We are problem-solvers with business experience

Courtney B. Spaeth is one of the leading business development and corporate growth experts in the world, with a focus on emerging technologies, and widespread experience in both the public and private sectors. Mrs. Spaeth founded growth[period] in 2007, and as CEO she has successfully guided the company through the acquisition of Potomac Recruiting, the raising of growth capital from Morgan Stanley, as well as the development of growth[period]’s mergers and acquisition support vertical. As a result of her leadership, growth[period] has a proven track record of helping over 250 companies in both the commercial and federal sectors achieve smart growth through business development and through acquisitions. growth[period]’s broad range of clients include: Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Magnetar Capital, Stanley Black and Decker, Clairvest, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Leadiant Biosciences, Serco, General Dynamics, Fractal Industries AI, SAB Capital, LLR Capital, Inside the NFL, Sokolin Wine, Morgan Stanley and many other Fortune 500, middle market, and private equity firms in the U.S. and internationally. She also was part of the leadership team and a member of the Board of Directors for Momentum Aerospace Group that sold the company in 2018 for almost $400M.

 

Prior to founding growth[period], Mrs. Spaeth served as Corporate Vice President of Homeland Security for Raytheon Company. While at Raytheon she was responsible for developing the company’s homeland security business in North America, the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe, and Asia, and in less than two years her efforts resulted in new revenue of over $1 billion USD. Before Raytheon, Mrs. Spaeth served as Director of Homeland Systems Solutions for Lockheed Martin, where she won over $3 billion USD in new business. In 2000, President Clinton appointed Mrs. Spaeth to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations / Low Intensity Conflict, where she was the Assistant in Charge of Global Terrorism Issues. Previously, Mrs. Spaeth served as the Director of Force Health Protection for the Gulf War Illness Task Force in the Department of Defense. Additionally, Mrs. Spaeth has also worked at the Department of Justice in the Criminal Antitrust Division, and in the Office of Chief Counsel to the President in the White House in the Clinton Administration.

 

Mrs. Spaeth has extensive experience as a corporate board member and serves on the Board of Directors for a number of private companies, non-profits, and professional associations, including: Momentum Aerospace Group (MAG) (tenure ended in 2018), boodle AI, Marymount University, the Executive Board of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Potomac Recruiting, and she just recently resigned from the Board of Directors for Hope for the Warriors, where she chaired the Development Committee for the last decade. She also serves on the Trustees Council for Women at the University of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Spaeth is also on the Dean’s Advisory Council for George Mason University School of Business and a member of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Mrs. Spaeth was the recipient of the 2019 Joseph Wharton Award for Entrepreneurship in the Washington, D.C. region from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the recipient of the Smart CEO 2016 DC Brava CEO Award, the Vigiano Family 2015 Hope and Courage Award for her Service to the Veteran Community, and the 2014 Angel Outreach Award from the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation for her mentoring of veterans nationwide.

 

Mrs. Spaeth has been featured in national and trade media, including: Business Week, CBS News, iHeart Radio, the Washington Business Journal, Women of Influence magazine, Town & Country magazine, and SmartCEO magazine, etc. She, and her company, were profiled in 2019 on PBS on the show “Success Files” narrated by Rob Lowe. Mrs. Spaeth holds an Executive MBA in International Business from the TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program – an alliance of the London School of Economics, NYU Stern School of Business and HEC in Paris, a master’s degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Art degree, with honors (cum laude), from the University of Pennsylvania. She also completed her Governance Fellowship through the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and is a speaker in their Director Professionalism series, and she holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Art Crime from the Association for Research into Crimes against Art. For the past seven years, growth[period] has been voted in the top twenty “best places to work” by the Washington Business Journal. Currently, Mrs. Spaeth resides in both Maryland and Colorado with her husband, three children, and four dogs, and she and her family also co-own their local ice-cream store, Sprinkles Potomac in Maryland.

Michael Ecker is Senior Partner for National Security at growth[period]. He is a seasoned executive with extensive experience leading organizations of various sizes within the military and in the private sector, consistently achieving top results. Mr. Ecker served for over 30 years on Active Duty and the Army National Guard where he held leadership roles of increasing responsibility and deployed multiple times to combat environments.  As a Brigadier General, Michael led the Military Advisory Group in Iraq, a directorate comprised of over 140 advisors from 18 nations and cultivated strong relationships with the most senior military and ministerial leaders of the Iraqi and Kurdish governments to advance Coalition policy initiatives. His most recent assignment as the Deputy Commanding General for the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School allows him great insight into training and educating current and future generations of Army Special Operators.

Mr. Ecker is also an accomplished technology and program management consultant who has experience within firms such as The Wexford Group and Lockheed Martin, leading teams and managing portfolios in software development, special programs for forward deployment, and improving combat effectiveness for Defense and Intelligence customers. He is a Licensed Project Management Professional and holds several technology certifications.

He has a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the University of South Florida, a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in Inter-American Defense and Security from the Inter-American Defense College.

Brigadier General Lyn D. Sherlock, USAF, Ret., is a proven executive with over 30 years of experience leading both large, diverse organizations and smaller, high-performing teams in the Department of Defense and Department of State addressing national security, policy, operations, training, and resource issues. Lyn has extensive experience speaking to defense industry partners, business councils, congressional staffs, senior U.S. government and foreign officials, and the media. Brigadier General Sherlock has been the Senior Partner responsible for growth[period]’s defense, aerospace and federal practice for the last ten years, during which she has overseen and actively led client accounts and delivered innovative and results-oriented solutions.

Lyn’s last appointment in government was from 2009-2011 as the Director of Regional Affairs for Air Force International Affairs in the Pentagon. In that role, she was responsible for leading the Air Force’s direct liaison with foreign government officials, US Government officials, and aerospace industry representatives to plan, negotiate and execute security cooperation programs to foreign governments. Prior to that, from 2008-2009, she served as the Director of Air Operations for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements.

From 2006-2008, Lyn served in senior positions in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs including the Director of Office International Security Operations and Senior Military Representative to State. Prior to her positions at the Department of State, Lyn commanded the Air Force’s largest Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base and was the Operations Group Commander for the Air Force’s primary nuclear airlift force at McChord Air Force Base. While deployed in Germany and Qatar, she commanded airlift and tanker units supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was deployed to the Combined Air Operations Center. In addition to the above accomplishments, Lyn was the United States Transportation Command Liaison to the United States Central Command and the United States Special Operations Command providing transportation expertise to both Commands after the attacks of September 2001. She also served in a number of command and staff assignments at the Pentagon including the Air Force Chief of Staff’s Operations Group and in the Directorate of Forces.

Lyn earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she has served on various boards including Veterans Moving Forward, a nonprofit organization that trains and provides service dogs for veterans.

Gregory A. Scovel has over 41 years of experience in government, military, and commercial operations, including 31 years at the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) where he retired as Acting Director in 2010. He has a significant record of successes in the areas of counterintelligence, combating terrorism, law enforcement, cyber operations, risk assessments, and threat analysis. At growth[period], Mr. Scovel advises clients on the Federal, Defense & Aerospace market.

In addition to his work at growth[period], Mr. Scovel is Chairman of Geocollect, a geospatial intelligence company, and was previously Vice President of National and Cyber Solutions at CACI, Inc.

At NCIS, Mr. Scovel was Deputy Director for Operations and Acting Director and was a member of the NCIS Executive Staff and Senior Executive Service (SES). He also served as Executive Assistant Director for Counterintelligence and Executive Assistant Director for Criminal Investigations at NCISHQ and was detailed to the USS Cole Commission. Prior to those roles, Mr. Scovel served as Special Agent in Charge at the Washington Field Office and Assistant Agent in Charge of the NCIS European Field Office and was assigned postings in Italy, Beirut, London, and Norfolk, Virginia.

Mr. Scovel has a baccalaureate degree in Political Science from the University of San Diego. He completed graduate work in International Studies at Old Dominion University and graduated from the Naval Investigative Service Academy and the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center Basic Intelligence School. He was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Award in 1994, and the Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 2001.

Stacy Schwartz is Senior Principal, Public Sector, Public Safety and Telecom at growth[period]. She is an accomplished telecommunications and technology executive with a proven record of accomplishment and delivering results. She has worked within startup, midsized, and Fortune 10 companies while serving consumer, global, and government clients. Mrs. Schwartz is best known for her creative business strategies, building high performing teams and delivering growth.

Mrs. Schwartz most recently headed the Public Sector business at Ring Central, a collaboration software company, where she grew the business, and successfully initiated and progressed the FedRamp certification. Mrs. Schwartz was an executive at AT&T for 26 years previously, where she led high performing teams in the Public Sector and Public Safety space, generating growth businesses from the ground up in Federal, State, and Local Government Markets, including Education.

Notably, Mrs. Schwartz led the win strategy for FirstNet, the largest single federal telecommunications contract awarded, supporting the nation’s first ever Public Safety Broadband Network. She pioneered the FirstNet go to market plan, building a nationwide team, and growing to over 4.5 million subscribers within three years of the program’s inception.

She received a Federal 100 Award and was recognized in 2017 by Federal Computer Weekly as an industry leader who played a pivotal role in the federal IT community with deep experience in telecommunications/technology, sales, and marketing. She has also received a Stevie Award for Women in Business, honoring her achievements in her field. Washington Exec featured Mrs. Schwartz as one of the Top 20 National Security Execs to Watch in 2022 for her efforts to help the nation’s public safety community transform its communications capabilities.

She serves as a board member of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic board, the Greater Washington Board of Trade and is a Washington Executive Women’s Leadership Council member.

She earned her B.A. at Smith College and M.A. at The Johns Hopkins School of International Studies, studying in Geneva, Switzerland, and Niigata, Japan. She has three children and resides with her husband, Tedd, in Northern Virginia.

Chris Nielsen is a Senior Principal for Federal Civilian and Law Enforcement at growth[period], where he leverages over three decades of leadership and operational expertise in government service and consulting to provide holistic solutions to clients.

Mr. Nielsen served over 27 years at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), culminating as Associate Administrator (COO) from 2021-2023. Nielsen was tapped by the then incoming DEA Administrator to lead and optimize business operations for the global agency, an organization with 10,000 employees and 5,000+ contractors in 68 countries. He managed the agency’s $3.1 billion budget, spearheaded organizational transformations, and oversaw global operations. Prior to that position, he served as Regional Director for the DEA in East Asia and the Pacific, where he was responsible for 18 offices across 14 countries, and served as Special Agent in Charge of operations in Northern and Central California. He also served in various investigative, operations and leadership roles at the DEA.

Prior to joining the DEA, Mr. Nielsen served as an Officer in the United States Army and graduated from the United States Army Ranger School, earning the prestigious Ranger Tab. In addition to his work at growth[period], since leaving the DEA Mr. Nielsen has served as an independent safety advisor to corporations and nonprofits and is highly sought after for his experience with safety and security issues, as well as expertise with business operations and corporate growth. He has a BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and certificates in leadership from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Virginia.

Sharon has over thirty years of experience in public and private accounting working with small and medium-sized businesses. Her experience in the professional services, real estate, property management, government contracting, not-for-profit, medical, construction and contracting, and the hospitality industries allows her clients to benefit from this expertise. She holds the credentials of Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner and Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Prior to joining growth[period], Sharon held the position of Principal with a mid-size Certified Public Accounting firm. She was the first female Principal in the 45-year history of the firm. She designed, implemented and ran two highly successful business divisions: Forensic Accounting and Outsourced CFO Solutions, both of which experienced dramatic growth under her leadership. She led all marketing, branding and business development efforts for these divisions. During this time Sharon served as an outsourced CFO for more than a dozen clients.

Sharon has extensive experience in preparing liquidity reviews, risk assessments, internal control analysis, net worth determinations, all phases of financial statement audits, reviews and compilations, tax return preparation for individuals, corporations, trusts and partnerships, and limited liability companies and conducting forensic examinations related to possible fraud. She has extensive experience with small business consulting and advisory services, including start-up entity consulting, software selection, best practices recommendations, cost-cutting reviews, and business goal strategies. Sharon is also a qualified expert witness who has testified as an expert in financial fraud cases.

Prior to establishing ESGI in 2000 and now ESGI – Potomac in 2025, Mr. Scott was the Senior Partner with a retainer-based executive search firm with HQ in Philadelphia. When Mr. Scott sold his shares in that firm, the company was listed as the 23rd largest search firm in the country. ESGI specialized in working with venture capital and private equity firms. The practice worked in the commercial sector both nationally and globally. Please keep reading to find out more about our Washington DC executive search leadership.

 

Mr. Scott’s mission at ESGI – Potomac was to bring personalized attention and sophisticated executive search experience to the federal contracting community. He ensures that ESGI -Potomac approaches each engagement as a strategic partnership. Searches are handled exclusively by expert search professionals who drive all assignments from beginning to end. His goal is to help companies attract experienced executives who work effectively with federal agencies and the systems integrators that serve the government. ESGI – Potomac also is committed to filling key positions promptly. By specializing in federal for over 20 years, ESGI – Potomac differentiates itself from their competitors by drawing upon a well-cultivated network in this community.

 

With nearly three decades of executive search experience, Mr. Scott has helped numerous systems integrators, software, biometrics, services, product companies, and small government contractors hire top-level executive talent. Much of the work is centered around security to include cyber, big data, analytics, cloud security/mobility, biometrics, and AI. Clients range from large blue-chip federal integrators to small and mid-cap companies. ESGI – Potomac has helped clients fill positions varying from the Board of Directors, Advisory Boards, and corporate officers such as the CEO, COO, CFO, VP Business Development, VP Federal Sales/Operations, and a host of other high impact functional roles. ESGI works very closely with graduating and graduated (8a) companies to recruit leadership that knows how to scale a business.

 

Evan Scott serves on the membership committee of the prestigious Homeland Security Defense Business Council that works on a bi-partisan basis to help DHS and DOJ protect the nation from all threats. This has exposed Mr. Scott to all the leading companies and executives in federal contracting who are on the front lines in National Security.

 

Mr. Scott has been quoted in such publications as Business Week, Government Security News, The New York Times, WSJ Technology Daily, DC Examiner, Financial Times, and Electronic Design. He has appeared on the Bloomsburg News Network, discussing issues related to security and executive leadership. He is also an active member at NDIA, InfraGard, GovCon, and ASIS.

Mr. Scott is a graduate of Philadelphia University with a bachelor’s degree in Management and Marketing.

Jenessa Hoffman is Vice President of ESGI- Potomac (formally Potomac Recruiting), growth[period]’s premier contingency recruiting firm specializing in managerial level searches for companies in the national security/homeland security marketplaces.

Prior to working for ESGI – Potomac, Jenessa Hoffman was a senior associate with Anderson Kill & Olick, where she specialized in the areas of Bankruptcy & Restructuring, Corporate & Securities, and Real Estate and Construction. She has advised small and medium-sized businesses on daily business concerns, buyers and sellers in the acquisition and sale of businesses, lenders
and borrowers in commercial financing transactions, and creditors’ and bondholders’ committees in bankruptcy actions. She acted as de facto in-house counsel for numerous clients, responsible for providing advice on general corporate matters, including legal issues and risks related to various corporate actions and compliance with the terms of clients’ governing
documents, negotiating with current and former employees regarding issues such as employment terms and conditions and post-employment benefits, and devising strategies and draft documents with respect to responses to contract violations of customers, suppliers, and franchisees.

Jenessa attended The University of Pennsylvania, where she received a BA in History. She then went on to receive her Juris Doctor at the Fordham University of Law, where she was a Stein Scholar in Public Interest Law and Ethics, as well as a member of Fordham Moot Court Board and the Associate Editor of the Fordham International Law Journal. While at Fordham she completed a year-long externship at Fordham’s Civil & Employment Rights Clinic, where she co-authored the New York City Bar Association’s comments on New York State’s proposed AIDS/HIV regulations

Eric joined the Washington DC executive search leadership group in 2010, now ESGI-Potomac. ESGI-Potomac is frequently cited as a top ten retainer-based executive search firm specializing in federal contracting in part due to the leading-edge research driven by Eric and his team.

Eric’s expertise at outside research includes such tools as AI and Data Analytics. Through these and others, as well as his team management he is able to track top talent in the federal contracting business. This allows the firm to fill searches quickly with proven performers.

He also handles much of the PR needs of the local Washington DC executive staffing agency. By tracking all relevant conferences and events attended by top industry leaders he augments ESGI-Potomac’s visibility in the Federal contracting search profession. In his spare time Eric is also an accomplished musician and is quite active in the local music scene.

David W. Swindle, Jr. (Dave) P. E. is a member of growth[period]’s Advisory Board and Senior Advisor to the CEO. An experienced corporate leader with over 40 years of line management, Board memberships, and P&L responsibility for global operations that exceeded $3B annually, Mr. Swindle has had responsibility for new business growth and operations for defense, space, aerospace, national and homeland security, engineering, intelligence, contingency operations, logistics and nuclear industries worldwide. He has worked extensively in the Middle East, Europe and Asia in contingency operations and large program management and development supporting the US, UK and NATO military commands along with international disarmament/nuclear safeguards and treaty verification for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN, the Department of Energy and Department of State.

Mr. Swindle was AECOM’s Chief Executive, Global Defense and International Programs, and Executive Vice President for International and Special Projects under Amentum. He led AECOM’s support to the UK Ministry of Defence, the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and international organizations such as the UN and NATO, and Australia’s Department of Defence. He was also Chairman of Nuclear Management Partners in the UK, the consortium that managed Sellafield, the world’s most complex nuclear site. He stepped down from his Executive positions with Amentum in 2020.

Mr. Swindle has served on the Boards of both privately held Corporations and Public organizations. He has been a member of the U.S. Army Science Board, the Board of Directors of the Professional Services Council, and is a past Chairman of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB). Mr. Swindle also served as a senior technical advisor to the Department of Defense’s Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs, and the Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Special Capabilities. He has served on project Boards for the IAEA as a special advisor to multiple Deputy Director Generals on major project management planning and delivery in construction, information technology modernization and nuclear laboratory design and operations. Today, he consults on strategy, project delivery and partnering for major US & UK Government projects.

Mr. Swindle is a registered Professional Engineer in seven states. He has a B. S. Degree in Engineering Science from Tennessee Technological University, a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and an M.B.A. in Industrial Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.

David C. Smydo is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Sokolin LLC, which is a leading luxury retailer and direct marketer of fine and rare wine to high net worth individuals internationally. Sokolin currently operates in 30 countries and has offices in New York, Switzerland and France. At Sokolin, David has led the business through a period of significant growth and has overseen the transformation of a traditional wine store into a world-class industry leader. He is responsible for developing and executing the company’s strategic management initiatives, and directs the management team. He has also directed the enterprises’ first initiatives into e-commerce, and managed the successful design and implementation of a proprietary, technology-based information system encompassing and integrating every business segment within the company. He has successfully directed and executed five M&A deals during his tenure.

In addition to his duties at Sokolin LLC, David has a taken on additional time limited roles as the Managing Director of seven separate land investment companies that specialize in locating strategic properties and investing in land with valuable oil, gas and mineral rights within the United States.

Previously, David worked for Internet Venture Works, a startup high technology company funded by a leading Private Equity company based in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also the Founding and Senior Managing Partner of SD Acquisition Group, a company specializing in strategic acquisitions of undervalued enterprises in basic industries, including metals and mining and confectionery products.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. David has previously been a participant of the Yale School of Management Chief Executive Leadership Institute’s CEO Summits. David also currently holds several advisory positions in various industries from luxury fashion to manufacturing.

David retired from Inmar Intelligence in April 2022, where he spent 12 years as Chief Executive Officer and the last 8 of those years as Chairman and CEO. In his role, he led the digital transformation and growth of a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, serving over 17,000 corporate customers across North America, and employing over 5,000 employees. During his tenure, he led the company through 3 private equity owners and recapitalizations, 20 acquisitions, and 16% CAGR in EBITDA.

 

David has extensive operations and financial management experience in the U.S., Europe and Asia, having lived and worked across all three regions. His expertise in investment, innovation, industry collaboration and corporate development has supported transformative product innovation and the growth of information-driven networks spanning more than 200 countries and territories.

 

Prior to joining the Inmar team, David was Executive Vice President of Supply Chain for Domino’s Pizza, Inc. He also served as Domino’s Chief Financial Officer from 2005 to 2007. Prior to Domino’s, David held several positions during an early 23-year tenure at UPS, including Chief Financial Officer, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, and Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions.

 

David holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and formerly served as a Chairman of the Wharton Alumni Executive Board. He now sits on the Wharton Graduate Executive Board and on the Board of Visitors for the Wake Forest University School of Business. David is Chairman, Venture Cafe Winston-Salem, and is a Commissioner of the Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, NC. He is also a pilot. David is a founding member of the Advisory Board for Wake Forest Innovation Quarter. Additionally, he sits as Co-Chair for the Entrepreneurial Culture Committee of the Winston-Salem Alliance, serves on the board of myFutureNC, and is a regular thought leadership contributor for Forbes Magazine.

Darryle Conway is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience leading strategic planning and business development efforts for government and commercial customers, working across more than 70 countries. Mr. Conway most recently served as the Chief Growth Officer at Constellis, responsible for overseeing corporate strategy and business development efforts for the largest non-financial risk management firm operating in more than 25 countries.

Before Constellis, Mr. Conway was Chief Growth Officer at Nathan Associates, a private international economic and analytics consulting firm with over 350 associates with experience spanning 140 countries. Previously, Mr. Conway served in senior business development roles at PAE Global Mission Services (GMS), Raytheon, Raytheon Technical Services Company, and SAIC.

In addition to his extensive corporate business development experience, Mr. Conway also has served on the Board of Directors of the International Stability Operations Association, including as Chairman. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Eagle Online Academy and on the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Army War College Foundation. He was named a 2022 Executive to Watch by Washington Executive, and is a two-time Pinnacle Award Finalist. He holds a B.S. in Biology from East Tennessee State University.

Dr. Edward H. Bersoff is the Chairman of growth[period], a business development consulting firm headquartered in Northern Virginia. As Chairman, he provides top-down guidance and direction to the company’s leadership on strategic initiatives. Dr. Bersoff also plays an active role in the closing of strategic new business and the hiring of the firm’s senior executives. In addition, he is the Chairman and founder of Parabilis, LLC a business finance company located in Northern Virginia. He is also the Chairman of Greenwich Associates, LLC, a business advisory firm.

He was formerly the Chairman and CEO of ATS Corporation (NYSE-AMEX: ATSC), an information technology company that was acquired in 2012. Prior to his role at ATSC, Dr. Bersoff was Chairman, President and CEO of BTG, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed information technology firm he founded in 1982. In November 2001 BTG was acquired by the Titan Corporation, a NYSE listed company. Dr. Bersoff was elected to the Board of Titan in 2002. Titan was later sold to L-3 Communications.

Dr. Bersoff is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Marymount University in Virginia, and Virginia529 College Savings Plan, and is a board member of several other public and private companies. He previously served on the board of New York University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Holy Cross Hospital in Maryland, the INOVA Health System, and the American Electronics Association.

Dr. Bersoff holds A.B., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics from New York University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program. Dr. Bersoff was an officer in the U.S. Army and has taught mathematics at New York University, Northeastern and Boston Universities in Massachusetts, and American University in Washington, D.C.

Rear Admiral Bachmann served in the US Navy for over 35 years in the Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer Community. His career culminated in his five-year tour as the Commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), during which time he advanced the Navy’s acquisition of C4ISR, information operations, information technology, cyber, and space systems. Rear Admiral Bachmann also served in senior Flag leadership roles at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

Mr. Balido is one of the leading authorities on our U.S. borders for trade, travel, energy, and security issues. During his career, he served on the private sector division of FEMA, was appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council by Secretary Chertoff, and served on the Industry Trade Advisory Council for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Mr. Ballard spent 24 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring at the rank of Captain after serving as Deputy Program Manager and Technical Director for Ocean Engineering Programs. During his tenure with the Navy, Mr. Ballard also held the positions of Director of Submarine Safety and Quality Assurance and Major Program Manager for Nuclear Attack Submarines.

Mr. Bergeron has over a decade of experience in senior positions at the CIA. Over the course of his career, Mr. Bergeron served as the Chief/Deputy Chief of Non-Traditional Support, the Chief of Agency IT Support, and the Chief of Ground Systems Contracts Team.

Michael Bruhn is a seasoned executive with over 28 years of leadership experience in both public and private sectors, specializing in operations management, strategic development, and team performance. As Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at the United States Institute of Peace, he led global operations supporting peace-building efforts in 90 countries. Previously, he managed federal government technology, consulting, and research business lines at IQVIA, and held senior roles in the United States Air Force, including Director of the Air Force Medical Operations Center. Mike holds degrees from the United States Air Force Academy, The College of William and Mary, and Air University Air Command and Staff College.

Lt. Gen. Buchanan had a long and successful career with the U.S. Air Force, culminating in his appointment as Commander of the Central Command Air Forces and Ninth Air Force, Shaw AFB, South Carolina. He also served in various other positions within the USAF, including Commander of the Joint Task Force South-West Asia and Deputy to the Combined Forces Air Component Commander at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Bush recently retired as the Executive Assistant Director for Global Operations at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. As a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) Mr. Bush possesses three decades of security, law enforcement, and intelligence experience uniquely formulated by operational, managerial, and executive responsibilities with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and as a member of the Cisco Systems Information Security team. Mr. Bush's specialized application of investigative and operational Cyber capabilities resulted in him being selected as NCIS Counterintelligence Agent of the Year and personal recognition from FBI Directors Louis Freeh and Robert Mueller.

Mr. Castleman served as Chief Operating Officer of FEMA, where he was responsible for day-to-day operational activities and oversaw response, recovery, preparedness, and national security coordination activities. Mr. Castleman has also served as the head of the U.S. Civil Emergency Planning Delegation to NATO, and as acted as Regional Director for FEMA.

Mr. Chase has over thirty years of federal law enforcement and consulting experience. Executive management successes include leading strategic change at the FBI after the attacks of September 11, 2001, directing high profile operational matters and liaison with senior government and private sector officials. Mr. Chase served as Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Albany Division, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division.

Ms. Condon had an illustrious 30-year career in Federal service. She served as Executive Director of the Army National Cemeteries Program, where she led Arlington Cemetery’s remarkable turnaround and held a number of senior executive positions with the Department of the Army. Ms. Condon has been recognized numerous times for exemplary service.

Mr. Day served as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Integrated Technology Service for the GSA, and has a wide range of experience successfully leading IT operations, policy, and security. He has over 30 years of experience managing large, complex organizations in both the public and private sectors.

Mr. Michael Duddy has over 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering and project management. This has included extensive project scheduling experience for major DoD aircraft procurement programs, as well as project management for a variety of industrial, aircraft, and defense programs. He has a B.S. in Engineering from Oakland University.

Mr. Evans spent the majority of his career in the British Diplomatic Service and served abroad in Rangoon, Singapore, Geneva, and Pretoria. He completed his final post as Director responsible for IT and Communications.

Mr. Fallon has had an impressive career in the national security, counterterrorism, and counterintelligence arenas, having served as a national security consultant, DHS Senior Executive Service member, and NCIS Deputy Assistant Director. He has worked closely with agencies within the intelligence and investigative communities.

Mr. Filler was the first CIO for the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO), where he led the consolidation of IT services across the ATO, developed a standardized national IT service delivery infrastructure, created two National Data Centers and the implemented an Enterprise Architecture for the ATO. He also served in many positions at the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, including Chief Scientist and Acting Deputy Director.

Major General Fontaine has had an illustrious career with the U.S. Army, where he served for 36 years as a logistics officer. He was responsible for leading the Army Sustainment Command through two contingencies operations and served as the Commanding General of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command in Europe. Major General Fontaine was also the G4 (Logistics) for U.S. Army-Europe during the drawdown of U.S. contracts in Kosovo, where he worked closely with NATO allies.

Mr. Ford had a 30 year career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He served as the FBI’s Associate Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer. He also was the FBI’s Chief Financial Officer. During his FBI career, Mr. Ford investigated significant public corruption matters, major government program frauds, computer crimes, health care fraud and corporate fraud. He led the corporate fraud investigations of Enron and Arthur Anderson as the FBI’s lead investigator and Inspector-in-Charge. Mr. Ford authored federal health care fraud legislation and developed the FBI's national program in combating health care fraud.

Dr. Gerstein is an expert in security and defense policy, counterterrorism, biodefense, and cybersecurity. He began his career with the U.S. Army, and has held high-level positions at the Pentagon, DHS, L-3 Communications, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Ginnity is an experienced healthcare executive with 28+ years of innovative leading and consulting in healthcare operations, strategic and operational leadership, in a fast-paced multi-layered world-wide healthcare system. As a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), Mr. Ginnity was the Chief Executive Officer of the VA Montana Health Care System and held other senior operational roles with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He also served for over 10 years in various healthcare administrative roles with the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Ginnity has a Ph.D in Strategic Leadership and Health Innovation from James Madison University, an M.S. in Human Resource Management from SUNY, and a B.S. in Management from Clarkson University.

Ms. Goldberg is a Registered Nurse (RN) with a strong clinical background in both chronic and acute care settings. She is a highly skilled leader with a background in quality improvement analysis, financial management and budgeting, and staffing training and patient education.

Mr. Gray has had a long and distinguished career at the U.S. Navy. He served in numerous commands and senior positions within the Navy, including: Deputy Chief of Legislative Affairs, Executive Assistant to the Secretary and Under Secretary of the Navy, and Commanding Officer for both the USS MARYLAND and the USS EMORY S. LAND.

Marc Harding has over twenty years of bid, proposal and content management expertise. He has worked as a bid or proposal manager for multiple firms in the telecoms, IT and cloud space. He has extensive experience drafting, proofreading, and editing pre-written content, and working with bid text library and proposal generation tools such as Upland Qvidian, Qorus and RFPIO.

Mr. Ishikawa is a technology strategist with over 10 years of experience directing teams to build, fund, and acquire aerospace technologies. He is a Principal in growth[period]’s Transaction Advisory Services practice, providing diligence and deal support for client transactions. He is also Investment Team Lead and Partner at Aero X Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in innovative deep tech companies that are transforming aerospace, defense, national security and critical infrastructure markets. He served as a Tech Acquisitions & Strategy Advisor at Booz Allen Hamilton from 2015 to 2022. In this role, he developed strategic planning for aerospace related technology acquisitions, led business development and capture for new engineering and software business lines, and was as a trusted advisor to United States Air Force procurement leadership. Mr. Ishikawa holds a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at Penn and a MS and BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Jeff Kipers is an IT and Cybersecurity subject matter expert with over 30 years of experience managing complex network operations, developing critical software, and overseeing large systems integration initiatives for a myriad of industries. Mr. Kipers was a Service Delivery Manager for Cisco where he planned and executed global-scale integration of two IC agencies. Prior to Cisco, Mr. Kipers was Vice President of Operations at IndraSoft, Inc. and was with Lockheed Martin for 10 years. Mr. Kipers received his Master of Science in Software and Engineering Management from George Washington University and holds various certifications including CCNA (R/S, SEC), PMP, CISSP, and CSM. He is a U.S. Army veteran.

Matt Kohler is a retired three-star admiral with 36 years of naval service. He most recently served as the Deputy Department of the Navy (DON) Chief Information Officer, Director of Naval Intelligence and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare managing a $9B portfolio. Kohler also led the U.S. Navy’s Information Warfare Community of over 50,000 uniformed and civilian professionals (Cyber, Intelligence, IT, Space, Meteorology and Oceanography), and managed senior executive (admirals and senior civilian executives) career development and personnel placement.

Mr. Kopelson is recognized for his extensive experience in venture capital and management consulting in Aerospace & Defense, transaction advisory support, strategy, and market intelligence. Previously Mr. Kopelson was the founder and Managing Director of Kopelson Consulting, a Senior Analyst at CSP Associates in Boston, and worked in venture capital for VCFA Group in New York and San Francisco. Mr. Kopelson holds an M.A. in International Security Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Ms. Lembke is a retired Assistant Director from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She has 28 years of government, law enforcement, project management and process improvement experience. Ms. Lembke has a diverse background which includes spending over a decade working complex southwest border investigations in southern Arizona as well as developing strategic and operational initiatives at the national level.

Dr. Miller served as the Chief of Staff, NSA and Central Security Services, and possesses an extensive record of leading highly secure, mission-critical initiatives. He also served as the Senior NSA Representative to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director of Intelligence for the Chief Cryptologic Services Group, and managed the Information Technology Division.

Dr. Morrison has held several high-level positions within the U.S. Army in the areas of engineering and research and development, including Deputy Director for the Army Engineer Research and Development Center and Director of Research and Laboratory Management. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his service.

Prior to co-founding Aero X Ventures and AeroX, Inc., Kyle Mounts served as Portfolio Manager for iGnosis Capital from 2019 to 2022, where he led investment strategy, deal negotiation, KPI performance, market execution, and operational oversight for early-stage companies. He took active roles within portfolio companies as President, Strategic Advisor, and board member. Additionally, he served as President of an FAA-certified Part-135 on-demand charter operation, a Part-141 flight training school, and founded a Part-145 MRO company. Before this, he was President of Zingo, a fintech payment data collection company, leading it through growth cycles and a strategic exit with Credit Sesame, Inc. in 2020. Before joining Zingo, Kyle worked with Wells Fargo from 2011 to 2019, ultimately serving as VP and Senior Private Wealth Banker, managing a book of business valued at over $1 billion in deposits/investments and over $300 million in credit exposure. With over a decade in finance, he specializes in seed series and series A investment, leverage strategies, company valuation, forecasting, budgeting, and KPI development. He has successfully led and trained sales teams, advised on multi-million-dollar commercial real estate projects, and developed new strategic partnerships and marketing strategies. Kyle holds a BBA in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2016) and an MBA with majors in Finance and Entrepreneurship & Innovation from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (2021).

Mr. Narayanan has had a distinguished career in the Indian intelligence community. He served as Director of India’s Intelligence Bureau under four Prime Ministers and headed India’s Joint Intelligence Committee. Additionally, Mr. Narayanan worked for 6 years in the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, first as Special Advisor for Internal Security, and later as National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister.

As a Strategic Client Advisor for growth[period] Mr. Duane Olcsvary advises nuclear plant owners and U.S. government project contractors in commercial project matters; advises renewal energy projects in securing DOE funding; and advises parties interested in investing in new nuclear projects. Mr. Olcsvary has thirty-five years of commercial nuclear power experience including as Vice President of Commercial Affairs for Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC and as General Manager for Process Methods, and senior advisor to the COO, Chief Nuclear Officer and CEO, at the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Ms. Peavy has decades of cross functional experience with federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement and homeland security as a former senior U.S. government official. She served as the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s (FLETC) first Chief Information Officer (CIO)/Assistant Director and was selected into the Senior Executive Service. Ms. Peavy was one of the founding executives in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) upon its creation in 2002 and served as a member of the Department’s CIO council for 13 years until her retirement. Ms. Peavy previously worked as a civilian for the U.S. Air Force in various roles including with what is now Space Command, and finished her DoD career as the Deputy Director/CIO for Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). Ms. Peavy is the recipient of Meritorious Service Awards from both the Air Force and DISA and in 2010 received the President Rank Award, Meritorious Executive, for sustained noteworthy contributions to the efficient and effective training of the nation’s law enforcement personnel.

Dr. Perlmuter had a distinguished career in healthcare and has spent nearly three decades at hospitals around the country. He has also held several academic positions and served on numerous hospital and healthcare committees. Dr. Perlmuter has experience in the fields of internal medicine, ambulatory medicine, rehabilitation, and home health care, among other practice areas.

Mr. Pomerantz worked for the FBI for 27 years, where he rose from field investigative Special Agent to Assistant Director, the third highest position in the FBI at the time. He served three separate tours of duty at FBI Headquarters and was the Assistant Director in Charge of the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.

Mr. Pugliese is the former commissioner for the General Services Administration, and he received numerous citations for contributing to better government during his 28-year tenure with the agency. He was awarded Government Executive of the Year for creating an electronic ordering system for federal procurement.

Mr. Richardson's professional specialty is development, planning, and design of major, nationwide infrastructure projects. Throughout his career, he has focused on large development projects, real estate, and technology ventures, including the $1.5 billion Innovative Finance Initiative for the North Central Texas Council of Governments Cotton Belt Corridor.

Mr. Richter has 35+ years of success and experience in technical operations, business development, and management within the public and private sectors. He possesses in-depth experience in the full range of business development activities, including Capture Management, Proposal Management, Solution Architecture, and Pricing and Bid Strategy development. He has performed hundreds of Market Studies, Competitive Analyses, Price To Win Analyses in the U.S. Federal, International, and Commercial markets.

Rear Admiral Rodman served as Chief Engineer of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) San Diego, where he was responsible for the design, development, deployment, and sustainment of the Navy’s C5ISR, Enterprise Information, and Space Systems. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has developed a detailed understanding of the specialized aerospace applications and systems that are critical to national intelligence and defense.

Mr. Enrique Salcedo Carbonell has extensive experience in renewable energy, Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), Mergers and Acquisitions, and Risk Management. Mr. Carbonell was previously a Senior Vice President at Blackstone/ONYX Renewable Partners, and had senior management roles at Global Energy Services (GES). In these roles he led the development, construction and installation of major solar and wind power projects, totaling over $220 million and 165 MWs. Mr. Carbonell has a TRIUM Executive MBA from the London School of Economics, HEC Paris, and New York University Stern School of Business. He has a bachelor's degree in Engineering from the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, España and a degree from University Fachhochschule Oldenburg, Germany.

Mr. Schneider had a distinguished career at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He served as Director of Advanced Technology and Plans at a multi-billion Presidentially Directed Tri-Agency system consisting of earth orbiting satellites, communications, data processing, and product generation systems.

Chief Seaman spent nearly four decades in law enforcement and retired following his tenure as Chief of the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno police department. Over the course of his career, Chief Seaman also held senior-level positions at the Santa Clara County Regional Interoperability Project and the San Jose Police Department and was President of the California Police Chiefs Association. He has worked to bring attention to the dangers of cyber attacks to local communities and is highly knowledgeable in the areas of energy security, community-oriented policing, and police policy and practices.

Mr. Siedow has over 25 years of experience with global risk management, policy development, and procedural management. He served with the U.S. Secret Service for two decades, where he developed strategic policy and coordinated participation in DHS management improvement and evaluation programs. Mr. Siedow oversaw comprehensive security plans for large and complicated sites, implemented tactical response plans for high profile dignitaries, and established a number of multi-agency task forces to combat electronic and financial crimes.

Mr. Sill is an accomplished technology-focused executive with experience in financial services, private equity, and information technology. His experience in various industries includes telecommunications, social media, and financial services, as well as with healthcare IT focused businesses.

Mr. Smith operated in the physical and perimeter security industry and has worked closely with innovative Fiber optic technology. He has served in several senior-level roles, including SVP & General Manager for the Defense & Space Division; CEO and Managing Director; and President and COO for a variety of commercial companies.

Major General Snodgrass had a long and successful career in the U.S. Air Force, culminating as the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, responsible for formulating and integrating Air Force policy with respect to political-military relationships, security assistance, technology and information disclosure issues and attaché affairs.

Mr. Sullivan is a private sector security and investigate professional with nearly 35 years of experience as a Federal Agent as well as proven Executive-Corporate Leadership. Mr. Sullivan was the Director of the United States Secret Service (USSS) beginning as an entry level field agent and ultimately serving in a variety of leadership roles in the organization for nearly 30 years. Mr. Sullivan led high impact initiatives in criminal investigations and protective operations, strategic planning, threat assessment and risk management, human capital management, training, technology deployment, IT modernization and budget development and execution.

Mr. Thayer served over 37 years at the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, the last 17 years as a member of the Senior Executive Service before retiring in December, 2023. His last 6 years were serving as the Director, Ship Management, and then as the Director, Maritime Operations and was the principal advisor to the Commander on all matters related to force employment for more than 100 ships in the MSC fleet. Mr. Thayer received numerous awards during his distinguished career including the Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award. He is a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy, the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces

Mr. Jerry "Scott" Thomas retired as a member of the Federal Coordinating Officer cadre of FEMA in 2022. He was assigned to Region VI, Denton, TX, where he functioned as the senior Federal official at over 20 presidentially declared emergencies and disasters. He has over 10 years of experience in disaster management at FEMA. Mr. Thomas previously served for over 22 years as an officer in the U.S. Army. He has a B.S. from Western Carolina University and an M.A. from Webster University. He is an IAEM Certified Emergency Manager and is a recipient of the Order of Military Medical Merit and the DHS Secretary's Award for Excellence.

Rear Admiral Timme brings more than 30 years of experience leading operations, national policy development and federal budgeting in the areas of maritime safety and security. Most recently, he served as the Coast Guard's Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy. He was also previously commander of the Eight Coast Guard District, responsible for all operations across 26 states including the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi and Ohio river systems. Prior to that role he was the Coast Guard's Budget Director and held other leadership roles. He holds master degrees from the National War College in National Security Strategy and from the George Washington University in Public Administration. He is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where he received a Bachelor of Science in Government.

Brigadier General Tolley had a long, distinguished career with the U.S. Army, where he served for over three decades and reached the rank of Brigadier General. He held a number of high-level positions and served as the Commanding General of the Special Operations Command in Korea (SOCKOR).

Rear Admiral Vincent served as the Industry Chair at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), where he advised the DAU management team, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the uniformed services, and industry. He served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years, a career that culminated in the position of Commandant of the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC).

Mr. Wanat possesses over 30 years of experience in counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and public integrity, and served as a Federal law enforcement official at NCIS, the FBI, and the Department of Treasury. He provided national security threat assessments for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) and drafted some of the legislation that created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

William “Bill” Warnock is a Principal with growth[period]’s Construction, Architecture and Engineering practice. He specializes in assisting companies with their business development efforts and sale growth in the federal marketplace.  Previously, Mr. Warnock served as the Chief Operating Officer for RA Federal Services (RA FS).  RA FS provides construction and logistics services to the Department of State and other federal agencies across the globe. Mr. Warnock retired from US Navy in 2015 as a Captain after serving over 30 years.  His assignments included numerous postings at sea, and ashore in the United Sates, Middle East and Africa.  Additionally, Mr. Warnock served as the Senior Navy Liaison to the White House under Presidents Bush and Clinton.  As a son of missionaries, Mr. Warnock spent most of his childhood in Africa.  His last posting in the Navy was at the US Embassy in Nairobi and after his retirement he remained in Africa with his family while he started his career in the private sector. Mr. Warnock leads the East Africa Chapter of International Stability Operations Association (ISOA) representing member companies across the continent.  He has been an active member of ISOA since 2017 and is a regular guest speaker on Africa panels, as well as organizing conferences for the association. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Virginia Military Institute and a master’s degree from Marymount University.

Ms. Wax has held a number of senior leadership positions at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She served as the Deputy Director of the NIH Center for Information Technology and the Associate Director for Legislative Policy and Analysis at NIH, and has worked in both the academic and policy sectors.

Mr. Zach Williams has extensive experience with supply chain management, quality assurance, and testing, inspection and certification. Mr. Williams was previously Director of Metals and Minerals for North America with Bureau Veritas, where he oversaw the Inspection, Sampling and Analysis of High-Grade Gold, Silver, and Platinum Group Metals (PGM), Base Metals, Minerals, and Solid Fuels, managed 3 analytical laboratories in North America, as well as inspection, sampling, and client representation services at 44 major precious metals refiners and 100 dry bulk ports. He also has extensive experience in quality assurance and testing of drilling equipment with the oil and gas industry. Mr. Williams has a B.S. in Economics from the U.S. Naval Academy and served over 6 years in U.S. Marine Corps Aviation.

Dr. Wittels has an extensive background in strategy, technology, and engineering and is a highly regarded engineer, scientist, and business executive. She has worked closely with the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy (DoE), as well as numerous private companies.

Ms. Crofton is an experienced technology and innovation strategist and data scientist with over 20 years of experience in the Federal contracting industry. She was a Program Manager and later Director for Competitive Intelligence at KPMG. She has worked in program management roles for such firms as ECS Federal, TeraThink and Booz Allen Hamilton. She has a B.A. and an M.A. in Economics from Colorado State University, and an ABD in Economics from George Mason University.