Our Team
Our team consists of experts and strategic advisors that have broad and more than 250 years’ collective experience within the Federal Market.
Leadership Team
Barry Grant
Co-founder and President
Barry has more than 20 years' experience with large Federal IT acquisitions, including all stages and details of business development, capture, teaming, proposal management, pricing, staffing, recruiting, scheduling, transition-in, execution/operations (program/project management), go-live, O&M, and transition-out. He is ITIL-certified and holds a Master’s Certificate in project management. He also has a strong understanding of Federal Government business and IT challenges as well as strong relationships with Federal senior leadership through his business development and delivery management experience.
Kent Armstrong
Senior Vice President, Former ACIO [Senior Executive Service (SES)]
Kent has more than 40 years of experience in IT operations. He served as the USDA Associate CIO for Data Center Operations and Enterprise Application Services. He led the OCIO effort to stand up a portfolio for fee-for-service, shared services, and cloud services including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. He has a BS in Animal Science and Industry.
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Meet Our Team of Experts
Ed Reyelts
Senior Principal Consultant, Former ACIO [Senior Executive Service (SES)]
Ed is an experienced Program Executive and Chief Information Officer with a demonstrated history or working in government administration at the Veterans Affair, Department of Defense, and USDA. He has over 40 years of experience in IT, project management, and COR roles. He is an expert in Cloud architecture and delivery, cybersecurity, HR/Payroll Software, Electronic Health Records, Business/Financial Solutions, Project & Portfolio Management, Information Assurance, and Risk Management. He holds a B.B.A. from Texas A&M University, an M.S. in Information Technology Management from The United States Naval Postgraduate School, and MBA from Campbell University, and a certificate in Senior Executive Fellows from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Mark Day
Senior Principal Consultant, Former CTO [Senior Executive Service (SES)]
Mark is an accomplished professional with over 30 years of experience in academia, public, and private sectors. He specializes in the intersection of public policy and information technology, both from a mission-driving role and in operations (cloud, security, etc.), and acquisition. He has a proven track record of success in leading IT operations, policy, and security for the federal government in Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) roles. As the former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Integrated Technology Services at the General Services Administration (GSA), Mark provided direct leadership of Category Management implementation for the largest reseller of IT services and products to the federal government (GSA's Integrated Technology Service $23B in 2015). Mark holds a B.S. in Political Science from Southwest Baptist University.
Clint Swett
Senior Principal Consultant, Former CTO [Senior Executive Services (SES)]
Clint is an experienced executive-level leader and manager with skills developed through over 40 years in both civilian government and military experience. He has demonstrated expertise in life cycle management, information technology (IT) operations, change management, strategic planning, requirements management and analysis, technical architecture design and analysis, application development, and cybersecurity. Clint has a strong analytical ability to consistently produce innovative IT solutions for complex and ever-evolving enterprise problems related to information and data management, security, financial management, and human capital. He has extensive knowledge and direct experience at the USDA, where he worked for 12 years, serving as the CTO and Digital Transformation Executive of FPAC for over 5 years. He served 7 years on the USDA OCIO Staff as the Deputy and Associate CIO for CEC. Before his time at USDA, Clint served as the Director of the Technology Services Organization at the USMC Defense Finance and Accounting Services. Clint holds an M.B.S. from National University, and a M.S. in Information Technology Management from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Ira Hobbs
Senior Principal Consultant, Former CIO [Senior Executive Services (SES)]
Ira has 20 years of IT program management experience with a focus on Treasury and USDA programs. He served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and CIO of the U.S. Department of the Treasury for three years serving as the principal advisor on IT issues to the secretary of the treasury and deputy secretary. He also was responsible for acquiring and managing information resources and providing broad leadership in planning, budgeting, acquiring, and managing the Treasury's IT resources, including formulating polices and programs to maximize the value of IT investments. Prior to joining the Treasury, Hobbs served seven years as deputy CIO of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, co-managing a staff of 260 information resource management professionals and $1.7 billion dollars in physical assets. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Master's in Public Administration.
Tami Hartz
Senior Principal Consultant
Tami Hartz is a transformational executive advisor and entrepreneur with deep expertise spanning federal, state and local, telecom, network services, finance, pharma, education, small business establishment and retail. She has launched new business lines, forged many strategic partnerships, and consistently driven double and triple-digit growth for Fortune 500 companies and high-growth ventures. A recognized Master Negotiator and Liaison, she aligns executive vision with executive, building resilient organizations, and accelerating market expansion. Her global experience across 12+ countries gives her a unique ability to unite diverse stakeholders, drive innovation, and unlock sustainable value. Widely regarded as a dynamic strategist and trusted advisor, she helps clients capture new opportunities, outpace disruption, and achieve lasting impact.
Dave Bell
Senior Principal Consultant
Dave has held a diverse array of federal positions, brining extensive experience across multiple domains. His roles have spanned from IT Officer for the District of Columbia (Workers' Compensation) to Director of the Integrated Award Environment at GSA, and from Chief of Production Coordination at the Department of Labor to Associate Chief Information Officer at the USDA. Additionally, Dave has served in key leadership and specialist roles within USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the Farm Service Commodity Export Program, Warehouse Examiner, Fumigator, and even Air Traffic Controller. Dave holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Mechanization from the University of Missouri and multiple graduate degrees, including a Master's in Management Information Systems, a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Organizational Leadership, a Doctorate in Ministry, and doctoral (ABD) studies in both Information Science and Business Administration.
Pam Weber
Senior Principal Consultant
Pam has more than 25 years of federal experience in IT operations and security. Most recently, she served as the USDA Identity, Credential, and Access Management Director. Pam has extensive experience with large federal IT acquisitions both as a customer and as a vendor. She has nearly 10 years of experience in business development and capture in the federal sector. She has a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Business Management. She also holds a current PMP.
James "Jay" Gallons
Senior Principal Consultant (Data & Risk Analysis SME)
Jay is a retired federal data and risk management expert with over 25 years of experience at USDA agencies, including FSIS, RMA, and NASS. His expertise spans data warehousing, business intelligence, statistical modeling, geospatial analysis, and agricultural policy support. At FSIS, he designed and developed national reporting tools and dashboards using Tableau and Power BI, transforming complex data into actionable insights for compliance, regulatory, and food safety programs. Jay has also provided technical leadership in building data pipelines, integrating diverse datasets, and advancing decision-support systems to strengthen oversight and policy development.
Everett Hinkley
Senior Principal Consultant
Everett is a retired USDA Forest Service remote sensing expert with over two decades of federal service, most recently as the National Remote Sensing Program Manager. He provided policy, oversight, and technical direction to stakeholders including the Geospatial Office, National Interagency Fire Center, and Forest Health Protection, ensuring agency needs were met with cutting-edge geospatial technologies. Everett represented the Forest Service in interagency coordination with USDA, NASA, DHS, USGS, BLM, and NGA, and served as USDA’s representative to the Civilian Applications Committee from 2012–2025. He co-founded the federal GeoAI Community of Practice in 2024 to advance responsible AI/ML in geospatial applications, and is currently serving his second term as co-chair of the Applied Earth Observations Innovation Partnership.
Carl Zulick
Senior Principal Consultant, GIS SME
Carl's distinguished career in natural resource management spans 42 years with the Department of Interior and Agriculture. His expertise encompasses land use planning, environmental review, management systems, project management, GIS, remote sensing, mapping, data management, risk assessment, training, and strategic planning. Carl had actively participated in and led several interagency committees, earning a reputation as a trusted advisor to interagency and departmental Chief Information Officers, agency managers, and vendors alike. He holds Master's degrees in Landscape Architecture and Business Administration, is certified in project management, and has held detailed positions with the Federal Geographic Data Committee and the Vice President's Office. Carl's extensive experience in geospatial services and strategic planning has established him as a key resource in these fields.
Deana Hicks
Senior Principal Consultant, Former Procurement Executive
Deana is a seasoned acquisition professional with over 20 years of experience in the Federal government. She has retired from a distinguished career where she demonstrated expertise in cradle-to-grave contracting for a wide range of professional services and products. Deana's extensive knowledge of USDA contracting processes and procedures is backed by her significant roles across multiple federal agencies. After contributing to the GSA Schedules program, she served as a Contracting Officer at FNS for three years and held several key leadership positions during her nearly decade-long tenure at the Forest Service, including Branch Chief for National Contracts, Acting Assistant Director for National Procurement, and Branch Chief of IT Contracting.
Tony Capo
PMP, Senior Principal Consultant, Cybersecurity SME
Tony is an expert IT professional with 45 years’ experience within USDA and private industry who has provided executive leadership and program management on numerous USDA departmental Information and Cyber Security Enterprise initiatives. His expertise included Project Management, Risk Management, and IT Corporate Security Management. Anthony has a strong record in leading teams, problem-solving, and achieving executive goals. His federal experience is is highlighted by his role as Director at USDA OCIO ASOC Monitoring & Analysis Division, managing comprehensive monitoring services. He's also contributed significantly to project management and security at the USDA Farm Service Agency. He has a BS in Business Administration and Marketing.
Greg Schmitz
Senior Principal Consultant, Security
Greg is an accomplished Information Security and Technology professional with several decades of experience in Data Center Management and Customer Service. Following his retirement from USDA/OCIO/DISC as the Deputy Associate CIO for Security Operations, Greg has continued to support his former organizations by providing Business Development and Organizational Support for companies aiming to develop, expand, and mature their relationships with the Federal Government. He is a strong advocate for cost-effective and budget-neutral solutions that exceed customer requirements. Greg's extensive experience in Federal Data Center Operations, Security Operations, Security Governance, and Inter-Department Customer Service has honed his effectiveness, communication skills, and deep understanding of the needs of Federal IT organizations.
Michael Matthews
Senior Principal Consultant
Michael is an accomplished federal executive with over a decade of leadership at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Most recently, he served as Assistant Deputy Administrator for Multifamily Housing Programs, overseeing a $9 billion housing portfolio supporting 12,000 properties and 400,000 units nationwide. In this role, he managed over $1 billion in annual rental assistance, expanded farm labor housing, and secured $100 million to preserve rural rental units. Michael was chosen out of 100+ candidates to spearhead multi-divisional 300+ team technical and administrative staff, implemented change management strategies during presidential transition, and collaborated with senior leadership and stakeholders. Previously, as Chief of Staff for USDA Rural Development's Business Center, he coordinated operations for nearly 5,000 employees across 400+ offices, leading the agency's pandemic transition to remote and hybrid work. He also guided state directors in delivering $37.5 billion in funding to rural communities in a single year. Recognized as a USDA 1890 National Scholar, Mathews has driven innovation, operational efficiency, and equitable access to housing and resources for rural America. Outside of his USDA support, Michael was responsible for executing organization-wide performance and change management initiatives as the Chief Administrative Liaison at the Illinois Housing Development Authority in Chicago, IL.
Chad Bixby
Senior Principal Consultant
Chad Bixby is an Information Technology practitioner and Military Veteran with over 30 years of experience within the Federal Government, supporting, defending and securing some of the most mission-critical information systems within the nation. Chad has led many critical initiatives within his many years of service, from managing and defending Federal information systems from foreign nation states as a senior network security engineer, to developing a first-of-its-kind Information System Continuous Monitoring (ISCM) program and developing the first ever Cloud Broker Office within the entire Federal Government. Chad has a proven track record and reputation to do what needs to be done to assure that operational capabilities always meet business needs and demands.
Mike Rodgers
Senior Principal Consultant, Network SME
Mike was a career federal IT employee for more than 35 years. He started at the National Security Agency (NSA), moved to the USPS, and then went to USDA in 1988, where he stayed until retiring in 2012. He served as lead computer specialist, lead network specialist, and supervisor at both USPS and USDA. His experience includes managing government-mandated IT consolidations, relocations, and build-outs of industry best practices for hosting mission-critical applications for USDA, including the migration of GSA’s contracts from FTS2000 to FTS2001 and then to Networx. He managed and participated in the evolution of government IT infrastructure from large mainframe processing datacenters to distributed client/server platforms supporting Cloud computing.
Leena Rhodes
Senior Principal Consultant
Leena has over six years of experience in government contracting, supporting initiatives across business development, proposal development, and marketing workstreams. She brings expertise in identifying and capturing strategic opportunities across the government, with a focus on expanding pipelines and enhancing business processes to meet organizational goals. She has led strategic opportunity identification initiatives across TSA, CMS, and HHS operating divisions for small and mid-size organizations. She is dedicated to helping organizations build and enhance their business processes to drive growth, streamline operations, and increase market visibility.
Carol B. Turpin
Proposal Manager
Carol is a successful proposal manager and writer with 30 years’ experience. She has helped to win $14.1B in funded contract value and $102.8B in IDIQ ceiling value across Federal Civilian, DoD, State, Local, and commercial markets for small, mid-size, and Fortune 100 clients. She holds a Master’s in English.
Rubi Trujillo
Proposal Graphic Designer
Rubi's 10 years of proposal graphic design experience include data visualization and infographics. With the ability to successfully adapt and design for a wide breadth of industries, she has provided winning design services for proposal efforts aimed at civilian and defense federal entities, and state and local government agencies. Her experience includes not only adhering to government proposal specifications but also creating customized branded styles for proposals.
Lena A. Goodwin
Technical Proposal Writer
Lena is a professional writer with more than 30 years’ experience in Federal and non-profit proposal and grant writing, technical editing, proofreading, and market development with both public and private clients. She holds a Master’s in Environmental Policy.