Ellen Lord, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of Defense and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said DoD has seen an increase in the number of defense-related companies that have shut down and reopened since the coronavirus pandemic started, Defense News reported Thursday.
The number of firms that have reopened rose by 73 since April 20 and Lord said the improved figures could be attributed to companies’ proactive measures to come up with hygienic work spaces, shared experiences from other firms and some states that seem to have reached their peak in COVID-19 cases.
She also expressed concerns about the flow of cash into small businesses that are most at risk during this pandemic and called for transparency among companies over relief funds.
“I believe that the major primes are flowing down, they’ve committed. But I always like to trust, yet verify,” Lord said. “So I encourage all of those companies to be as transparent and forthcoming as they can be because we have a responsibility to the taxpayer, as well as the mid-tiers and the small companies, to make sure actions we take at the prime level do go down all the way through the chain."
About The Wash100
This year represents our sixth annual Wash100 Award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, achievement, and vision.
Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.
