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Executive Mosaic Reveals 2024 Winners of Legacy-Cementing Wash100 Award
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Executive Mosaic Reveals 2024 Winners of Legacy-Cementing Wash100 Award

Executive Mosaic, the industry leader in government contracting events, media and membership, has made public the winners of this year’s Wash100 Award. The 2024 Wash100 class is now live on the award’s website, and the list is an admirable cross-section of new faces, continual winners and promising talent.

For the last 10 years, EM’s team has celebrated the highest achievers in government contracting and the federal sector via the award, compiling a roster of individuals who currently command influence in the market and who also promise to make sizable gains in the year ahead. This anticipatory honor is given to those whose leadership, vision, innovation and reliability are inarguable and exceed all expectations.

“After a rigorous selection process — and building on more than a decade of excellence — the 2024 Wash100 honors the GovCon industry’s true elite. These 100 exceptional leaders exemplify groundbreaking vision, unwavering innovation and the resolute dedication to excellence that shapes the government and GovCon landscapes and propels our nation to new heights,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award.

“We celebrate their triumphs, not just as the proven leaders of today, but as architects of a brighter future for government contracting,” Garrettson added.

2024’s Wash100 winners provide an accurate and diverse reflection of the federal landscape: over one-third of the class are from the government and almost two-thirds hail from private industry. Over one-third of this year’s awardees are women, and a whopping 56 companies and 20 federal agencies are represented among the 2024 Wash100.

While EM’s voting committee spends months reviewing and considering candidates, we could not do it without the nominees from our friends and colleagues. This year, the company received more than double the submissions of last year, a record-breaking result. This aspect confirms Wash100 as a community-approved venture.

Without further adieu, here are the recipients of the 2024 Wash100 Award:

  • Craig Abod, President, Carahsoft
  • Tom Arseneault, President & COO, BAE Systems
  • Young Bang, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology, U.S. Department of the Army
  • Dana Barnes, President, Government Accounts, Dataminr
  • Leslie Beavers, Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer (DOD CIO)
  • Thomas Bell, CEO, Leidos
  • Sonny Bhagowalia, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Jeff Bohling, CEO, Empower AI
  • Chris Brady, President, General Dynamics Mission Systems
  • Byron Bright, President, Government Solutions, KBR
  • Gen. Charles Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS)
  • Maura Burns, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
  • Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, Director, Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
  • Rachele Cooper, CEO, Aptive Resources
  • Mile Corrigan, President & CEO, Noblis
  • Paul Courtney, Chief Procurement Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, Director, Defense Health Agency (DHA)
  • Mac Curtis, Chairman, Cubic Corporation
  • Karen Dahut, CEO, Google Public Sector
  • Hon. Carlos Del Toro, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Navy
  • Maria Demaree, VP/GM, Lockheed Martin
  • Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium
  • Vincent DiFronzo, SVP, Air Force, Combatant Command and DOD Agency Business Unit, SAIC
  • Dr. Stacey Dixon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
  • Judi Dotson, EVP, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Jen Easterly, Director, U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
  • Steve Escaravage, EVP, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Gerry Fasano, President, Defense, Leidos
  • Leonel Garciga, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Army
  • Chris George, President & GM, Intel Federal LLC
  • Amy Gilliland, President, General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc.
  • John Goodman, CEO, Accenture Federal Services
  • Venice Goodwine, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of the Air Force
  • DeEtte Gray, President, Business and Information Technology Solutions, CACI
  • Andy Green, EVP & President, HII Mission Technologies
  • Avril Haines, Director, National Intelligence, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
  • Margaret Hallbach, SVP, Public Sector, Verizon Public Sector
  • Craig Halliday, CEO, Unanet
  • Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, Director, National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander, U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM)
  • John Heller, CEO, Amentum
  • John Heneghan, President, ECS
  • Dr. Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
  • James Hursch, Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSDP), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
  • Josh Jackson, SVP, Army Business Unit, SAIC
  • Kevin Kelly, Chairman & CEO, Arcfield
  • Hon. Frank Kendall, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Air Force
  • Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
  • Dr. William LaPlante, Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
  • David Levy, VP, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services
  • Candice Ling, Federal Sector Leader, Microsoft Federal
  • Harish Luthra, CEO, SAP National Security Services (SAP NS2)
  • Kim Lynch, EVP, Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence
  • Sam Maness, Managing Director, Defense and Government Services Investment Banking, Raymond James & Associates
  • Stephanie Mango, President, CGI Federal
  • Dr. Craig Martell, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
  • Rachael Martin, Maven Office Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
  • Scott McIntyre, CEO, Guidehouse
  • John Mengucci, President & CEO, CACI
  • Shubhi Mishra, CEO, Raft
  • Bill Monet, President & CEO, Akima, LLC
  • Schuyler Moore, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
  • Ramzi Musallam, CEO & Managing Partner, Veritas Capital
  • Clarence William “Bill” Nelson, Administrator, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
  • Andreas Nonnenmacher, President, ARKA
  • Michael Parrish, Chief Acquisition Officer and Principal Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction (OALC), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Kevin Plexico, SVP, Information Solutions, Deltek
  • Chuck Prow, President & CEO, V2X
  • Shawn Purvis, President & CEO, QinetiQ Inc.
  • Jane Rathbun, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of the Navy
  • Randy Resnick, Director, Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
  • Jason Rigoli, Partner, Enlightenment Capital
  • Anthony Robbins, VP, Federal, NVIDIA
  • Jon Rucker, CEO, Ultra Intelligence & Communications
  • Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force
  • Mark Serway, President & CEO, Hitachi Vantara Federal
  • Julian Setian, CEO, SOS International, LLC
  • Stu Shea, President & CEO, Board Chairman, Peraton
  • Hon. John Sherman, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
  • Hon. Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
  • Jill Singer, VP, National Security, AT&T
  • Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, Director, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
  • Carey Smith, Chair, President & CEO, Parsons
  • Paul Smith, CEO, Rancher Government Solutions (RGS)
  • Jen Sovada, President, Public Sector, SandboxAQ
  • Jean Stack, Managing Director, Baird
  • Matthew Tait, President & CEO, ManTech
  • Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, Director, Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)
  • Toni Townes-Whitley, CEO, SAIC
  • John Ustica, President & CEO, Siemens Government Technologies
  • Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM)
  • Lou Von Thaer, President & CEO, Battelle
  • Doug Wagoner, CEO, LMI
  • Kathy Warden, Chairman, President & CEO, Northrop Grumman
  • Tom Watson, CEO, Serco Inc.
  • Bill Webner, CEO, Capgemini
  • Susan Wedge, Managing Partner, U.S. Federal Market, IBM Consulting
  • Aaron Weis, Managing Director of Technology, Google Public Sector
  • Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM)
  • VADM Frank Whitworth III, Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
  • Christine Wormuth, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Army

Executive Mosaic congratulates all of the winners on this monumental achievement and encourages you, the reader, to participate in the popular vote contest, which is open from now through the end of March to determine the most beloved figure in GovCon.

Last year, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin clinched a narrow victory after duking it out with private sector titans. Who will be this year’s champion? Only you can decide! Vote here now.

NNSA Publishes Final Environmental Impact Statement for Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program
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NNSA Publishes Final Environmental Impact Statement for Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has released an environmental impact statement, or EIS, for a program that seeks to implement the dilute and dispose strategy to ensure the safe and secure disposal of up to 34 metric tons of plutonium surplus to the country’s defense requirements.

The EIS for the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program — also known as SPDP — meets NNSA’s obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act, DOE said Friday.

The plutonium surplus was previously meant for producing mixed oxide fuel, but the department dropped the MOX project in 2018.

Under the dilute and dispose strategy, also called “plutonium downblending,” pit and non-pit plutonium would be converted to oxide and would require the use of existing and new capabilities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant facility and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Pantex Plant in Texas.

The agency issued the draft EIS for public comment on Dec. 16, 2022, and held in January 2023 a virtual public hearing and three in-person hearings to help inform the final statement.

NNSA will publish a record of decision for SPDP after Feb. 20, 2024.

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Elizabeth Cannon Named ICT Office Head at Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry & Security
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Elizabeth Cannon Named ICT Office Head at Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry & Security

Elizabeth “Liz” Cannon, most recently senior corporate counsel for global trade at Microsoft, has joined the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security as the inaugural executive director of the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services.

In this capacity, she will oversee policy development and operations at OICTS, BIS said Monday.

Alan Estevez, under secretary of Commerce for industry and security, said Cannon brings to BIS and OICTS leadership and national security experience from across the government and private sector.

“I look forward to safeguarding our nation’s information and communications systems from foreign adversaries though an open and collaborative process,” said Cannon.

During her time at Microsoft, Cannon helped monitor sanctions, export controls and other international security and security policy matters, as well as managed the company’s risk intelligence group.

She also served as deputy chief for export controls and sanctions within the Department of Justice’s national security division and worked as an associate at law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

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Milla Anderson Appointed Policy Adviser to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
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Milla Anderson Appointed Policy Adviser to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks

Milla Anderson, former policy adviser for Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., has joined the Federal Communications Commission as a policy adviser in the office of FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks.

“Her depth of experience with telecom and technology issues and on Capitol Hill will be an asset as we work to expand digital opportunity for all Americans,” Starks said in a statement published Monday.

Anderson was a legislative aide for Sen. Debbie Stabenow and oversaw a policy portfolio on electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, water resources development and climate change.

She also served as a legislative correspondent for Sen. Doug Jones and helped manage the senator’s work for the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Anderson succeeds Morgan Bodenaraian, who now serves as policy director and counsel for the Congressional Black Caucus and Chair Rep. Steven Horsford, D-N.V.

Starks commended Bodenaraian’s work and said she has provided “invaluable counsel during her time at the commission.”

“She will continue her advocacy in this space, and I’m pleased to see her bring her talents to the CBC,” Starks said.

8 DOD Projects Secure Federal Funding to Boost Military Base Energy Efficiency; Kathleen Hicks Quoted
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8 DOD Projects Secure Federal Funding to Boost Military Base Energy Efficiency; Kathleen Hicks Quoted

Eight projects across the Department of Defense are selected to receive more than $55 million in federal funding to improve energy efficiency and resilience at military installations globally.

About $10 million will be invested in efforts such as recommissioning heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment; installing heat pump systems; and establishing solar infrastructure to provide uninterruptible power sources and improve the energy footprint of DOD’s headquarters, the Pentagon said Monday.

The DOD projects are among the 31 projects across 11 federal agencies to receive over $104 million in funding under the first phase of the Department of Energy’s Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies — a.k.a. AFFECT — program.

AFFECT is a $250 million funding program that aims to help government establishments achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.

“Our buildings support where people live, where our forces, allies and partners train and where our families raise and educate their children. Promoting the operational resilience of our joint force and improving quality of life for our people are top department priorities,” said Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of defense and a three-time Wash100 awardee.

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DARPA’s 2nd Tools Competition Focuses on AI Tools for Adult STEM, Data Science Learning
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DARPA’s 2nd Tools Competition Focuses on AI Tools for Adult STEM, Data Science Learning

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched a second iteration of its Tools Competition to discover artificial intelligence-enabled technologies that can aid data science and other forms of adult learning.

The agency said Monday that the new program aims to upskill and reskill adults in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and similarly complex areas, preparing them for the 21st century labor landscape.

The opportunity is open to digital learning platform experts, technologists, researchers, students and educators who can propose AI tools that can provide feature tutoring and self-directed learning. The resulting platform may leverage AI or large language models.

Interested parties may learn more about the Tools Competition through a virtual information session on Jan. 29. They should submit their proposals by Feb. 26.

“Amplified attention to STEM and data science applications will be integral to fostering a greater understanding of AI-driven technologies and their potential utilization throughout society,” commented Wil Corvey, AI Tools for Adult Learning program manager in DARPA’s Information Innovation Office

On March 21, the Potomac Officers Club will host its fifth annual Artificial Intelligence Summit. Hear and share insights about AI’s power and potential by registering for the event here.

POC - 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit
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2024 Edition of President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition to Tackle AI, Zero Trust, Industrial Control Systems
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2024 Edition of President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition to Tackle AI, Zero Trust, Industrial Control Systems

Registration is now in progress for the 5th annual President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition, Federal News Network reported Monday.

The competition was developed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency with the help of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and is open to federal government employees from the civilian, defense and intelligence communities.

The aim of the event is to “identify, recognize, and reward the best cybersecurity talent in the federal executive workforce.”

Some of the challenges in the 2024 edition of the competition will involve zero trust architecture, physical industrial control systems and aspects of artificial intelligence and large language models, according to Michael Harpin, who heads the competitions section within the Cyber Defense Education and Training branch at CISA.

Harpin explained that the challenges for a given year are based on new vulnerabilities and topics that are relevant to the cybersecurity community. “We take a look at CISA’s key exploited vulnerabilities catalog to see what we can put in there that’s testable within our infrastructure,” Harpin noted.

The competition is split into two tracks: one for teams and one for individuals. Registration for the teams track ends on Jan. 24 while registration for the individuals track ends on Feb. 6.

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Bruce Hidaka-Gordon Takes on CIO Role at NIWC Atlantic
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Bruce Hidaka-Gordon Takes on CIO Role at NIWC Atlantic

Bruce Hidaka-Gordon, an information technology leader with nearly four decades of defense sector experience, has assumed the chief information officer role at the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic.

He announced his new post on LinkedIn and shared that he is “excited to explore new ways to utilize technology to bring people together…even when they are physically apart.”

Hidaka-Gordon most recently served as deputy commander of the 3d Network Battalion of Marine Corps Cyberspace Operations Group under Marine Forces Cyberspace Command.

Before that, he was director of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Informational Technology Support Center for the Pacific area of responsibility.

He also held CIO roles for the Commander, Navy Region Japan; Commander, Navy Region Northwest; and Commander, Navy Installations Command.

Bruce Hidaka-Gordon Takes on CIO Role at NIWC Atlantic

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual CIO Summit on April 17 to hear about the latest modernization strategies from government and industry CIOs. Register here to save your seat at the highly anticipated event.

US Air Force Materiel Command Engineering Directorate Discloses 2024 Strategy
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US Air Force Materiel Command Engineering Directorate Discloses 2024 Strategy

A new engineering strategy from the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command will push for technical process transformation, talent development and digital acceleration.

The AFMC Engineering Directorate on Friday published the three lines of effort for its 2024 Engineering Strategic Plan to provide guidance to the unit’s 15,000 scientists and engineers.

The team plans to boost command and center integration as well as overhaul technical processes and policies to innovate, streamline and sustain cutting-edge warfighting capabilities. It will also grow its workforce and leverage digital methods to achieve its missions.

“Our capability development pipelines are being outpaced by China, and our ability to effectively sustain fielded capabilities has decreased in recent decades,” said Robert Fookes, Jr., director of AFMC Engineering and Technical Management. “We must take a hard look at our current technical development processes to root out inefficiencies and be willing to take greater risks in order to regain our capability development advantages.”

NuAxis Cites CX Focus as Key Driver of Success; Raza Latif Quoted
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NuAxis Cites CX Focus as Key Driver of Success; Raza Latif Quoted

Information technology company NuAxis Innovations zeroed-in on the customer experience, or CX, and human-centered design, or HCD, in 2023.

This shift in focus helped NuAxis secure new contracts, cultivate a practitioner community and provide government agencies with new technologies, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company said on Friday.

NuAxis Cites CX Focus as Key Driver of Success; Raza Latif Quoted

“We hypothesized a few years ago that CX would have a huge impact on citizen services, and despite facing skepticism at that time, we’re thrilled to see the impact our team and our partners have had for our federal customers this year,” said Raza Latif, CEO of NuAxis.

The organization initially decided to prioritize CX and HCD in its government technology programs five years ago. Its strategy is centered around connecting subject matter experts from the private sector and working alongside federal leaders to consider and implement new ideas.

One related accomplishment for NuAxis was its addition of teams of CX and HCD specialists to contracts from the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Small Business Administration and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

The company also established the GovCX Collective, a group designed to promote collaboration between experts from across industries to operationalize outcomes for CX in the public sector, and received outside recognition.

“Our success this year is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication, as well as the strong partnerships we have forged with industry experts and government agencies,” Latif said.

NuAxis Cites CX Focus as Key Driver of Success; Raza Latif Quoted

At the Potomac Officers Club’s CX Imperative Forum on Jan. 25, experts will dive into the importance of CX for federal agencies. At the event, public and private sector leaders will come together to consider the challenges and opportunities shaping government CX efforts. To learn more and register to attend the forum, click here.

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