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, Infrastructure, Cloud and Enterprise Application SME
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
Mark Day
Senior Principal Consultant, Federal IT SME
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, Federal IT SME
Clint is an experienced executive-level leader and manager with skills developed through 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, 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. Before his time at USDA, Clint served as the Director of the Technology and Service Organization at the USMC Defense Finance Account Services.
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.
Ira Hobbs
Senior Principal Consultant, Former CIO
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.
Ed Reyelts
Senior Principal Consultant, Former ACIO
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.
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.
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.
Carl Zulick
Senior Principal Consultant, GIS SME
Carl is a senior business development specialist with more than 40 years’ experience at DOI and USDA. He has expertise in strategic planning, Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), land use planning, environmental analysis, IT modernization, governance, and business process reengineering. He has an MBA and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture.
Deana Hicks
Senior Principal Consultant, Federal Acquisition SME
Deana Hicks is an acquisition professional with over 20 years of Federal government experience. She is a retired leader with cradle-to-grave contracting experience for a wide range of professional services and products. Deana has extensive knowledge and direct experience of USDA contracting processes and procedures. After working at GSA with the Schedules program, she worked as a Contracting Officer at FNS for 3 years and held multiple key positions during her nearly 10-year tenure at Forest Service, including Branch Chief for National Contracts, Acting Assistant Director for National Procurement, and detail as the 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. He has a BS in Business Administration and Marketing.
Lee Jacobs
Senior Principal Consultant
Les is a retired United States Coat Guard (USCG) Commander with over 20 years of experience in business development, capture, and public administration. Previously, held leadership roles at Advanced Concepts and Technologies, International (ACT I), and PotomacWave Consulting, where he led business development and capture support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and U.S. Air Force markets. He holds a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University, and a B.S. in Management from the USCG Academy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Karen Sifford
Senior Principal Consultant
Karen has over 40 years of experience leading complex information technology (IT) cyber security audits covering a broad range of multifaceted programs in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards, the Internal Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27000 series, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Karen holds numerous professional certifications, including CRISC, CGEIT, CISM, CISA, and PMP. She has applied her expertise in IT security laws, regulations, and certifications to solve complex security challenges, improve IT policies, and enhance government systems' security and efficiency. A recognized expert in internal control testing for the Department of Agriculture, Karen utilized the Cyber Security Assistant and Management (CSAM) tool and trained USDA agencies to meet FISMA and OMB Circular A-123, Appendix A requirements.
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.