Across the Federal sector there are promises to break down silos; claims of greater transparency; words like collaboration, communication and trust becoming part of what is required for forward movement.
And across the Government contracting sector, within industry and within government, there are leaders who truly understand what it takes, who are setting an example that not only encourages engagement, but also motivates and pushes others on their teams and within their organizations to do the same. These leaders are empowering and changing how government and industry can work together. and doing so selflessly, without expectation for personal gain but instead, for the betterment of the industry.
Continuing our commitment to shine a light on the good stuff, to spotlight those that are #doingitright, we are pleased to announce the 2024 Engage National Security Honorees. This list of individuals, who were nominated, evaluated, and selected by a panel of their peers, represents exceptional leaders from across government and industry who stand out from the crowd for their willingness to drive BOLD approaches and innovative engagement strategies while supporting a culture shift across the Federal Health sector which values collaboration, open communication, transparency, and partnership between and across the Federal government and industry partner ecosystems across the National Security sector and agencies to include the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security and all of its subagencies.
This year’s outstanding leaders are:
- Chris Arbore, President Disruptive Solutions, LLC
- Charlie Armstrong, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Hemant Baidwan, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Karthik Balasubramanian, President/CEO Karthik Consulting
- Donald Bauer, Chief Technology Officer, Global Talent Management (HR) at U.S. Department of State
- Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- John Binks, Chief, IT Management | Director Air Operations DHS / FEMA
- Suman Biswas, Founder, Niyam IT
- Robert Borka, Deputy Executive Director PARM (Program Accountability and Risk Management), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Olivia Trivisani Bowker, Founder and CEO of Amivero
- Rob Brown, Vice President of National Security Operations, Alpha Omega
- Darlene Bullock, Executive Director Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Beth Cappello, Deputy Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Lynn Ann Casey, Founder and CEO, Arc Aspicio
- Oliver Chiang, Chief Operating Officer, Flatter
- Dana Chisnell, Acting Executive Director for Customer Experience, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Patricia Cogswell, Partner at Guidehouse
- Chris Cole, Executive Vice President Strategic Accounts at Alpha Omega Integration
- Sean Connelly, TIC Program Manager & Senior Cybersecurity Architect, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
- Michelle Constant, Chief Executive Officer, Constant Associates
- Shannon Crocker, Director of Homeland Security Division, Microsoft
- Katherine Crompton, Director of Procurement Innovation Lab, Department of Homeland Security
- D.J. Dart, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), INADEV
- Michael Duffy, Associate Director, Cybersecurity Division at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- Brian Erickson, Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) – U. S. Coast Guard
- Maurine Fanguy, Managing Director of Homeland Security, Accenture Federal
- Nina Ferraro, Deputy Chief Procurement Officer at U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Jennifer Ferreira, Vice President, DHS, Maximus
- Sean Gilman, VP, National Security Business Unit at Unissant
- Shashi Goli, Vice-President, Federal and Civilian Sector, Navitas Business Consulting
- Michael Grace, Co-Owner VerticalApps
- Jaime Gracia, Director of Strategic Enterprise Programs, Department of State
- Matthew Graviss, Chief Data and AI Officer at U.S. Department of State
- Courtney Hammond, Principal at Deloitte Consulting
- Tim Hanes, Vice President, National Security Strategy, MetaPhase
- Chris Hartline, President & CEO at AVER
- Matt Hartman, Deputy Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity at CISA
- Kendall Holbrook, CEO, Dev Technology Group
- Eric Hysen, Chief Information Officer & Chief AI Officer at U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Ann-Marie Johnson, VP, Federal Market Engagement, CGI Federal
- Ritesh Kumar, Founder and CEO, Tarkik Solutions
- Dr. Mark L. Lucas, D.C.S., Cloud Operations – Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Katherine Lugo, Director, IT Contracting Services Division at U.S. Department of State
- Martin Mackes, Chief Delivery Officer at Jefferson Consulting Group
- Sunil Madhugiri, Chief Technology Officer U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Samidha Manu, Vice President at REI Systems
- Chandan Mukhopadhyay, President at Synergy Business Innovation and Solutions
- Nitin Natarajan, Deputy Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- Keith O’Neill, Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA) at U.S. Coast Guard
- Yemi Oshinnaiye, Chief Information Officer, Transportation Security Administration
- Meikle Paschal, Program Manager for Robotic Process Automation, USCIS- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Sara Pease, Deputy Associate Director at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- Dr. Bryan Pendleton, Chief Data Officer at U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Intelligence and Analysis
- Troy Potter, Vice President, Client Delivery, Dignari
- Bill Pratt, Director, Enterprise Technology Governance, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Elizabeth Puchek, Chief Data Officer at USCIS- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Sandra Radesky, Associate Director of Vulnerability Management, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- William Randolph, Founder/CEO, Think Acquisition
- Ken Rogers, IT Comptroller & Chief Digital Strategist, US Department of State
- Kristin Ruiz, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Deputy Chief Information Officer Transportation Security Administration
- Phil Sahady, President, Chevo Consulting
- Mike Saliter, SVP Strategy & Growth, Steampunk
- Sandra Oliver Schmidt, Deputy Director, Procurement Innovation Lab at U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Chris Schwalm, Senior Vice President – Technology Services, US Public Sector at CVP
- Rob Sheen, CGO, Redhorse Corporation
- Scott Simpson, Digital Transformation Lead, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Tadgh Smith, Deputy Assistant Director DHS/ICE
- Al Sowers, Founder and President, OneZero Solutions, LLC
- Jenny Stone, Founder and CEO, Partner Forces
- Matt Stratford, President and Managing Principal, BridgePhase
- Kristina Tanasichuk, Founder & CEO, Government Technology & Services Coalition and Executive Editor, HSToday
- Monica Taylor, Senior Innovation Coach with the DHS Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL)
- Sarah Todd, Executive Director, Acquisition Policy and Legislation at U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Rachel Wang, Bureau Chief Data Officer, Diplomatic Security, US Department of State
- Karinda Washington, Executive Director, Social Impact & Campaigns (Senior Executive Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Bill Weinberg, Assistant Administrator for Contracting and Procurement/HCA at Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
- Keith Whiteman, President/Founder at Technology Management Solutions
- Courtney Winship, Product Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- David Yang, Senior Vice President, ICF
Congratulations to all of the honorees and thank you to all who participated in the process.
Identified below are Six Key Characteristics that Make up an Engage FedGov Leader
Exemplify Open Communication
Whether through speaking at events, sharing on open platforms such as LinkedIn, or writing executive insight pieces that offer advice and insight, the engaged leader shares their thought leadership and is open to making public what they know to serve the greater good.
Evidence of Mission Focus
An engaged leader understands their mission focus is not turned inward to their specific organization but instead looks outward, to their stakeholders. This means taking and receiving lessons learned from others serving the same or similar communities. It means finding ways to engage stakeholders, vendors, and potential partners, to drive collaborative solutions with the users’ needs in focus.
Execution as a Good Partner
Engaged leaders prefer not to do a power dance, across tables or in the public eye. Being open, transparent, and authentic in who they are and what they want to achieve, these leaders demonstrate they are good and reliable partners. Being a good partner, these leaders are clear in what they say, understand their role and the roles of those around them, and they execute according to that.
Engage with the Community
Whether through industry days, networking opportunities, written content or collaboration in working groups, the engaged leader is part of the discussion, attending events, and being accessible and available. The expression “a rising tide lifts many boats” reminds everyone of something engaged leaders know – that there are opportunities for everyone and we do better when we work together. Whether it is as a mentor, an advisor, a board member, or a panellist, these leaders are familiar names and faces.
Encourage Inclusivity
Leaders who see the bigger picture are often surrounded by people who represent that bigger picture. Engaged leaders surround themselves with people who support and challenge them, with people who come from diverse backgrounds and with varied experiences. Engaged leaders encourage discussion, not for its own sake, but because they want the ideas brought forth from their diverse and inclusive team.
Exemplify Innovation
Whether it is through technology, culture, mission or approach, leaders that succeed do not stand still. Innovation signifies life, implies thought and forward movement, and is critical as the world becomes increasingly complex and challenging. Engaged leaders understand this, ask for big ideas and seek solutions that are focused on driving their organizations forward.
#engagefedgov
Awardees in the Federal Health category are available here.
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