Head of Procurement and Logistics, he was offered the position as Assistant Defense Attaché at the embassy in Washington D.C. in 2003. After working policy related issues for 3½ years he took on a new position at the embassy working Defense Industrial Cooperation. This position requires cooperation with the US materiel commands as well as the US defense industry.

Doris Richardson, RN, MA, MSN, CNA, has twenty-nine years of professional nursing experience and has held various positions at the staff and administrative levels, as well as faculty appointments at various institutions of higher learning. She joined the Office of Clinical Logistics in VA Central Office in the role of Director, National Standardization Program in 2002 by way of the New York Harbor Healthcare System. In this role, she managed and directed all aspects of the VHA National Standardization Program. Additionally, she provided program coordination and collegial relationships with facility directors, chiefs of staff, nurse executives, and other responsible clinical administrative staff. Further, as nurse executive, she utilized a body of specialized knowledge and professional nursing practice, with the value added contributions of administrative, financial, and strategic planning skills, and clinical logistics to interpret clinical guidelines related to the appropriate procurement of patient care commodities VA-wide.

Currently, Ms. Richardson holds the position of Assistant Deputy Chief Prosthetics and Clinical Logistics Officer for Clinical Affairs. She oversees all Quality Management Issues, provides guidance and assistance to businesses desiring to establish contracts with VA. VHA Prosthetics and Clinical Logistics Office is always interested in reviewing new innovations, products, technology, and services within the health care arena. VHA fully supports small business initiatives.

Ms. Ridgely is the Director for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at the Department of Health and Human Services. She was selected for the position seven years ago. As the Director, she works to foster an atmosphere that provides fair, equitable and impartial opportunities for the entire small business community. Ms. Ridgely establishes Departmental policy for the small business program and advocates on behalf of the small business vendor in the federal acquisition process.

Prior to working in the small business capacity, Ms. Ridgely served as a Contracting Officer for the Departments of Transportation, NASA and Energy.

Ms. Ridgely served as an Executive Officer of the Federal OSDBU Directors’ Interagency Council from FY 03-07. She has been recognized with awards from small business trade associations and other national organizations.

Michael Rigas is Deputy Associate Administrator for Small Business Utilization at General Services Administration (GSA). Mr. Rigas is responsible for assisting the Associate Administrator in monitoring and implementing small business policies and managing small business programs.

The Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU) has nationwide responsibility for GSA’s small business programs and focuses on programs, policy and outreach to the small business community. As GSA’s advocate for small business, the mission of the OSBU is to promote and facilitate programs and activities that provide “Access to Opportunity” to small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone certified, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses in GSA contracting nationwide. The OSBU is the lead office for a nationwide network of regional Small Business Utilization Centers (SBUC). The SBUCs provide information, assistance, and counseling to private sector concerns seeking to do business with the Government.

Prior to his appointment at GSA, Rigas was at Mellon Financial Corporation and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co where he managed client relations, streamlined operations, and created efficiencies across global operations. Rigas holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from Boston University.

Mr. David Robinson is the DLA DMSMS Integrated Supplier Team (IST) manager and lead for all DLA DMSMS issues. He also serves as the Generalized Emulation of Microcircuits (GEM) Program Manager, Shared Data Warehouse Program Manager, DoD DMSMS Knowledge Sharing Portal (DKSP) Program Manager, DMSMS Work Shop Chair and the Chairman of the DoD DMSMS Working Group Outreach Committee. He is responsible for over 1.9 million spare parts, all with the potential to go DMS, used by over 28,000 customers supporting 124 nations. Mr. Robison has been working DMSMS related issues for more than 20 years, as well as providing center oversight for the Hardness Critical items and managing the Navy’s Critical Safety Items. Mr. Robinson holds several degrees in Business Management, Electronic Engineering and Quality Assurance Specialist and is an accredited DOD Multi-Skilled Manager.

Jackie Robinson-Burnette serves at the new Army Contracting Command (ACC) (provisional). She is currently on a special assignment to establish the Small Business Office for ACC which proposes to combine all acquisition support previous held under the Army Contracting Agency (ACA) and the Army Materiel Command.

Ms. Robinson-Burnette recently served as ACA’s Deputy Associate Director Small Business where she had oversight and responsibility which spanned over 118 installations and 64 small business advisors. As one of the Army’s top subject matter experts for Small Business, she frequently speaks at conferences and serves on special projects throughout the Army.

Ms. Robinson-Burnette served as an Army Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority in Washington DC, Korea, and Germany during the past 16 years. Her service includes temporary assignments to war torn areas like Bosnia, Kosovo, Sarajevo, Tuzla, and Taszar. She is active in her community and serves as Building Campaign Director for TheLifeDC.org, on the Board of Directors for the Restoring Lives Community Development Corporation, and she mentors at-risk teen girls.

Denise Rodriguez-Lopez, an attorney and New York City native, currently serves as the Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). In this capacity Denise works to ensure that small businesses (including veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, minority, HUBZone, disadvantaged and women-owned businesses) have an equitable opportunity to participate in DOT’s procurement programs, as well as to encourage, promote and assist small disadvantaged businesses in obtaining transportation-related contracts and subcontracts.

Before going to the Department of Transportation, Denise served as the Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. The Initiative provides support to the President’s Advisory Commission, serves as a resource for information relating to the closing of the educational achievement gap of Hispanic Americans, and conducts considerable outreach in Hispanic communities.

Before being appointed by President George W, Bush as the Initiative’s Director of Policy Development, Denise served as the Director of Government Affairs and Legislative Policy in the Washington, DC office of the Cuban American National Council. She has also held the position of Regional Offices Director for the Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico at the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Washington, DC, and as Administrative Counsel for the Puerto Rico Electric and Power Authority.

Phillip Roth is the Air Force Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production Program (MTAPP) Manager. Mr Roth, who was previously assigned to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, joined the AF Small Business Solutions Center at San Antonio in April, 2007. With a long history in jet propulsion systems, he brings an extensive engineering and manufacturing background to the position.

The Oklahoma native has held a variety of professional positions in both private industry and the federal government. He has been a mechanical/aerospace engineer in production and processes, tool design, assembly, jet engine performance and test and policy/guidance for the Air Force propulsion community. He has also worked in the private sector in manufacturing quality control.

Mr. Roth is dedicated to enhancing the competitiveness of small manufacturing firms in support of Air Force objectives. He takes a special interest in Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses and looks forward to fostering positive, cooperative business initiatives among program participants and established manufacturing and service concerns.

As the Managing Director of Military Housing for Pinnacle, Mr. Rouen has responsibility for overall operation of privatized military housing portfolio and ongoing strategic communications with the military. His duties also include pursuing emerging opportunities to expand Pinnacle’s presence in both privatized military housing and other government-related business areas.

Mr. Rouen has over 28 years of experience in the multifamily housing and commercial real estate industry, including over 10 years with Pinnacle. Mr. Rouen originally joined Pinnacle as an Investment Manager in Pinnacle’s Southeast Regional office. Prior to coming to work with Pinnacle, he was an Investment Manager with Prudential Insurance Company’s Real Estate Development Group and served in senior management positions with several regional real estate development and management companies. He has extensive experience managing portfolios of apartment, office, industrial, retail and self storage properties.

Mr. Rouen is a Captain, USNR (Ret.) having completed thirty years of Active and Reserve service. He is a Naval Aviator, with over 4,000 hours flight time in several Navy aircraft and has commanded four units.

Arthur Salus has over 18 years experience in the travel industry. He is a service disabled veteran recognized as a travel industry leader.

After serving in the United States Army, Mr. Salus began his career in business management. In 1993, Duluth Travel was formed. Since that time, Duluth Travel has been offering both on-line and off-line travel service’s to the state and federal governments as well as corporate business.

Mr. Salus has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration and is a founder of Camp Or, a day camp for visually impaired children. He is active in a variety of community organizations past and present including The Children’s Wish Foundation, The Georgia Hospitality Association, Rotary Club, Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center, the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, the City of Duluth Zoning Board of Appeals. Arthur shares his extensive business experience as a teacher at Gwinnett Technical College. Arthur is an active member with U.S. Small Business League too. His company received the “Travel Agency of the Year” for 2005 and 2006 from the Society of Government Travel Professionals. He also is a board member of Operation One Voice which supports families and wounded and fallen Special Operation Force’s. Mr. Salus has testified in Washington, DC. in 2005 on the Joint Committee’s on Small Business and Veteran Affairs promoting and fighting for veterans and small business rights. He will also testify on March 6th, 2008 with the Committee on Small Business for contracting issues. Mr. Salus was recognized by the Sec.of Veterans Affairs for his continuous work for veterans and the current prime contractor for VA travel.

Arthur has three children and resides with his wife in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Kimberlee Schreiber is located in DuPont, Washington and is responsible for Equity’s Military Housing Portfolio.

Kimberlee joined the Property Management Industry in 1989 as a District Manager for the Balcor Company. (acquired by Insignia) Responsibilities covered a multi-state region to include operations, dispositions and acquisitions of assets.

While with Insignia, she started her involvement with Privatized Government Housing. She was involved in the initial solicitations for Fort Carson and Lackland Air Field. Her team was successful in the winning the first solicitation of the Fort Carson contract.

Kimberlee joined Omni Properties in 1999, as Vice President and took responsibility for the Housing Operations at Fort Carson. While at Fort Carson, she assisted in the due diligence and proposals for numerous Privatized Installations. Her portfolio also included 15 Multi-family properties, and all acquisitions and due diligence for the Western Division.

In 2002, Kimberlee joined Equity Residential responsible for the operations and maintenance for Fort Lewis Communities. In 2003, she was promoted to Vice President, Military Affairs and Managing Director for Fort Lewis Communities, LLC. She is responsible for of all operations at Fort Lewis to include: Financial, Development, Construction, Housing, Maintenance and Compliance. She acts as the Partner Representative to the LLC between Equity Residential and the Government.

Charles Scott directs the acquisition, and execution of environmental, facility and logistics programs supporting JMWA federal, state, municipal and commercial clients. He has 30 years experience in the management of DoD's largest environmental and construction programs throughout CONUS, Southeast and Southwest Asia, Europe, the Pacific, the Azores, and Central America.

Mr. Scott served as Director of Environmental Restoration and Director of Construction Management for the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence. While assigned to AFCEE, he developed and implemented the first worldwide Air Force environmental compliance and restoration program supporting active and closing installations. He served as Commander, Headquarters Air Combat Command Civil Engineer Squadron where he directed the environmental restoration, pollution prevention and facility design and construction programs for ACC installations worldwide. He also served as Assistant Director for Air Force Military Construction Programs, Headquarters U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Scott is a registered architect, registered environmental manager, registered interior designer and certified facility manager.

Ms. Mary A. Seabolt is the Deputy Director, Office of Small Business Programs at the Defense Contract Management Agency Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Ms. Seabolt has had an extensive career in the Department of Defense working as a contract price/cost analyst, contract negotiator, internal examiner, team leader, and development program manager prior to joining the Small Business staff in 2002. She is the DCMA Agency Mentor-Protégé Program Manager, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Program Manager and is responsible for Agency small business policies and initiatives. She serves on the Small Business Committees of the Defense Acquisition Regulation Council and the Federal Acquisition Regulation Team.

Ms. Seabolt has achieved Level III in Contracting and is a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps. She graduated from the DoD Executive Leadership Development Program in June 2003. She was awarded the DoD Golden Talon Award in 2005 for her work in the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Program and received the DCMA Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 2006. In January 2007, she completed a rotational assignment at the OSD Office of Small Business Programs.

Mr. Simpkins is the Assistant Director at the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs and the Program Manager for the Mentor-Protégé Program. He has served in a number of procurement management and leadership positions throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) to include the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS), the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), the U.S. Department of the Navy, U.S. Department of the Air Force, and the Marine Corps. His recent positions were as the Acquisition Director for the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, and Director of Contracting for the U.S. Department of the Navy in Singapore. In these roles, he was responsible for providing direction, oversight, and policy for the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of the Navy acquisition programs.

Ms. Skodacek is an acquisition professional with more than 27 years of federal acquisition experience. She gained invaluable experience and training in contract management during her twenty-year career in the U. S. Air Force. Using best value source selections, she awarded and managed fixed price and cost reimbursement type contracts for information technology equipment and services, operational services, and construction.

After retiring from the Air Force, Ms. Skodacek worked as a consultant to the Pentagon Renovation Program Office where she managed two-phase best value source selections for and administered multi-million dollar design-build construction projects at the Pentagon. She drafted policy and guidance for a new defense acquisition organization addressing all areas of acquisition, including management and oversight of services acquisitions. She is currently developing and presenting workshops for the Air Force to guide acquisition teams in the development of performance-based work statements and best value source selection plans.

Ms. Skodacek is a partner and President/CEO of a service-disabled veteran owned small business, Group Seven Associates, LLC (G7A), which specializes in federal acquisition processes. G7A has contracts with DoD’s Tricare Management Activity, Washington Headquarters Services Acquisition and Procurement Office, Air Force Program Executive Office for Combat and Mission Support, Army Corps of Engineers – Baltimore District, and Department of Health and Human Services. Each of G7A’s project teams supporting these contracts award and manage operational services and advisory and assistance contracts.

Mr. Dennis E. Smiley is the Director for the Information Technology Acquisition Center (ITAC), within the Office of Procurement Operations (OPO), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He has over 14 years of experience in Federal procurement and acquisition-related fields and 20 years of honorable service with the United Sates Marine Corps. His Federal and Military experience entailed working in leadership, management, business, customer focused service, motivation and acquisition development. In addition to DHS, his Federal experience includes: Department of Defense Naval Facilities and Engineering Command, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and the Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service.

Mr. Smiley spent the majority of his career in professional service and IT acquisition. Prior to becoming the ITAC Director, Mr. Smiley was the ITAC Associate Director for Department-Wide Enterprise Solutions in DHS. Other assignment held by Mr. Smiley was the Chief of the A-76 Competitive Sourcing Branch, Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service, Team Leader/Contracting Officer, Defense Finance and Accounting Services and Supervisory Contract Surveillance Representative Resident Officer in Charge of Construction, Facility Support Contracts Naval Facilities and Engineering Command.

Pamela has been employed with the U.S. Federal Government for 21 years. During those years, she has worked with the Internal Revenue Services Department, United States Air Force, U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Naval Weapons Station.

For the past ten (10) years, Pamela facilitates workshops on how to become successful Government contractors throughout Arizona, California and Hawaii (Pacific Rim Region). As an instructor, for monthly Procurement Business Networking sessions, which allows the exchange of pertinent information to assist small, minority and women owned businesses; she supplies crucial techniques, strategies and schedules that assist various businesses to acquire government contracts.

She also serves as an officer on the Department of Defense Western Region Council for Small Business Education and Advocacy, provides pertinent information by participating in seminars, workshops, and individual counseling.

Pamela is a great advocate for all small, minority, women and veteran owned businesses.

Gary Stanley is the President of Global Legal Services, PC, a Washington, DC-based law firm focusing on trade compliance and other international business issues. Mr. Stanley represents, among others, numerous U.S., Canadian, and European companies on defense export control issues.

Besides representing private companies, Mr. Stanley has also served as a consul¬tant to the U.S. Government and industry groups. For example, he served as the principal outside subject matter expert on export controls to prime contractor Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in Phase II of the Transatlantic Secure Collaboration Program. This program was a consortium of ten U.S., Canadian and European defense companies, including Lockheed Martin, EADS, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing, seeking to establish “best practice” guidelines for the electronic exchange of unclassified proprietary and export-controlled information.

Mr. Stanley received his undergraduate degree from Emory University in 1975 and his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1978. He was elected in his junior year to Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Stanley cur¬rently serves as Secretary-Treasurer and a Trustee of The Procedural Aspects of Interna¬tional Law Institute.

Wes Stith joined Clark Construction in 1996 as a Project Engineer in the Purchasing Department. In 2002 he was promoted to Senior Purchasing Agent, where he continued to strengthen the company’s relationships with its subcontractors. In the years since, he has been responsible for purchasing an abundance of projects throughout the country, including the $408 million dollar, one-million-square-foot, Design/Build DC Major League Nationals Ballpark, the $600 million dollar John Hopkins New Clinical Building and the New Campus East, Fort Belvoir Virginia Project.

In 2005, Wes took on the role as Vice President and Purchasing Manager. He also commonly serves as the SBE (Small Business Enterprise) Coordinator to ensure that the goals of each project’s minority subcontracting plans are achieved. He develops bid packages specific to the minority business community and coordinates opportunity fairs. In conjunction with Clark Construction, Wes is committed to working cooperatively with small and minority businesses to assist in increasing the size, scope and scale of their operations.

Wes is an active leader in a number of Company initiatives, including Clark Corporate University, LSDBE Strategic Partnership Training Program and Boot Camp.

Dan Sturdivant, before coming to the office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) for the Department of Homeland Security, most recently served as the Deputy Director, Outreach Programs in Treasury’s Office of Small Business Development and was responsible for policy, strategic planning, outreach and the development and oversight of Treasury’s small business programs (including minority, women-owned, veterans, & HUBZone firms). With Dan’s leadership and support, Treasury was generally recognized as a leader in innovative outreach activities, and he fully expects the same results in his new position at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At DHS, Dan is also responsible for the newly implemented Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business set-aside Program and is the DHS, OSDBU liaison to the Congressional Black Caucus.

Before coming to the Department of Homeland Security, for years, Dan won numerous awards while at Treasury, and before that as the Minority Business Advocate, with the Department of Transportation, Coast Guard Headquarters.

Dan has received numerous awards and citations throughout his federal career. Most recently, during the spring of 2007, he received the first Annual Business Matchmaking Service Award from a committee of small business regulars for the SBA Business Matchmaking events and members of the Business Matchmaking Production Team.

Ralph C. Thomas, III is Counsel to the Government Contracts Group in the Washington, D.C., office of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, one of the largest law firms in the United States. He focuses his practice on legal issues affecting small businesses in the federal government contracts arena, particularly those involving teaming arrangements, such as joint ventures, prime and subcontracting relationships and mentor-protégé agreements. In addition, he regularly counsels major corporations on federal small business compliance issues.

Ralph has written more than 60 articles on small and minority business issues and has testified in Congress on more than 30 occasions. Recently, he was a speaker at the International Congress on Government Purchasing from Small and Micro Businesses in Brazil. In the U.S., he is a frequent presenter at major conferences held by government agencies, major corporations, and small business organizations. He is currently the Chairman of the Federal Bar Association's Committee on Small Business and Socioeconomic Matters, and is a member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Joann M. Underwood is a Branch Chief and Contracting Officer with the Army’s Information Technology, E-Commerce, and Commercial Contracting Center (ITEC4). Ms. Underwood’s branch awards and administers Army-wide master contracts for information technology services, hardware, and software in support of the Army’s Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) program. Ms. Underwood has eleven years of experience in Department of Defense (DoD) contracting, which started in the Army Contracting Intern Program. During those eleven years, Ms. Underwood has amassed a wealth of experience evaluating and negotiating proposals for multi-million and multi-billion dollar Army and DoD programs. She was the Procuring Contracting Officer for the Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – 2 Hardware (ITES-2H) contracts and the Army Desktop and Notebook Computers – 2 (ADNC-2) contracts.

Ms. Underwood is a recipient of the Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award and the Fiscal Year 2006 Army Contracting Agency Contracting Officer of the Year Award.

Under Rose Wang's leadership, Binary Group has charted a course of continued success in meeting changing information technology (IT) marketplace needs. Co-founded by Ms. Wang in 1996, Binary addresses the business transformation needs of government agencies and large enterprises. Binary operates from a position of objectivity by providing IT strategies completely free of organizational conflict of interest. Binary's practice areas are Strategy, Architecture, Governance, and Engineering (SAGE). Inc Magazine recently recognized Binary Group as one of the fastest-growing private companies, with an Inc 500 ranking of 114. Since 2005, Binary has been twice listed on Washington Technology's Fast 50 list.

A respected IT strategist, Ms. Wang actively participates in government, business, and technology organizations. She speaks frequently on technology strategies and policies, as well as entrepreneurship and advancing careers for women and minorities.

Ms. Wang holds a post-graduate degree in computer science from the University of Houston, Texas.

Gabrielle Y. Ward joined the Army Contracting Agency (ACA) in June 2006. Ms. Ward is responsible for overseeing policy and regulatory compliance for ACA-wide contract operations and policy supporting divergent customer requirements.

Ms. Ward began her federal procurement career as an intern with the Army Materiel Command in Warren, MI. Her career spans over 20 years, where she has gained a broad contracting background from assignments across the country with the Defense Information Systems Agency, General Services Administration, and Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L), Defense Procurement & Acquisition Policy (DPAP).

With Director Scott Denniston, Ms. Wegner co-founded the CVE in November 2000. She is responsible for planning; legislative, regulatory and policy development; financial management; statutory compliance; risk management; quality initiatives and customer relations. Ms. Wegner also supervises the staff. She is one of several principal speakers within the organization, with a special emphasis on Federal procurement. She has more the 20 years of experience in Federal acquisition and logistics, including positions as supervisory contracting officer with senior level unlimited warrant for VA’s Senior Procurement Executive; Chief of VA’s Acquisition Workforce Development Office and Senior Procurement Analyst on the audit team.

Ms. Wegner has also served more than 10 years in Federal Small Business Programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management as well as a Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration. Ms. Wegner is a Certified NxLeveL Instructor with the NxLeveL Education Foundation. In June 2007, she received her certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason’s Office of Continuing Professional Education. To remain current on all procurement issues, she maintains her membership in the National Contract Management Association.

Richard F. “Rick” Weidman serves as Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs on the National Staff of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA). He served as a 1-A-O Army Medical Corpsman during the Vietnam War, including service with Company C, 23rd Med, AMERICAL Division, located in I Corps of Vietnam in 1969.

Mr. Weidman was part of the staff of VVA from 1979 to 1987, serving variously as Membership Services Director, Agency Liaison, and Director of Government Relations. He left VVA to serve in the Administration of Governor Mario M. Cuomo (NY) as statewide director of veterans’ employment & training for the New York State Department of Labor.

He served as Consultant on Legislative Affairs to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) and on the VA Readjustment Advisory Committee, the Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment & Training, the President’s Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities, Advisory Committee on veterans’ entrepreneurship at the Small Business Administration, and other advocacy posts in veteran affairs. He currently serves as Chairman of the Veterans Entrepreneurship Task Force (VET_Force) and has received numerous awards from the SBA and others.

Mr. Weidman attended Colgate University and did graduate study at the University of Vermont.

Gregory Willis has served as Counsel on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship since August of 2006. On the Committee he is responsible for advising Senator John Kerry on issues related to federal procurement and economic development. Prior to his work on the committee he spent 3 years as an aide to Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas where he held a number of positions.

Mr. Willis completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia. He then completed his law degree at the Georgia State University College of Law. He’s held a number of positions in both the government and private sector. This native Arkansan is married with two young children.

Donald Wilson is the President/CEO for the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). He assumed his current position with ASBDC in May of 2001, after having served as the association’s Director of Government Affairs for two years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Small Business Legislative Council.

Prior to coming to ASBDC, Don was for fifteen years Director of Government Relations for the National Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association (NTDRA). NTDRA, with over 5,500 members, was a well-respected small business retail association. Mr. Wilson joined the Tire Dealers Association after serving ten years as Chief of Staff to three different Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ms. Lisa Wolford is the President and CEO of CSSS.NET. CSSS.NET provides information technology engineering services and solutions to the Federal Government. Lisa is a United States Marine Corps veteran and testified last winter before a senate subcommittee regarding the adverse effects of Government contract bundling on SDVOSB.

Lisa founded CSSS.NET in 1997 and now has offices in Bellevue, NE; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL and other locations nationwide. Currently with almost 100 employees, about half of CSSS.NET’s employees are veterans. CSSS.NET is a SDVOSB, 8(a), SDB and WBE firm. CSSS.NET works as a prime and/or subcontractor in both the classified and unclassified environment with the Government on about twenty different contracts. Clients include USSTRATCOM, Air Force Weather Agency, VA, DISA, CMS, NOAA, HHS, and HUD.

CSSS.NET is a protégé of Northrop Grumman through the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and is working in GIS, Data Modeling, simulation, and data visualization. CSSS.NET was named #675 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies from Inc. Magazine. This year, Lisa received Honorable Mention as Vetrepreneur of the Year 2007 by Vetrepreneur Magazine and was named as one of 50 most powerful Women in Technology from VAR magazine.

Ms. Zhussanbay joined CVE in 2005 as a program specialist. Her previous employment includes working as a consultant for a large government contractor and service in the U.S. Army. While on active duty, Ms. Zhussanbay served in a variety of leadership positions and has worked both in the U.S. and overseas as a medical logistics officer prior to retiring in 2003. Ms. Zhussanbay received her certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason’s Office of Continuing Professional Education.